Biotecture’s PlantBox living hoarding system has been selected for the first phase of a £350million regeneration project by CEG at Globe Point in Leeds, a 38,000 sq ft speculative development incorporating Grade A office space, retail and leisure. The PlantBox living hoarding system was chosen to add greenery to the perimeter of the construction site, and in the process generate early interest in this speculative development. A total of 484 PlantBox units and 1,936 plants were installed as part of the living hoarding system, covering an area of 63.36m2. Globe Point is located in the Temple District which connects the city centre to the southern districts of Leeds. Globe Point was designed by award-winning architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios and the main contractor is BAM Construction.
The Brief
The main challenge on this project was the very tight schedule for deployment of the PlantBox living hoarding system. Biotecture was given just six weeks from order to completion.
CEG was actively looking for ways to demonstrate that it was a responsible contractor that showed consideration for local businesses and residents by adding an aesthetically pleasing green hoarding system.
Generating early interest in this speculative site was a challenge CEG had set itself, coming from a position where it knew traditional site hoardings are viewed unfavourably because they can be unsightly and are in place for several years.
Conversely, a green hoarding system that had the ability to introduce biodiversity and generate admiring views was always going to elevate Globe Point as an exemplar development and potentially attract early investor interest.
This was the first time that the on-site team at Globe Point had used a living hoarding system, with Biotecture informing them of the benefits.
Highlights
- Transformative effect to the construction site perimeter, deflecting attention from the works
- 1,926 plants installed
- Demonstrates consideration to the local community
- Helps increase biodiversity in a busy urban area
- Elevates interest in the development
Our Approach
Biotecture’s PlantBox is a freestanding, stackable living wall system that can be quickly and easily deployed, which contributed to achieving the tight schedule at Globe Point. The pre-planted PlantBox modules simply attach to existing hoarding and because it is freestanding, all that is needed are support restraints. This significantly reduced installation times, enabling Biotecture to meet the six-week schedule.
In addition to PlantBox’s installation benefits, Biotecture was able to make further savings on the schedule because it operates its own specialist nursery and, working with the client, selected 17 different plant varieties that it always holds in stock. PlantBox was supplied with an integral irrigation system and now requires only occasional top ups.
The plant palette was chosen based on Biotecture’s extensive knowledge of green wall systems, including hardy species that thrive in high pollution areas. Biotecture recommended specific species because they aid filtration of air pollutants, a useful feature in any city centre location.
The finished planting scheme and design also takes into account the site parameters (location, aspect, adjacent features) as well as considering elements such as native or near-native plants.
In terms of generating early interest in the scheme, Biotecture guided the client towards an organic rather than patterned planting scheme, helping achieve a sense of balance with nature against the nearby brick buildings. It now creates a welcome and strikingly beautiful aesthetic in this once industrial quarter of Leeds city centre.
By creating a visually appealing, calming environment, the natural greening of PlantBox living hoarding system diverts attention away from busy construction works at Globe Point. In doing so it has supported community relations for CEG by demonstrating a responsible approach that addresses local business and resident concerns about construction activity.
The PlantBox living hoarding system provides important air quality benefits by reducing particulates, removing dust and harmful pollutants as well as attenuating noise from construction equipment.
The living hoarding system from Biotecture has visually transformed our site in Leeds and because of that we are confident that it will support some early interest in this exciting development. We found the company very easy to deal with and their ‘can-do’ attitude made the whole process very straightforward for our site teams. As a developer we try to address concerns of local businesses and residents and the living hoarding at Leeds played a part in this.
Paul Richardson Investment Manager, CEG Ltd
Key Benefits
