Best Friends Pet Care
Best Friends Pet Care is a leading provider of pet hospitality in the United States. When Walt Disney World Resort decided to consolidate their five kennel operations into one state-of-the-art luxury pet resort, the Best Friends Pet Care at Walt Disney World Resort was conceived. As Walt Disney World Resort’s only “on property” pet resort, the 50,000-square-foot luxury pet resort accommodates up to 300 pets. The grand opening was September 1, 2010 and it is located across from the Port Orleans Resort in Orlando, FL.
The resort’s architect, Mateu Architecture Inc., designed a unique entrance area to attract visitors and pay homage to the “wagging” guests of the resort. After much research, Mateu selected GSky to provide the Pro Wall System, which was a key component of the high-impact entrance. Leading up to the main door, a row of 16 rectangular Pro Walls lined the walkway, each separated by a red-roofed dog house. Each Pro Wall contains a paw print design, which was done by using two unique types of plants: Grass “Nana” and Black Mondo Grass, and using stainless steel dividers to highlight the design. In total, over 21,216 plants were used to create this entrance.
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THE PROCESS
The Green Wall at the Best Friend Pet Care at Walt Disney World Resort presented two particular challenges 1) the usage of grey water from the site and 2) the walls are free-standing. The use of grey water is always challenging as it can clog drip emitters and lines over time. This requires a low-concentration acid to be injected through the system on a regular basis through maintenance. The wall was installed at the end of June. Free-standing Green Walls get sun from both sides of them which heats them from both sides. For plants that are selected in order to be half-sun plants, are used to cooling off in the afternoons when the sun is off of them, however, if the sun is hitting the back-side of a free-standing wall, it’s still heating up. Therefore, an insulated backing is installed with air holes to allow for hot air to escape as it heats up in an air cavity in the wall. Without proper design of a freestanding wall, it’s very easy to cook plants, especially in a climate like Florida’s.
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MAINTENANCE
The maintenance is performed using a ladder and must also be performed in early morning or late afternoon hours. The most difficult plants to maintain are those on the very top of the wall. This is expected as they are the ones that see the most heat, despite the insulated trim surrounding the Green Wall. These plants have an extra irrigation zone to keep them moist and healthy.
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