Robert
Woodhead Ltd has installed a fantastic living wall at the University of
Nottingham’s brand new RAD building.
The
building is part of the successful Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) initiative
in the Midlands.
It
will include laboratories, offices and a central breakout area in the atrium,
providing more space to accommodate the various research groups, academics and
postgraduate students.
The
building has been designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent and will include
Passivhaus measures to reduce energy requirements.
The
wall is made up of a variety of plants, all grown off site by Woodhead’s
specialist sub contractor, ANS Global, at their offices in Chichester. After
six to eight weeks growth in specially designed nurseries, the wall was
installed using a modular system.
The
plants are watered through an irrigation system that is fed in to each
individual module, ensuring they receive the correct amount of water needed to
survive.
The
internal four storey living wall at the already impressive RAD building, based
on the University’s Jubilee Campus’, spans the full height of one of the walls
in the central atrium.
Not
only are living walls a beautiful and fascinating feature, they are becoming
increasingly popular for their health and environmental benefits. The leaves of
the plants filter out pollutants in the air as well as absorbing dust to help
decrease smog, increasing the quality of air being breathed in.
A
living wall is also able to regulate temperature, which means it can help to
keep the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It also acts as a
very effective sound insulator, reducing sound by up to ten decibels.
Craig
Pygall, Construction Director for Woodhead said: “The installation of this
impressive living wall has been a really exciting and interesting element of
this project.
“The
RAD building is already in itself unique, specifically designed to meet BREEAM
and Passivhaus standards. The addition of a living wall just adds to its
innovative design and focus on the environment, as well as its efficiency as a
building.”
Ashley
Roberts, Capital Projects Officer at the University of Nottingham, added: “We
decided we wanted to add a feature in the atrium of the new building that
offers benefits to the building users as well as creating a talking point. When
a living wall was mentioned we got really excited about the possibilities and
are delighted with the result.”
The
RAD building will join hundreds of impressive buildings all over the world to
have had a living wall installed, including the National Gallery in London who
depicted Van Gough’s ‘A Wheatfield with Cypresses’ painting on the hoarding
outside the gallery to draw people in to see the real thing.
