Terrace Living Wall, Marylebone

Seymour Mews House that is part of the Portman estate sits at the heart of London’s West End surrounded by Georgian townhouses, important cultural buildings and fashionable restaurants. The building that was originally built in the 1960’s was beginning to show a lot of the issues associated with structures of it’s age and was an ideal candidate for renovation and modernisation into a forward-thinking and sustainable working environment.

Biotecture were commissioned by Virtus Contracts Ltd to design and install a living wall on the first floor terrace to help conceal the party wall and provide year round greenery for the outdoor seating area. The living wall contains 1,500 plants divided into two distinct planting areas, one with darker, richer green shades and one with more vibrant lime and yellow tones. These two planting areas create a wave pattern over the length of the wall to break up the space and add an element of natural movement.

Being a mews, Seymour House occupies the space that would have originally been the yard of one of the main frontage buildings. As such it is surrounded by tall buildings on all sides so this small terrace is very much a green oasis in the city. The living wall offers a very space efficient landscaping element, resulting in a very green space that still has plenty of room for enough tables and chairs so that all of the office buildings workers can enjoy the outdoor space.

To see other examples of Biotecture living walls that are making the most of limited space on terraces and small courtyard gardens you can visit the Tileyard Road or Portland Place portfolio pages.