Vert

ical

Meadow

GREEN FORTUNE

Left: Vertical Meadow installation North Audley Street, London for Grosvenor Estates

It has been developed by Arup in partnership with Green Fortune, a living wall provider with a track record of over 300 living walls across Europe.

Plants and flowers are grown from seed in-situ on a temporary mat that is easily fixed to any scaffolding or hoarding. Within two or three weeks the first shoots start to appear, before growing into a verdant vertical meadow - turning any unsightly hoarding or scaffolding into something remarkable.

This is the future of temporary works, improving our cities by increasing natural capital.

VerticalMeadowVertical Meadow (formerly known as Living Wall Lite) is an innovative and cost effective living wall system for temporary applications such as construction site scaffolding and hoardings.

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Temporary living wall systems can provide numerous benefits:

Increasing local biodiversity

The species-rich wildflower meadows that grow are a haven for biodiversity,

attracting bees with a high pollen flower mix as well as other insects such as

ladybirds and spiders. Wild strawberries also help to produce food for other

fauna such as local birds.

Supporting planning approvals

Bringing greenery into developments is a key planning requirement. Measures

to appease local residents during construction can help to minimise

potential objections.

Providing acoustic insulation

Studies show that people with views of greenery have a lower perception of noise. Moreover, plants help to attenuate street noise by reducing reverberation, and the wall helps minimise noise breakout from the work. Initial tests show a reduction

of 13dB - comparable.

Creating a visual impact

Seed selections can be tailored to suit the site and client aesthetic aspirations. Within 10 days growth becomes visible, and the wall then quickly develops into

a verdant meadow with colourful flowers in the spring and summer. Passers-by

cannot help but be amazed by it.

Reducing stormwater run-off

Rainwater can be channelled through the system, both minimising the mains water

irrigation for the plants, and reducing pressure on the mains drainage system.

When connected to a re-circulation system water usage can be optimised

for the whole system.

Capturing dust and pollution

Construction sites create dust and pollution along with emissions from

local traffic. Plants help to capture dust and particulates, and release them via

precipitation into the drains. Studies have shown that plants can help to reduce

dust and pollution by 10-20%.

Benefits

Flexible and adaptable

The system can be applied as a hoarding or scaffolding wrap. A broad and adaptable seed mix ensures that each Vertical Meadow thrives in a range of varied site conditions.

Cost effective

The system has lower capital cost than alternatives and is cheap to run and maintain, enabling greenery at a larger scale.

Simple installation

The mat arrives to site in rolls. The site team can carry out the mat installation, with Green Fortune overseeing the process and installing the irrigation system.

Low maintenance

Basic monitoring and maintenance is quick and simple, and the site team can be trained to carry it out themselves.

Low-embodied impact

The system uses materials with low embodied energy, and because plants are grown from seed in-situ, there is none of the energy usage associated with growing plants in greenhouses off-site.

Key features

COMPONENTS AND

SPECIFICATION

Standard scaffolding sheeting

Irrigationsystem

Pre-seededroot mat

Porousfabric

Plant growth

Nature at its best

A tailored seed mix

A broad and adaptable seed mix ensures that each Vertical Meadow thrives.Wildflowers and grasses bring visual interest and promote biodiversity, while other species are suited to capturing pollutants in the air. A mix of annual and perennial plants ensures a colour in the first season and longevity for the length of the project.

Seasonality

Like the trees and parkland in cities, the wall’s aesthetics will change with the seasons. In the spring and summer it will be lush and verdant and in the winter it will brown-off and die back a little, only to bounce back the following spring. This seasonality creates ongoing interest - a dynamic visual impact that constantly evolves.

Speed of growth

Within two or three weeks of installation the first plant shoots will start to appear, covering the full surface within around six weeks, and evolving into a verdant meadow within eight to ten. Over time, larger species and flowers appear, dotting the wall with colours and textures.

16WEEKS

0WEEKS

8WEEKS

4WEEKS

A tailored service

We work closely with the site team to develop an optimum installation that meets the budget, safety and aesthetic requirements of the site.

Site suitability and timing of installation

The wall performs best in east, south or west-facing orientations that have access to direct sunlight. The wall must be installed in the main growing season (March to July in the UK) to ensure a thick covering before temperatures drop and sunlight hours diminish in winter.

Installation

The seed mat is delivered to site in rolls and is installed by the site team - the scaffolding version is installed exactly like standard scaffold wrap, and the hoarding version uses with simple screw fixings. We’ll oversee this installation, and then connect up the irrigation system - all that’s required is a mains water supply. Full installation typically takes one day.

Ongoing maintenance

We train the site team to carry out basic daily and weekly checks - ensuring that the irrigation system is running and topping up nutrients - and maintain an ongoing relationship to answer questions and solve problems. Depending on the site requirements, we might visit once or twice a year to trim back growth.

Installation and maintenance

StandardMonarflexTM

fixings

Gutter

Irrigationsystem

Standardscaffoldinginstallation

Simple screwfixings

Gutter

Irrigationsystem

Standard hoardinginstallation

HOARDINGINSTALLATION

SCAFFOLDINGINSTALLATION

As featured in:How much water does Vertical Meadow use?

Water usage will vary with the seasons, and is also dependent on site-specific factors such as wind exposure, and therefore will be tuned to suit each installation. A typical installation may use something like 3 litres/m2/day, averaged across the course of a year. Systems can be designed to recirculate run-off or make use of available rainwater harvesting, thus reducing consumption.

Will the wall stay green all year round?

Vertical Meadow is a natural, low-maintenance system and it will vary with the seasons accordingly. In spring and summer it will be verdant, and in winter it will brown-off and die-back a little before rejuvinating, just like the parklands in our cities.

What maintenance is required?

Simple daily checks of the irrigation system must be made, but otherwise maintenance will be minimal. It is anticipated that Green Fortune may make up to two site visits per year to trim plant growth, based on site requirements.

FAQs

Who does the installation?

The installation of the hoarding or scaffolding mats will be carried out by the site team, under supervision by Green Fortune, who will then install the irrigation system and carry out commissioning.

How much does it cost?

This depends on scale of installation, type of irrigation system chosen and potential for site team to carry out some of the installation. This varies from £150 -200 per m2. depending on the above.

Can it be used permanently?

No, Vertical Meadow is not designed for permanent applications. Arup has developed a separate living wall system for permanent applications which is built on a aluminium façade system.

What happens at the end of life?

Currently Vertical Meadow is made from recycled polyester felt. This felt at the end of life must be sent to landfill, however the team is developing a fully biodegradable version for future installations.

Vertical Meadow:Formerly known as

Living Wall Lite

alistair.law@arup.com