Biotecture was approached by Canary Wharf Contractors to design and install a living wall on the ground floor of One & Five Bank Street, a new 27 storey building marking the entrance to the Canary Wharf Estate. Biotecture worked closely with the design team at an early stage to ensure the 170m2 living wall was integrated into the building fabric. The living wall flanks a new public promenade along the South Dock, creating a peaceful outdoor place for people to reconnect with nature.
Project Brief
Designed by world-renowned architects Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF), One & Five Bank Street is a striking new 700,000 square commercial building comprising high-quality office and retail space. The Architect’s designs included extensive green infrastructure, including street level landscaping, a living wall, landscaped terraces, and brown and green roofs. The client had been impressed by other living walls installed by Biotecture in the local area, including the 700 m2 BioPanel living wall at 20 Fenchurch Street, and nominated Biotecture as their preferred sub-contractor for One & Five Bank Street.
Highlights
- First Green Wall on the Canary Wharf Estate
- Contributed to the building’s BREEAM Outstanding rating
- Flanks a new public space for people to reconnect with nature
- Plant palette chosen to attract bees
Our Approach
Biotecture was involved at an early stage of the design process which allowed our living wall to become an integral part of the building’s fabric rather than an add-on. Our BioPanel System acts as rainscreen cladding replacing more traditional materials. The system is manufactured in the UK and made with recycled materials. The walls were planted up in Biotecture’s own nursery and allowed to mature for 12 weeks before being installed on site.
Biotecture are horticultural specialists and select the best planting to meet client requirements. The planting scheme was chosen to reflect the wall’s location on a south-facing façade and accent plants were chosen to provide extra colour and attract bees. The wall is located directly beneath a major air intake zone for the adjacent building so allergen plants were avoided.
The living wall is currently being maintained by Biotecture and includes an integrated irrigation system which is being remotely monitored. 5% of the plants will be replaced each year to ensure the wall remains healthy and allows for ecological progression.
We are currently working on a number of other living walls across the Canary Wharf Estate.
We approached Biotecture through another sub-contractor – these guys are the market leaders in this type of installation, so it was great to have the opportunity to build that into one of our developments. It signals a bit of a change in the expectation of our tenants – they want to have more and more interaction with nature in these urban settings.
Martin Gettings Group Head of Sustainability, Canary Wharf Group, Wharf Life Magazine
Key Benefits
