The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden - Avondale, Cincinnati
Background
We were pleasantly surprised when an intern from Pepper Construction reached out, curious about what it would take to incorporate a living wall into a project she was involved in. After our engineer walked her through the technical requirements and benefits, she pitched the idea to her design team. Soon after, Urban Blooms was invited to meet with Pepper Construction and their client—who turned out to be none other than the world-renowned Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.
The Zoo’s horticultural team was impressed by the flexibility and customization our living walls offered, and the project quickly received the green light. For our founder, this opportunity was especially meaningful: as a child, he would walk to the Zoo with his classmates from North Avondale Montessori, just over a mile away. Helping bring this project to life felt like a full-circle moment—a childhood dream realized through nature and design.
Outcome
The Horticultural department at the Cincinnati Zoo asked us to be as creative as possible with this installations. We took that challenge head on and tried to find a wide range of unique plants and species. This wall features, giant tree ferns, vibrant bromeliads, classical anthuriums, blooming lipstick plants, wild ferns, and hungry pitcher plants. It is our hope that this wall can act as an inspiration and learning opportunity for the tens of thousands of kids who take field trips to the zoo every year.
