Living wall cultivates colour and greenery at Brunswick Park development

04 Aug 2017

A striking living wall of plants has been installed on the Rutherford Theatre, Schuster Building exterior wall

Occupying a space approximately 50m2, the plants are a mix of colourful hardy perennials, some of which have been specifically chosen to attract pollinators and have been grown locally.

The living wall is part of the Brunswick Park development, which when finished will be the largest green space on campus with tree and wildflower planting, seating areas, pedestrian and cycle paths.

Director of Estates Diana Hampson said: “The living wall is a great addition to our campus and will complement the new green space at Brunswick Park; we are looking forward to seeing the wall mature and flourish.”

Living walls (also called vertical gardens) are internal or external walls which are made up from plants, a supporting structure, growing material and an irrigation system to allow plants to thrive.  The wall is the first to be installed on campus and will be maintained and monitored regularly.

The eye-catching design was created by Inleaf, who install living wall projects all over the UK.

Dr Emma Gardner, Head of Environmental Sustainability, said: “The living wall transforms the Schuster Building into a visual amenity that provides food for pollinators and colour throughout the seasons.”

Julia Durkan, University Sustainable Campus Officer, said: “We recently published our Living Campus Plan to address the challenges of a growing urban campus alongside the opportunities a healthy environment provides for people and nature. The living wall is one of many projects that will help us meet our living campus targets going forward.”

Pictured (L-R): Julia Durkan, Diana Hampson, Emma Gardner