Tallest Living Wall in North America Is Coming to Dallas

Living walls are flourishing throughout the world as environmentally friendly additions to large metal buildings. Just take a look at some of the best green walls in the world, including examples in Paris, Canada, and Madrid. Dallas’ own living wall is set to break ground later this year, so we’ll soon have our own towering eco-friendly attraction to admire.

The tallest living wall in North America will be a part of a 26-story high-rise coming to downtown Dallas. The building, which will be located at 1899 McKinney Avenue (across from The Union), is bringing 270 new condominium homes, as well as cleaner air, with greenery that will cascade down the building to a mixed-use space and small park.

It’s estimated that the 40,000-plus plants will capture more than 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide and produce 1,200 pounds of oxygen each year. The groundbreaking high-rise comes from Rastegar Property Company’s CEO, Dallas-raised Ari Rastegar.

“This project is very personal to me because I was raised in Dallas, and my wife Kellie and I have always had a dream of being part of the Dallas skyline in a way that enhances quality of life for its residents and the surrounding community,” says Rastegar in a statement.

A pocket park will sit at the bottom of the structure, creating more walkable outdoor space for Dallasites. The design also plans for space for a coffee shop or retail store.

The actual building was designed by Chicago architect Solomon Cordwell Buenz and emphasizes a contoured glass exterior with heavily landscaped balconies on each level. Zauben, a living-wall and green-roof company, was brought in to create the green addition — as on trend as it is ecologically beneficial.

“We thought about how living walls can positively influence the city of Dallas,” Zauben CEO Zach Smith says. “We wanted to help champion the sustainability goals of the city and create an example that other forward-thinking cities can follow. Rastegar is offering a fresh perspective on how developers can grapple with some of the most urgent environmental issues, including air quality and carbon emissions.”

The residential development is projected for completion by 2022 or 2023. As Dallas strives to become more pedestrian-friendly, walkable, and green, this project is definitely something to look forward to post-pandemic. But for now, check out Dallas’ smallest living wall under Katy Trail on Hall Street.