Holbein Gardens is Grosvenor’s first net zero scheme. It will see a 1980s London office building repurposed into an exemplary modern workspace.

In line with the objectives set out in Grosvenor’s recently launched biodiversity strategy, the building has been designed to have greening across 11% of its internal area, outdoor terraces and ground floor landscaping, helping to drive a 200% biodiversity net gain.

Alongside the building itself, Grosvenor were keen to find a solution that would provide new habitats for local biodiversity during the construction phase. 

One of the solutions arrived at was the installation of an innovative vertical meadow wrap along the gantry facing the street. 

Vertical meadow is a living wall system comprised of a pre-seeded mat that grows wildflowers in situ - a first for the living wall industry. The product spans along the entire length of the gantry at Holbein Gardens. 

The wall as it begins to grow.

It uses a water recirculation system to ensure that every drop of water is re-used with minimal loss. The mat itself is made from predominantly reused materials, in this instance, old clothing. 

The seeds were chosen by expert ecologist/ horticulturalist Professor Nigel Dunnett, and the London Wildlife Trust to enhance biodiversity in the urban environment. It features approximately 25 native UK wildflower species including both day and night flowering species to support pollinators and moths.

The value of the additional habitat is akin to that of a more traditional calcareous grassland wildflower meadow of a similar scale. Beyond its own surface area, it supports the wider green ecosystem, with seeds being distributed after flowering from the wall.

To date, we’ve seen an array of wildlife make use of the wall from traditional pollinators such as bumble bees, honeybees and hoverflies to a wealth of other invertebrates crawling around the very dense mixed sward. 

As it’s grown from seed onsite, it was essential the main contractor, Blenheim House, understood the concept and were invested in it. The Poppies, Bladder Campions, Cornflowers, Yellow Rattle and Oxeye daisies that festoon the gantry are a testament to their care and attention. 

Closer look at the wall captures the vibrancy and flowers. 

As a prominent and innovative initiative it has brought vibrancy, colour and joy to the site for the team and the local community. It also caught the attention of the Considerate Constructors Scheme assessors when they visited. 

The Vertical Wall at Holbein Gardens was recently awarded CIRIA’s Construction Phase Biodiversity Award. Read more about the project here. 

Commenting on the project Tom White, Senior Project Manager at Grosvenor said: “We believe urban areas can once again become nature-rich through biodiversity strategies and targets like ours, bringing a myriad of benefits for nature, communities and cities. The Vertical Meadow has been a real point of difference at Holbein Gardens, providing a biodiversity boost for the construction phase and ensuring that throughout all stages of this project we’re meeting our goals to build with nature.” 

Alistair Law - Founder Vertical Meadow said: “Grosvenor was our first client in 2016 and it is great to see that collaboration continues successfully. Winning the CIRIA Construction Phase Biodiversity Award is a real endorsement on our innovative approach to vertical greening that enables construction sites to give back both to the community but also to nature in a simple and flexible solution. We hope to see this become the norm rather than the exception.”

Tim Biggin – Project Manager Blenheim House said: “The Vertical Meadow installation and management has been relatively straightforward for something which contributes so much to, not only the project’s biodiversity, but its brand as a hallmark of sustainable construction. It has given the operatives a tangible sense of the environmental consideration that has gone into the development. It has also been a source of interest from members of the public and highly favourable by the Considerate Constructors Scheme.”