plant designs – united kingdom

Category: Green Interior

TThe new headquarters for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, based in Canary Wharf, is a haven of greenery and has successfully created a working environment that encourages calm.

With the goal of creating communal spaces heavily focused on the restoring effects of biophilic design, one of our top priorities when designing the scheme was to select interior planting with a lush and organic look and feel and integrate it in a way that works seamlessly with the architecture of the space.

We collaborated with joinery contractors working on the project to ensure that the planting could be integrated within fixed elements of the interior such as seating and counter tops. Not only did this help to make the greenery feel woven into the interior, but it ensured that we could deliver planters that were fit for purpose.

As with all of our projects, we worked with long-time trusted suppliers in the Netherlands, and for this project, gave the client the opportunity to handpick the key trees and plants. These were then delivered to site based on a carefully curated timetable that ensured everything was installed whilst at its prime and created an impact from the get-go. The plants used across the project were chosen with specific details in mind, ensuring that we achieved the exact look the client was aiming for.

The greenery featured in this project includes Strelitzia Nicolai for its striking form and strong presence, Scindapsus aureum for its dense coverage, Bucida Buceras for its delicate canopy that allows light through, and many more.

Not only does this project feature a huge variety of live greenery but it also showcases our preserved planting range. Created with 100% natural plants and preserved in an eco-friendly solution, this allows us to feature greenery in high-level spaces that would not be suitable for traditional plant maintenance and extends the impact that the planting design has on the building, without the need for plant replacements and waste.

Throughout our time working with the EBRD, a huge element of the project was working towards their WELL Platinum and BREEAM Outstanding accreditations and ensuring that our planting design not only met aesthetic standards but that it was done in the most sustainable way possible. An integral part of achieving this was collaborating with all members of the design team from the early stages to better understand building needs, limitations, and programmes.

As well as this, our standard policies were also implemented to work towards a more sustainable practice, including the use of Vulkaponic, organically based pesticides and a focus on the use of public transport.

The close collaboration, the highly considered choice of plants, and the design-led finish throughout the space resulted in a hugely successful result for this project which we loved working on. Plus, with another of our projects located in the same building, our plants now occupy all floors of this Canary Wharf office space, making it one of the greenest in the capital.

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