City Living

From the show

• The feature wall lighting used 3.8 miles of fibre optics in its construction - all of which were individually placed into the concrete wall by the team
• The living wall uses larger than normal planting trays to accommodate the plants, meaning that a wider range of specimens can be used, including tropical plants
• Shade loving plants have purposely been planted at the bottom of the wall, while sun lovers are at the top where they have access to more light.
• The team walked more than 700 miles and used over 1,000 man-hours to construct the garden in every aspect
• The biggest challenge for the team was finishing their design on time
• The team hasn't just designed a garden for the sake of it, they actively provide solutions to help transform inner city gardens

At the garden

City Living is an imagined space in an urban apartment block, providing the occupants with attractive and useable small gardens. Visitors can see a series of private greened spaces built across three different levels using innovative materials and featuring overhead screening to provide privacy. Steel boundary structures echo those of the building façade to create a sense of enclosure and architectural continuity, while a water feature, communal seating areas and structural planting create a sense of tranquillity.

The planting explores the possibilities of using hardy, tropical and shade-tolerant plants to create leafy and inviting environments. These multi-level gardens highlight the importance of greening inner city spaces, not only for residents’ enjoyment but also to benefit the environment as a whole.