01
Saman Bank Terrace
2,031 plants, 61 species, 290 m² — a miniature vertical forest, at height.
- PLANTED
- 2024
- AGE TODAY
- 2 yr 4 mo
- AREA
- 290 m²
- SPECIES
- 61
- PLANTS
- 2,031
00Love Grows Here
This drawingisn’t finished.
An architecture office — completely different.
SECTION A—A · ROOF GARDENDAY 000 · GROWING
PLANTING PLAN · SAMAN BANK TERRACE · 290 m² · 2,031 PLANTS · 61 SPECIES · DAY 00
01The office
Every other trade in a building hands over its work on its best day.
Ours is handed over on its worst day — day one — and gets better for twenty years.
- Completed projects
- +120
- m² of green space delivered
- 350,000
- Plant survival at 12 months
- 95%
- Architecture offices partnered
- +30
- Team
- 50+20
02The four phases
Four phases. Each one is a set of drawings.
Phase 0Initial Analysis and Site Survey
In this stage, needs-assessment meetings are held with the client to fully review the project goals, requirements, and limitations. The expert team visits the site in person and analyzes climatic conditions, soil, existing vegetation, structural capacities, and environmental characteristics based on landscape design standards.
- Needs-assessment meeting
- On-site survey
- Climatic conditions
- Soil
- Existing vegetation
- Structural capacity
Phase 1Conceptual Design and Concept Presentation
Information gathered in Phase Zero is converted into conceptual designs. In this stage, preliminary plans including green space layout, plant placement, access paths, landscape architecture elements, and the design of related structures such as substructures, foundations, retaining structures, and green covers are presented. After presenting the concepts, client feedback is received, and necessary revisions are applied.
- Green space plan
- Plant placement
- Access paths
- Landscape elements
- Substructure and foundation
- Retaining structures
Phase 2Executive Design of Green Space and Structures
After final approval of the conceptual design, detailed executive drawings are prepared, which include:
- Structure and foundation drawings
- Executive details of elements
- Planting plan with species specs
- Irrigation and drainage drawings
- Soil and fertilization specs
- Execution schedule
Phase 3Execution of Green Space and Structures
The specialized execution team carries out land preparation, construction of the necessary structures, planting, installation of irrigation and drainage systems, fabrication and installation of the designed elements, and lighting, according to the drawings and technical standards and to a high standard of precision and quality, so that a healthy, well-composed and durable green space is handed over complete, together with its related structures.
- Land preparation
- Structure construction
- Planting
- Irrigation and drainage
- Element fabrication and installation
- Lighting
At the end of Phase 3 every circle is still almost empty. That is where our work starts.
03The work
Seven sheets, still growing.
Every sheet carries two dates: the day it was planted, and today. A photograph is one instant; the age is the rest of the story.
04What we plant55 ROWS
| NO. | COMMON | BOTANICAL | BEHAVIOUR | SHEET |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Persian ironwood | Parrotia persica | Deciduous | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 02 | maple | Acer sp. | Deciduous | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 03 | evergreen magnolia | Magnolia grandiflora | Evergreen | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 04 | olive | Olea europaea | Evergreen | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 05 | bay laurel | Laurus nobilis | Evergreen | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 06 | myrtle | Myrtus communis | Massing | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 07 | jasmine | Jasminum sp. | Seasonal flowering | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 08 | Indian clove | Syzygium sp. | Evergreen | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 09 | Fremontia (as specified by Giallery) | Fremontia simplex | Evergreen | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 10 | Obelia (as specified by Giallery) | Obelia | Seasonal flowering | EL ZOCO Restaurant |
| 11 | snake plant | Sansevieria trifasciata | Evergreen | Saman Bank Terrace |
| 12 | golden pothos | Epipremnum aureum | Evergreen | Saman Bank Terrace |
| 13 | ficus | Ficus sp. | Evergreen | Saman Bank Terrace |
| 14 | Mediterranean cypress | Cupressus sempervirens | Evergreen | Saman Bank Terrace |
05The canopy
Twelve months, on one sheet.
SAMAN BANK TERRACE · PLANTING PLAN · 290 m²
Planting day. Every circle is drawn at mature canopy diameter; what goes into it today is small.
RETURNED · MONTH 12 · CANOPY CLOSED — what has grown stays grown.
CANOPY CLOSED
95%Plant survival at 12 months
Saman Bank Terrace, month twelve. 2,031 plants, 61 species — a miniature vertical forest, at height.
This project's sheet06And then
Handover is not the end of the work.
The maintenance programme returns on a set cadence. Homes · offices · shops · public spaces.
RxGIALLERY PLANT PATHOLOGY
A plant doctor, on site and remote.
Diagnosis of disease, pest and nutrient deficiency — and a written prescription.
The choice is yours.
160TON·100TON
Planting at height is a logistics operation, not a metaphor.
07Phase zero
A blank sheet, for your space.
Every field you fill in is drawn onto the sheet.