Before joining forces with Shepley Bulfinch, Merz Project, architect of the Galleries at Turney, had a small paragraph of information on their website about “asul” prefabs planned for “Prescott Community.” While I never was able to learn any thing new about the endeavor, it turns out that ASUL will debut at Dwell on Design this week.
We've seen solar-powered transit shelters, but this eco-friendly transit center with transit stops outfitted with green walls may be a first. With the help of greenscreen green walls, the City of Tempe Transit Center is seeking LEED Platinum certification. The mixed use facility, designed to be 52% more efficient than a traditional building of its kind, went with green walls to provide a buffer from the harsh Arizona sun and heat.
We've mentioned Arizona State University's green School of Sustainability, and we've also mentioned greenscreen modular trellis panels, but we're going to bring it all full circle here in one article. ASU used greenscreen green walls in the renovation of this 1960s building to add a little something extra — to cool the interior, clean the air, and bolster the design. A wall was removed to add this distinctive element, and the strategy seems to be working.
The Galleries at Turney, although completed back in mid-2007, have been getting some good press over the last year for good reason. First, they're ultra modern, super slick, and hard to miss. Second, the eight homes were the first to receive LEED-H certification in the entire state of Arizona. Third, all eight detached units, as of about December 2008, have sold out. They're gone, which means smartly designed, modern, somewhat luxurious homes can sell, even in a tough real estate market.
