LED lit 2' square steel vertical wall on wheels; walking requires a long sturdy extension cord for full effect. Lighting support provided by my friend John "Parts" Taylor of LumiGeek. CAD file support provided by my friend Aaron Porterfield.

Step 1: Design

I embarked on an exploration of what a living wall could be... I settled on 2' square vertical wall with a center design influenced by sacred geometry, specifically the "Flower of Life".

Step 2: Cardboard Prototype

I used the Epilog 120 Watt Laser to cut cardboard into a scaled prototype to reality check aesthetics.

Step 3: Wood Prototype

Feels pretty good, let's move on to metal...

Step 4: Steel Frame

Cut 2" Steel Square Tube into sections to create a 24" x 24" Vertical Frame and 10" x 24" Horizontal Base. Reality checked the Golden Gate Bridge art piece on top of the wall - GGB is a bit much, as it feels like it overpowers the Living Wall's presence...

Step 5: Waterjet Cutting the "Flower of Life" Into 1/16" Thick Steel Sheet

I cut the design using the Omax waterjet. The Cut file was the most challenging given the 64 individual cutouts, mostly straightforward removing pieces as the cut progressed. Files attached - enjoy :)

Step 6: Sandblasting and Welding, and More Sandblasting

This step went smoothly...

Step 7: Painting the Wall

We have come full circle in getting the finished frame and inset design back to metallic color; I used Krylon Nickel Shimmer and painted it in the spray booth (very important considerations involved given the Pier 9 location on top of the San Francisco Bay).

Step 8: Diffuser Tubing to Block Direct Viewing of LED Lighting

I used High-Pressure/Vacuum Polyethylene Tubing (0.814" ID, 1" OD, 3/32" Wall Thickness, White) to make strips that fit between the frame and the interior design to block direct viewing of the RGB LED strip that I will be running inside the frame. I used a Pneumatic Shear to cut the tubing in half longways, then a Dremel with the 1" cutter attachment to notch the tube ends to fit into the frame. Video is of me using the pneumatic shear; http://youtu.be/1hWyR1Qb8sI

Living Wall - Step #8
Download

Step 9: Lighting Up the Wall

I attached a strip of Non-Addressable RGB LED Strip to the inside of the Frame. This is powered via a power supply and controlled via Arduino UNO and LumiGeek 4xRGB shield. I am sharing additional information regarding the Arduino / LumiGeek setup under a separate Instructable; for additional information on LumiGeek go to LumiGeek.com or https://www.facebook.com/lumigeek.