"green wall"

The new headquarters of interior design brand Brabantia in Valkenswaard was recently completed. Several green living walls have been installed in the office, contributing to the company’s sustainable image. The entire office was built according to the BREEAM standard, designed by Gert Jan Kruijning of AA Architects. The vertical greenery in the building was installed by Ten Brinke Interieurbeplanting.Sustainable DesignBrabantia’s new head office was built climate-neutral according to BREEAM standards. The building’s skeleton is made entirely of wood. The green walls in the office bring in the more natural look and also provide many benefits such as oxygen production and an improved indoor climate.Thomas Deenen, Commercial Director Brabantia Benelux & DACH: ‘Implementing vertical greenery in the design was an idea of the architect, following Brabantia’s requirements. The requirements were; lots of green, sustainable, pleasant atmosphere and a natural transition from outside to inside. The green living walls are a real eye-catcher, a real image-defining part of the interior. The vertical green looks very nice, gives a warm and natural feeling and a fresh smell’.Innovative and sustainable green wall systemThe green walls were installed by Mobilane dealer Ten brinke Interieurbeplanting using the LivePanel Indoor system. LivePanel Indoor is an innovative and sustainable system in the field of vertical greenery. It is suitable for installation against new and existing walls. It is possible to water the green walls manually, automatically or by means of a tank. For the walls at Brabantia, automatic watering was the option chosen.A century of quality and designBrabantia started out in 1919 as Van Elderen & Co in Aalst, producing milk churns, jugs, sieves and funnels. Over the years, Brabantia has grown into a global interior design brand, known for its smart and stylish household products.Client: BrabantiaArchitect: AA ArchitectenConstruction period: 2022Installation: Mobicare

800 square meters of Black Webnet creating an innovative Webnet Green Wall ,providing shade and year-round temperature control for this contemporary office building.The innovative design features our Webnet stainless steel mesh system suspended from roof supports to create a strong, secure and long-life structure for plants to climb up. Planters at first floor level encircle the building to provide low level greening, as well as a base for the climbers.Bringing nature to this urban landscape, the green wall not only makes the office look spectacular, but also provides a habitat for wildlife and significantly improves the building’s carbon footprint. The shade and evaporative cooling of the plants also help to cool the building in summer and insulate it in winter, helping to improve thermal efficiency and save energy costs.

Delivered an elegant Green (Living) Wall at the iconic One Hyde Park building using a a combination of Jakob’s high-quality stainless-steel ropes, rods and planters.Our green wall has been installed to the eastern edge of the One Hyde Park building; where it lines the route of a new pedestrian walkway (Serpentine Walk), just a few steps away from Harrods. The wall creates a stunning green corridor between Hyde Park and the nearby Harrods store and 80 luxury apartments.The Jakob Green Wall system was chosen due to its aesthetic appeal suiting the architectural design of the building and the 21st century trend of city greening.The green wall provides both a visual and physical link between the expansive open spaces of Hyde Park and the busy street scene along Knightsbridge. The greening is also a taster of the views from the opulent penthouse suites above.Alongside the LED lighting, the green wall makes the building unique and distinctive. Ensuring that it looks great, both day and night.

In order to achieve the BREEAM rating of “Excellent”, the fourteen storey building, constructed in 2009 in London’s Bank Conservation Area, incorporated several sustainable features, including our rope and rod Green Wall System. To create the ideal habitat for wildlife, the green wall design included bat boxes; providing a safe place for bats in the city.Green walls can be used in cities to help improve the local air quality by trapping dust and pollutants; in addition to absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. Green walls can also be used as an effective graffiti deterrent in areas where this is an issue, as green walls make the application of graffiti to structures near impossible, and this is just one of many benefits of green walls. Additionally, the green wall is helping to provide cleaner air in the urban environment – and looks great!

We supplied and installed over 500m² of Jakob Webnet for the new build sports hall at St Dominic’s College in Harrow. The Webnet, now clad with climbing plants has created a free-standing green wall which provides shade to the building and effectively disguises it, allowing it to blend in to the surrounding grounds.

The refurbishment of the car park was one of the first steps in the regeneration of New Covent Garden Market; a project which is projected to take 10 years at a cost of £2 billion.Appropriately for a flower and fruit market, BDP designed a green wall facade. Lang+Fulton’s Stereo-3 panels were chosen to clad three elevations of the 7-storey car park, sections of which will become covered in ivy.The design incorporated an aluminium box section framework and feature panels as well as open spaces to create added interest. In total Lang+Fulton supplied 422 grating panels in various sizes up to 2510mm high to cover an area of 1296m2. The grating panels were framed at the top and bottom with bent over lugs for fixing to the aluminium uprights. 

This living wall is one of five different living walls that we have now installed and still maintain for Land Securities. It is on the management suite building at the heart of New Street Square and, especially during the winter months, it is the only bit of urban greening in the area.

INTU worked with Makers Construction on a full car park refurbishment for the main car park at their Milton Keynes location. As well as improving traffic flow through the car park, creating larger spaces and better way finding, intu was keen to install several areas of living wall and car park green infrastructure to provide a stunning visual welcome to all visitors.

Green Park Station provides access to the Jubilee, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines. The £60 million refurbishment to achieve step-free access included a copper canopy, a Portland stone entrance and a ramp from the ticket hall into the Park featuring green wall screening. Lang+Fulton designed and supplied 300sqm of panels to clad the raked inner facade of both retaining walls and the tapered wall-heads, which would support the green wall planting. The panels were made to custom sizes from Terra-34 grating and fixed with varying lengths of bracket to accommodate the stepped areas in the walls.

Leading moveable wall specialist, Style Partitions, is offering a new range of recycled fabric finishes thanks to its exclusive UK partnership with Skyfold. This fully automatic, vertical-rising partitioning system is now available with either a Marin 1300 or Resolve 1301 fabric finish, both of which use between 90-100%, post-consumer recycled polyester. Complementing any interior décor, the sustainable fabric is available in a wide range of contemporary colourways. With environmental impact being a critical aspect of any development, this green initiative is yet another huge leap forward in Style’s ability to offer the most sustainable moveable wall solutions in the UK. Many years ago, Style was the first supplier to secure a UK Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification for moveable walls.The Resolve fabric selection use an incomparable, 100% post-consumer recycled polyester fabric, solving the root cause of the problem by helping keep plastics out of oceans and landfill. Taking sustainability to the next level, during the yarn-extrusion process, a biocatalyst is added to enable anaerobic digestion of the Resolve fabric should it ever end up in landfill or a wastewater treatment plant in the future. Tackling one of the most pressing environmental issues we face today, for every pound of Marin fabric produced, up to half a pound of recovered plastic waste from the ocean is utilised. Combined with other post-consumer recycled polyester, this industry-leading textile range is created using 90% upcycled plastic waste.“This latest enhancement to the Skyfold fabric range means we are even more perfectly positioned to help organisations become more sustainable, and this is also another important development for our range of finishes only a month after we announced the anti-bacterial effectiveness of our laminates,” said Julian Sargent, Style’s group managing director.Style is the exclusive UK partner to Dorma Hüppe, Skyfold and SWG offering a complete moveable wall design, installation and after care service. With an extensive portfolio, customers can choose from simple folding walls through to fully automatic acoustic systems, with a wide range of finishes and glass options to enhance any interior.

Biotecture’s impressive 93m2 green wall for the atrium of British Gas owner, Centrica’s new Oxford headquarters was an integrated element of the ambitious sustainability aims for the building; the green wall, which reaches three storeys up, contributed to the building’s BREEAM rating of 'Excellent', acting as acoustic buffer and a natural filter to improve air quality.

This living green wall in the heart of Camden provides real colour and interest to match the MTV brand. The detail around the windows is a triumph of coordinated design.

This vertical park living green wall at the gateway to Covent Garden is formed of over 8,000 plants from 21 different varieties and provides a real wow factor to the area, and it's in keeping with the history of Covent Garden.

ESSENZA HOME opts for a sustainable green façadeInterior and lifestyle brand ESSENZA HOME has moved into a new, completely renovated office in Bunnik in 2021. The new office is entirely sustainability-oriented. The Mobilane green façade at Essenza Home contributes to the company’s sustainability vision and provides a warm welcome for its retailers, customers, and staff. Family business ESSENZA HOME has been designing, producing, and distributing home & living products to suit various interior styles for 60 years. In 2021, the company moved to a new office in Bunnik. The building of no less than 2500 m2 is located directly on the A12 motorway. The new premises was built with an eye to the future and aligned with their sustainability vision. Therefore, the sustainable green Mobilane façade was a logical choice.Installation of the green façadeThe installation of the green walls was quick and easy. The green walls, with a total surface area of over 200 square meters, were placed against the stone and wooden façade by means of Magnelis steel omega profiles. The design incorporated the window and door sections and the water and electricity pipes.The almost 10,000 plants are installed in modular cassettes and pixels attached to the profiles. All of the cassettes, pixels, and covers are made of a fire-retardant EPP (B-s2, d0). This material is light, UV-resistant, air-permeable (for good root growth), and fully recyclable. An automated irrigation system provides the MobiPanel green walls with water and nutrients.Plant selection for the green façadeThe plants in the green facades were selected according to various factors. The orientation of the façade, the different flowering seasons, plants that stimulate biodiversity, and, finally, aesthetics were all considered. For example, Bregenis ‘Bressingham White’ is a beautiful spring bloomer with elegant white flowers that bloom from April onwards. The Vinca minor is a strong evergreen covering plant. It also flowers very early in spring. Vinca minor can be used on facades in both sunny and shady spots. The Vinca will produce more flowers in the sun than in the shade. Geranium Rozanne is a carrier plant for wild bees. Many species of wild bees, as well as butterflies and bumblebees, find their nectar here.Advantages of the green façadeThe green wall on the two outer walls is a real eye-catcher. Floor Smits, Head of Brands and second generation in the family business: “As a family business, we find it important to focus on the long term. During the renovation, we, therefore, invested heavily in sustainable solutions. When we were introduced to the possibility of a vertical garden for the façade, we were immediately enthusiastic. The green wall has many advantages, such as purifying the air, increasing biodiversity, and providing a nice haven for bees and other insects. Finally, we want to make a statement and show that we are committed to a sustainable world.” In addition to the office, there is also a b2b showroom and a brand store will be opened for consumers this year.Increased biodiversityRosalie Smits, Head of Channels and also the second generation of the family business, indicates that biodiversity is an important spearhead for the organization.The green façade attracts many insects, thus stimulating biodiversity in the area. As described earlier, the flowers of Geranium Rozanne, among others, provide nectar for many insects such as the wild bee and butterflies. Wild bees and butterflies are an important link in our food chain. They provide 60% of the pollination of our fruit and vegetables.The facades also attract various birds and other insects and serve both as food and as nesting and hiding places. In the cassettes between the plants, birds can nest safely. The first bird’s nest in the green façade at Essenza Home was found just a few weeks after installation.Client: ESSENZA HOMEArchitect: BK PuntConstruction period: 2021Installation: MobiCare

Biotecture recently completed this internal living wall at Legal and General's new flagship HQ in The Interchange, Cardiff. The green wall was installed using Biotecture’s naturally resilient hydroponic system and the planting design includes the icon Legal and General umbrella.

VDG Property Development has recently joined forces with their own construction company Unibouw to develop the new VDG Warehouse Schiphol II. The new building is equipped with a total of 636.5 square meters of vertical greenery divided into two green walls with the MobiPanel system.In addition to the sustainability requirements, BREEAM-NL certification ‘Excellent’, this also enables the building to meet the high-quality requirements in the areas of nature inclusiveness, biodiversity, ecology and living environment. The green appearance of the buildings is the ‘new normal’ at the business park. Schiphol Trade Park aims to be the most sustainable and innovative business park in Europe.‘The area developer and the ambitions of the Schiphol Trade Park area set high requirements in the area of nature inclusiveness. For example, 95% of the end walls of the building had to be green upon completion. The green facades give the building a fantastic appearance. Nature inclusiveness is becoming increasingly important in project development and this is also the future. It will make the Netherlands look all the better,’ says Richard van Campen – project manager at Unibouw B.V.Nature-inclusive buildingFor the development of VDG Warehouse Schiphol II, design choices were made that enhance the ecological value for the surrounding area. For example, the warehouse not only facilitates an efficient logistic process but also creates space for more greenery and biodiversity.Diversity in plant speciesFor each façade, the climatic conditions have been examined and the choice of plants has been adjusted accordingly. The green façade oriented to the North-West contains the plant species; Campanula Stella, Alchemilla Molis, Vinca Minor, Lonicera Maigrun, Geranium Rozanne, Carex Oshimensis ‘Evergreen’, and Bergenia Bressingham White. In the green façade oriented to the southeast are the plant species; Alchemilla mollis, Dryopteris Erythrosora, Bergnia Bressingham White, Lonicera Maigrun, Riarella cordifolia, Carex Oshimensis ‘Evergreen’, Asplenium scolopendrium and Geranium Spessart. In total, there are approximately 23,400 plants in both green walls.VDG Warehouse Schiphol IIVDG Warehouse Schiphol II comprises 9,636 m2 of modern logistics space and consists of two units. With green facades and panels on both sides, VDG Warehouse Schiphol II presents itself as an extremely sustainable distribution centre. With its ecological elements, the development is not only connected to the surrounding nature, but also to the adjacent distribution centre where a MobiPanel green facade has also been installed.Client: UnibouwArchitect: VDG Real EstateConstruction period: 2022Installation: Mobicare

Roof and facade cover... CHALLENGE For the design of a youth centre a Belgian architect wanted to have a fully homogeneous and waterproof cover for the roof and the facade. This envelope technique needed to be combined with a more ecological and aesthetically pleasing green wall design. SOLUTION For the waterproofing of the roof surface a standard RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane was used. For the facades the architects opted for a RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR fixing system as the base to attach the final greenwall system. As the roof and the wall covering (waterproofing) are the same material there were no jointing issues. The whole building has been covered with RENOLIT ALKORPLAN roofing membrane. The facade details were similarly accomplished as standard roof details and RENOLIT ALKORSOLAR profiles were used to fix the rain water pipes from the roof.

THE PROJECTThe Green Quarter project features a single large bank of H1 type mailboxes that are recessed into the wall maximising the amount of space available in the location. Each row of mailboxes is divided by an oak wood insert, adding visual interest to the bank of mailboxes.PROJECT DETAILSProject Type: Private ResidentialProduct: H1 MailboxInstallation: Wall RecessedAccessories: Numerical engraving. Oak wood inserts. Surround.

Howe Green manufactured and supplied a number of custom made wall access covers and 1050 Series floor access covers for Crossrail in London. The wall access solutions were custom made from 5mm of stainless steel and lockable for added security. They were required to provide reliable and stylish access to the lighting circuitry. The 1050 Series floor access covers were installed along the walkways of Adams place to give quick and easy access to the water, power and data feeding the station. Each cover had an additional load bearing to accommodate specific requirements.

Leading the way in environmental efficiency, KPMG’s Ignition Centre, Canary Wharf, aims to maximise the use of a large meeting area with the installation of two Dorma Hüppe Variflex moveable walls. Available from sole UK distributor and partitioning experts, Style, the Variflex system is certified with an EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) in accordance with ISO 14025 and EN 15804, reflecting KPMG’s commitment to sustainability. Style worked with MCM Architects and Mace interiors to deliver a contemporary solution that allows the main meeting room to be divided into smaller working areas - particularly relevant given current social distancing requirements.

Award winning developer Hill required a seamless solution to accessing concealed bathroom services at The Scene, Walthamstow and their Park View development in Sidcup. Howe Green supplied the Tile-a-Door+ Wall Access Panels manufactured in a bespoke size to fit Hill’s specific tile grids. The panels can be custom made to the millimetre and are supplied ready to tile with up to a 10mm thick finish, making the installation process quick and straightforward Howe Green’s Tile-a-Door+ panels ensure that access for any future repairs or maintenance will be faster, easier and cost-efficient.

The local council was tasked with constructing a footpath within a restricted area allowing safer access to a busy health centre. It was important to maintain the natural green appearance. A retaining wall was required and had to be quick and easy to erect with minimal disruption. ABG Webwall was chosen as the solution. The Webwall was quickly constructed using 4m x 1m panels which were filled with soil from the excavation and cutting. The wall was replanted to restore an naturally green appearance. Webwall was built in a quick cost effective way to create an environmentally friendly retaining wall

Rush Green Primary School, LondonClient: London Borough of Barking & DagenhamProduct: The Coniston Wall Mounted CanopySize: 16.3m x 2.2mFrame Colour: Hipca WhiteInstallation Date: June 2023Brief Having worked with the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham before on a number of projects, they contacted us again regarding their most recent project at Rush Green Primary School. The school which is located in Dagenham were having works completed which included a single storey extension, internal alterations, and refurbishment. As part of the works, they required a wall mounted canopy in their quad courtyard area to provide shade and shelter all year round.Proposal As requested, we provided an estimate for a Coniston Wall Mounted Canopy with a length of 16.3 metres and a projection of 2.2 metres. Because the Coniston is mounted to a wall, it requires a suitable wall to fix to; the building at Rush Green Primary School was a block construction which was covered with render, which is one of the many ideal wall constructions for the Coniston’s requirements. In the case where a wall may not have a suitable construction for a wall mounted canopy, we can supply the Coniston as a free-standing canopy with rear posts. Alternatively, we also have a number of free standing canopies that are similar in appearance to the Coniston which are the Grange Free Standing Canopy and for those with lower budgets, the Grange Junior Free Standing Canopy.Solution Upon comparing our canopy quotation to two other companies, an order was placed for our Coniston Wall Mounted Canopy in May 2023.At the pre-site stage, there was a number of points to be discussed outside of the usual specifics which were:Foundations: Unless otherwise stated, foundations are included in all our canopy quotations. The flooring in at Rush Green Primary School featured raised decking, so we needed to investigate the area underneath the decking to check it was suitable for our foundations and they were.Access and Obstructions: The quad area features a pond which could have made an obstruction however, it was agreed that the pond would be covered over with strong boards so we could work over it.The canopy was installed at the start of June 2023 as scheduled with no problems along the way.If you have a similar project in mind, contact us today to request a free estimate or discuss a bespoke canopy with us.

The 77 metre long living wall on the link bridge at New Street Station in Birmingham welcomes travellers from all over the country to the centre of the city. The living wall creates a pleasant promenade of calming, green infrastructure amongst this built urban environment with the addition of 16,600 plants.

Soaring 75 floors above the city, the breath-taking Sky Terrace spans the top floor of the Landmark Pinnacle building.Chalegrove Properties, the developer of Landmark Pinnacle, working with Squire and Partners and Farrer Huxley Landscape Architects had a collective vision to create a unique space befitting of the exceptional views which surround the roof garden. The space has been designed as a pair of landscaped external terraces providing spectacular panoramic views over London, while offering a healthy environment embracing biophilia to ensure residents can connect with nature in an otherwise urban setting.Biotecture’s living walls create lush green backdrops for both the east and west terraces. The green walls are constructed using Biotecture’s patented hydroponic living wall system, which was developed by the founders of the company in 2007 and remains the most flexible, resilient, and low water use of any fully comprehensive living wall system anywhere in the world.Living walls are a space efficient way to bring more plants into urban areas where space is literally and financially at a premium. Bringing more greenery into urban spaces can help reduce stress and anxiety, and together with the wider planting scheme, the living walls form the backdrop for a tranquil and relaxing place for residents and their guests to unwind. Living walls have also been proven to improve air quality, cool urban areas, and increase biodiversity.The lighting scheme was designed by Hoare Lee to bring the wall to life in the evening.Design and Project ManagementBiotecture were first approached by Charlgrove Properties in 2020. Squire and Partners and Farrer Huxley Landscape Architects had a clear vision for what they wanted. Our design and project management team were able to take the project forward, advising on technical requirements and producing drawings.Selection of Plant PalletteAll plants used in Biotecture’s living walls are selected from Biotecture’s plant database to suit the local climatic conditions, including aspect, wind conditions and shade. Level 75 is the UK’s highest living wall, and the roof terrace is open to the elements. The plants were selected to withstand high exposure to sunlight and wind.The plant selection is mainly hardy and robust evergreen plants with dashes of colour creating a naturalistic background overlaid with bursts of seasonal interest.HorticultureOur BioPanel system incorporates Grodan as a growing medium. It is dimensionally stable, chemically inert, and supremely water efficient making it ideal for living walls. The living walls were planted up in our West Sussex Nursery and allowed to mature for 12 weeks before being installed on site. This ensured the living walls looked fantastic from day one. The living walls include an integrated irrigation system which is being remotely monitored from Biotecture’s head office.InstallationThe fully planted up BioPanels were fixed to aluminum cladding rails mounted onto a waterproof backing board. The team worked closely with Chalegrove to ensure the living walls were delivered to the required schedule.MaintenanceOur living wall system gives the plants the best opportunity to flourish, and our maintenance operatives know how to keep them that way. Our team will carry out regular horticultural visits to keep the walls looking their best.Photos by Oliver Dixon, courtesy of Chalegrove Properties

London Wall Place is a new development, with more than 500.000m2, located in the heart of London, between Moorgate and Barbican. This development is comprised by two commercial buildings and will add a large green area to the city. The largest building has about 300.000m2 and rises to a height of 12 floors, and the remaining building, with about 12.000m2, has 16 floors. For this project’s façade weatherproofing, three Effisus solutions were used: Effisus VAP (vapour barrier), Effisus Breather+ (breathable membrane) and Effisus 2Bond DS (double-sided solution for sealing between two surfaces).

Raithwaite Hall is a 5 star, 45 bed boutique hotel set in 85 acres of wooded valleys within the North Yorkshire Moors National Park. The hotel offers terraced views of the landscape and across the Whitby coastline. A new extension was designed that is built against the hillside with stepped landscaped areas around the new building and an intensive green roof terrace to help blend the structure in with the surrounding gardens.The intensive green roof terrace is installed directly above a new function and dining room and required a specialised design to accommodate the additional loading and provide the necessary drainage for the turf lawn.     By utilising a multi-purpose geocomposite roof drainage board, the green roof system could be achieved to meet the project specific requirements. The ABG Deckdrain 2540S-NW20XUV product offers a lightweight option that delivers the equivalent drainage capacity of 300mm of drainage stone in a 25mm layer that weighs over a 100 times less per square metre. The lightweight drainage layer is supplied in rolls and is fast to install and move into position. The Deckdrain layer includes an integrated filter geotextile bonded to the top of the cuspated core. This prevents the growing media layer from intruding into the drainage void and filters the soil to prevent clogging. The Deckdrain is made from a high strength HDPE core that supports the 200mm deep layer of growing media required for the intensive green roof installation with deeper root systems. The underside of the product is impermeable and provides additional protection to the liquid waterproofing membrane. A green roof surface finish further helps to prolong the lifespan of the waterproofing layer and prevent UV degradation. The large grassed area on the podium also reduces surface water run-off and the grass is protected against waterlogging via the efficient drainage board layer. The shallow drainage build-up required also reduces the height of the steps onto the terrace and the associated cost of stone flags. The completed installation encompasses a 20mm Roofdrain drainage & reservoir board to support a secondary smaller sedum roof area, as well as Deckdrain layers installed for structural drainage to the surfaces around the patio slab and retaining wall areas.ABG provided a full green roof project design, installation and maintenance service for the project.

THE PROJECTThe Wall of Colour project features a small bank of colourful mailboxes using an in front / out front posting and retrieval method. The small bank of mailboxes are wall mounted with additional support from a set of cantilever support stands to hold the mailboxes steady and eliminate the need for a support table or legs to be used.Each mailbox has been engraved with numerical identification and infilled with a contrasting white colour. The mailboxes were banked prior to despatch to the client, allowing for an easy, quick and trouble-free installation.PROJECT DETAILSProject Type: Private ResidentialProduct: COM 2 mailboxInstallation: Wall MountedColour: Sky Blue (RAL 5015). Moss Green (RAL 6005). Melon Yellow (RAL 1028). Carmine Red (RAL 3002).Accessories: Numbered engraving. Cantilever support stands.

This unique bathroom is typically Brazilian in design. The bathroom adjoins a spacious, well-furnished bedroom, and sits under a large skylight. A wall of green foliage acts as a backdrop for the Amalfi bath, which only adds to the clever allusion of bringing nature into this home.Both the bedroom and the bathroom play with texture and material; wood, leather, stone and foliage.Photography: Felipe AraújoDesign: mf+arquitetos

Biotecture’s statement living walls are integral to the architectural look and feel at the McArthurGlen Ashford Designer Outlet. They were designed to enrich the retail experience and strengthen the outlet’s position as a flagship shopping destination. Working collaboratively with the design team and the main contractor, Biotecture designed and installed over 2,000 sqm of living wall to create a rich vertical garden. The green walls help establish a sense of place, and reflect Kent’s status as ‘The Garden of England’. The project is one of Europe’s largest living walls and demonstrates how living walls can be delivered at scale to enhance the urban environment.

For the new distribution centre at Schiphol Trade Park along the A4, living walls have been realised with MobiPanel, the living wall system from Mobilane. With a total surface spanning 750 m2, the facades of the new distribution centre is greened with the latest generation vertical green from Mobilane.Sustainable and innovative distribution centreA lot of attention has been paid to the appearance of the new distribution centre. With the design of Dedato Architecten, sustainability has not only been taken into account on the inside, but also sustainability at the outside of the building has been taken into consideration by including nature-inclusitivity. Dick Venneman, architect and owner of Dedato Architecten tells: “It is a building with its own characteristic appearance, a landmark from the highway. The building is in its materials friendly and accessible. The different surfaces in the facade gives it a human approach. The living walls and the vertically placed solar panels tells something about the sustainability of the building and plays a role in the preservation of biodiversity in the area”. In addition, the MobiPanel living walls makes the environment more sustainable and improves air quality. The installation of the living walls was carried out by Mobicare in collaboration with Zoontjens Boomprojecten. In addition to the living walls, Zoontjens also installed two large roof gardens with various trees, shrubs and 2,600 MobiRoof ECO sedum cassettes totalling 650 square metres.Distribution centre 2.0 Schiphol Trade ParkThe building spans 30.000 m2 of which 3000 m2 is available for offices. Under the distribution centre, there is a car park spanning 7500 m2 with space for 270 cars. The construction of the new distribution centre began in 2020 and is delivered by Dijkham Bouw BV. “From the environment, wellbeing and to prevent a paved environment, for the design it has been chosen to implement living walls, green roofs and ground level. We are very satisfied about this procedure. The execution is very good, the communication was good”, according to Marcel Smeets – Coordinator at Dijkham Bouw BV. The distribution centre was developed by Minerva Development. Minerva Development is an independent developer with years of experience in the development and realisation of business premises. “Since Schiphol Trade Park has set the goal of becoming one the most sustainable logistics centre, as developers we were very happy to take on the challenge. Next to all other facilities such as solar panels, we have opted for a lot of greenery in the design. Not only on the facades, but also in the surroundings of the building and on the roof. We are very happy with the end result and proud of the fact that because of the living walls, this is by far the most beautiful DC in the area. We are very curious about what the result will be over a few months when everything is in bloom”, Bob Lukassen – Minerva Development.Latest generation vertical greenFor greening the distribution, it was chosen for the new living wall system MobiPanel from Mobilane. MobiPanel is an innovative, sustainable and lightweight system for living walls. It is a modular and circular system consisting of omega profiles and pregrown plant cassettes (40 x 40 cm), provided with an automatic irrigation and drainage system. The plants in the cassettes receive water through capillary action. MobiPanel can be installed on flat or curved walls and is suitable for different types of walls, including certain types of sandwich panels. For the facades of the new distribution centre, sandwich panels from Cladding Point have been used. “With Mobilane, as a global expert with many years of experience, we can continue to lead the way in innovation and sustainability. Cladding Point and Mobilane are ready for the future together”, Frank Janssen – Managing Director at Cladding Point. Cladding Point’s Design+ Carrier sandwich panels contribute to the highest BREEAM category.Client: Minerva DevelopmentArchitect: Dedato ArchitectenConstruction period: 2021Installation: Mobicare

Three of the UK’s leading access specialists have come together to form the Access 360 portfolio, providing a total manufacturing solution for roof, ceiling, wall and floor access products for the construction industry. Access 360 comprises Bilco UK, Profab Access and Howe Green. These well-established brands all have a strong reputation for delivering innovative solutions to address the challenges of safe access within a building or external environment. The brand identities have been updated, reflecting the holistic offer that Access 360 presents to the market, to represent the synergy between the brands and the complementary nature of the products.

IssueA 15-year-old bathroom in a housing development was looking tired and dated and the owner wanted to refresh the area with minimal disruption in a quick timescale. The bathroom had three walls of ceramic tiles, and a sink splashback, which were in good condition but were unfashionable and required high levels of maintenance to remove limescale and mould.The property, a first floor flat, had easy access but no lift, so equipment, materials and any waste needed to be carried up and down the stairs.Approach“We wanted to replace the ceramic tiles, without having to re-plaster the bathroom walls which would mean a complete renovation and redecoration project,” said Helen Green, the owner. “We live in an area with hard water and limescale is a real problem so a wall that is easy to keep clean would be ideal.”SolutionAfter liaising with Altro customer services, the new Altro Walls ShowerKit was recommended as being the ideal solution as the wall panels can be installed over existing ceramic tiles and provides ease of maintenance for residents. There is also no requirement for construction materials or heavy equipment as Altro Walls ShowerKit is lighter to transport than ceramic tiles.

Cannon Park Shopping Centre in Coventry has undergone a significant transformation. Led by MPR, the redevelopment project includes refurbishment of the existing shopping centre, construction of a new 780-bed student residence, and the addition of a new 400-space multi-storey car park. Biotecture was brought on board to incorporate living walls into the development.In 2021, Biotecture installed a 690 square metre green wall on the multi-storey car park as part of the project’s first phase. We then continued to collaborate with the project’s architects, Urban Innovations, and landscape architects, Parkhood, on phase 2; 9 living walls on the student accommodation phase. The vertical greening was an important part of the scheme, helping to help soften the development, improve air quality, contribute to biodiversity net gain.The living walls are integrated into the building fabric. We worked closely with the design team to ensure that the living walls not only aligned with the desired aesthetics but also met the technical requirements.We used our BioPanel system which uses Grodan® as the growing medium. Grodan is dimensionally stable, chemically inert, and water retentive resulting in healthier and longer-lasting plants.

The Strand Aldwych is a busy public area well-known as a procession route between Westminster Abbey and St Paul's Cathedral. The area was historically plagued by traffic and pollution, so people were reluctant to dwell for long periods of time.The newly pedestrianised area with stone walls already in place needed public seating outside St Clement Danes Church. Coordinating the wall shape with the stone underneath was imperative, and access was needed to the lighting drivers through the platforms since the stone underneath is illuminated with LEDs. With this in mind, our design team worked collaboratively to develop a bespoke version of our modular RailRoad seating design, based on the principles where interchangeable parts can be easily removed or replaced. A RailRoad wall-top solution was created with a custom curve to match the stone walls, and the platforms have removable hatches for access when needed.The bespoke RailRoad seating solution is manufactured from our triple processed (recycled) steel and powder coated in a distinct metallic copper finish - while the iroko timbers were coated with UV protective finish in teak to maintain their natural look. This project focused on improving air quality, and our AKRI retaining planters were ideal for bringing green into the space. Their flexibility also allowed for matching the geometry of the adjacent stone benches and roads. In order to prevent damage, welded anti skates were incorporated into the solution.The project not only provides health and well-being benefits with the new public landscaped areas, it will preserve the historic character and for the first time allow people to appreciate the nearby listed buildings. The new inclusive seating spaces for people to mix in are seen to be well used as people can enjoy their lunch, meet with friends and colleagues and simply enjoy a sense of community.

In 2013, the largest and most impressive Wall-Holla in the world was sold to Ketteler Hof - a family-owned Play Park that wanted something truly extraordinary to add to its playground. After extensive research, planning, and customisation tailored to their unique needs, they got exactly what they wished for - an incredible 36m wide Wall-Holla with not one but three thrilling Drop Zone elevators!Turning unused space into a popular family oasisThe Czyżyny Park Avia is an example of how public participation can help create vibrant recreational spaces that benefit the whole community. It provides an opportunity to get outdoors and enjoy nature while engaging in physical activity with friends and family. The park is located in the area of the former bus depot and part of a disused airport where used to be 3 hectares of asphalt and concrete.The playground includes climbing frames, carousels, swings, and a vertical playground Wall-Holla with challenging obstacles that will keep kids entertained for hours. There is also an outdoor gym with Lappset's metal gym equipment.The end result is a very popular recreational family place in the city of Kraków with a nice story still referring to its previous function: planes and buses are part of the pattern on the EPDM surface at the playground.The project was part of THE GREEN CITIES EUROPE AWARD – 2022 and it has been praised for its quality recreational spaces and innovative value.