A drive down PCH may never be the same.
Mario Batali has opened Pizzeria Mozza here in Newport Beach, on PCH. Some may rave about the delicious crust of his artisan pizza. But others, like myself, do not need to enter the restaurant to get excited about this upscale pizza joint.
As you drive Mariner’s Mile, many icons and spectacular views appear, and now there is a new feature. The exterior wall of Pizzeria Mozza is now a Living Wall. What is that? You do not know what a Living Wall is? An Edible Wall? Vertical farming?
The built environment is often hard and harsh. Functional materials – concrete, wood, metals, glass – all perform a purpose. Trees, flowers and other landscape elements are often used to soften the built environment.
I have made my case before that if something performs two functions it is necessarily, by definition, green and sustainable. The “Genius of the AND.” That two things can peacefully coexist, like quality AND low cost. A carport that creates shade AND generates energy. An architectural feature like a fence AND a cistern for holding rainwater.
A Living Wall is a structure that allows plant materials to grow as a wall of a building. A wall AND a garden. A Living Wall could be ornamental or edible. Living Walls can be planted with edible plants such as herbs, fruits and vegetables. Inside is possible; easier to do outside.
Pizzeria Mozza’s Living Wall wraps around the restaurant and a large window. All 209 square feet is visible to anyone driving PCH and is planted with oregano, mint, chamomile, rosemary, zucchini, lavender, sage, thyme, geranium, sword fern, spider plant, asparagus fern, flax, marjoram and carex. It may even provide habitat for some local fauna and will conserve energy by insulating the building envelope. .
“We’re as serious about sustainability as we are about our food and service,” said Batali. “When we decided to open a new location in Newport Beach, including a Living Wall was a no-brainer. We love it, our patrons love it, and it starts meaningful conversations and creates awareness about sustainability. We remain committed to taking a leadership role in our industry. An edible wall is a smart, forward-thinking, fun and cool thing to have.”
Jim Mumford is considered an Eco-Warrior and a PlantScaper of 34 years. A PlantScaper does not do hedges or lawns, but focuses on highly groomed and detailed elements in a container. Mumford started with rooftop gardens and has been experimenting and fine tuning the art of Living Walls in his San Diego based GreenScaped Buildings facility. “Yes, I have killed a few plants, but have figured out what works,” shares Mumford, “the trick it to get the Living Wall to last.”
So, here we have a great example for tight spaces down by the beach or in a magnificent Newport Coast home of how to integrate living art forms of ornamental and edible plants into vertical spaces.
“At the end of the day, life is all plant-based in forms of things we eat, live and build,” Mumford rightfully points out. Pizzeria Mozza is on track to be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified Green Building.
Best of luck and thanks again for the constant reminder of how to integrate plant life and soften the built environment as we drive down PCH.
Please send your Living Wall examples to JimFitzEco@gmail.com
