LivePanel Living Wall features in Waitrose Greenest Store

When Waitrose opened its Bracknell store at the end of last year it was announced as their greenest yet.  It is a remarkable example of how sustainable and environmental design is truly at the heart of all new developments.  A key feature at this store is one of our beautiful LivePanel Living Walls which, at 49 square metres, is hard to miss when you arrive to do your shopping.

It truly is an array of colour.  The plants chosen to feature in this wall are from a large variety of colourful and variegated plants to ensure that it remains an attractive feature all year round.  Our plants were specially grown off site and delivered ready for the installation so that all in all it took our contractors, Hedera Screens, only 3 days to install on site.

The beauty of our LivePanels is not just in there aesthetic value it is also in that they are extremely flexible in  design and offer extensive environmental benefits.   In terms of scale and size there really are no boundaries and we can create bespoke designs to suit the topography and weather conditions of each site.  We can even build in company logos, choose specific colours and ensure the wall stays green through the winter months.

Historically, there have been issues involved with planting and maintaining living walls however the design and systems we use overcome any failure problems.  Put simply, we use a modular construction system meaning that the panes can be easily adjusted to fit any space.  The sections have a specially developed substrate which is designed to enable the plants to easily establish themselves and thrive.  There is an integrated automated irrigation system which provides the plants with essential water and nutrients to ensure that they are kept in the best condition and mitigates against the human error of forgetting to water them!   The panels are installed onto the face of the building and secured by an aluminium frame. 

One of the most advantageous benefits about our LivePanel system is that it is extremely low maintenance leaving it a hassle free addition to help enhance the appearance of buildings.

Our Green Screens help Marlow become a safer place for drivers

We have helped to increase road safety and support the environment in Marlow as we have installed our Green Screens. Our six-foot high Green Screens can now be seen on the central reserve area of the A4155 Marlow Road, on the east side of the roundabout at the junction with the A404.  They have already proved effective in the aims of reducing both driver distraction and roundabout approach speed.

This project comes about after the local authority in Marlow following a review of the analysis of reported injury collisions in the last three years took the initiative to act to improve safety at the junction.  It was found that these were mainly as a result of excessive approach speeds towards the roundabout.  The installation of our Green Screens have restricted the visibility on the approach to the roundabout which has instantly provided the desired effect and created an aesthetically pleasing barrier which is sustainable and environmentally sound.

The addition of the screens serves to restrict drivers’ views of traffic to their right as they approach the roundabout, encouraging them to reduce their speed. Initial results from speed flow data show an average total reduction of around 4mph in approach speeds and also a significant reduction in the number of vehicles approaching the roundabout at higher speeds.

Green screens are a simple yet remarkably effective concept, featuring a biodegradable pot which holds a wire mesh ‘fence’ onto which vegetation, usually ivy, is grown. Our screens are cultivated offsite and are delivered ready to install. As soon as they are installed they provide an attractive barrier solution with aesthetic, environmental and maintenance benefits over traditional walls and fences.  They also provide an acoustic barrier which reduces the traffic noise in the surrounding environment.  Unlike hedges the vegetation in the screens does not grow significantly above the height of the wire fence, so they do not require regular pruning, and they are much narrower yet more dimensionally stable than hedges.

Green Screens have a wide range of uses, including encouraging biodiversity, improving air quality and tackling graffiti.  Local authorities are increasingly adopting innovative uses of the screens as they continue to see their versatility, sustainability and low maintenance costs. We are pleased to see Marlow leading the way and the results from this installation.