Urban Greening The New West End Company Sustainable Innovation Report
INTRODUCTION
INSIDE
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W e lcome to New West End Company’s first Sustainability Report, focusing on Urban Greening. Just over a year ago, we introduced A Sustainable District as the fourth pillar of New West End Company’s 2020–2025 Business Plan. This came from actively listening to our 600+ property and occupier members, who made it clear that sustainability is a key priority. Our on-street visitor surveys also underscore this, with “more spaces to relax” and “more green spaces” consistently topping the list of desired improvements to the West End. As the Business Improvement District representing the UK’s premier retail, leisure, and hospitality destination, we already collaborate closely with partners, members, and the local community to drive social inclusion and economic resilience across the West End. Rather than reinvent the wheel, however, we’re building on the exceptional work our members are already doing. Day in, day out, they continue to explore innovative ways to embed sustainability into the very fabric of our district. We don’t need to look far for inspiration – it’s right here on our doorstep. That’s why we’ve launched this report series: to highlight and complement our members’ efforts, sharing tailored innovations that suit the specific needs of the West End. This report allows us to learn from one another, featuring best-practice case studies directly from those driving these initiatives. Within these pages, you’ll discover everything from visionary, forward-thinking ideas to practical, actionable takeaways you can start implementing today. To help you better understand how each innovation might apply to your business, we’ve included West End Views, marked by our logo, throughout. I hope you find this report insightful and inspiring. Welcome
Contents EDITION 1 2024
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04 CASE STUDY Renovation provides opportunities for nature 06 NUNA STUDIO Could cork make living walls even greener?
16 VERTUO Novel, self-irrigating planting systems
18 OMC°C Climbing plants add urban greenery 20 CASE STUDY Partnerships deliver a ‘Wild West End’ 22 SINGULARGREEN Green shades for tight urban spaces
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08 ZAUBEN Machine learning for low- maintenance green walls 10 ROOFSCAPES Bringing greenery to the roofs of historic city buildings 12 RESPYRE Moss-covered concrete for efficient greening
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24 GENTIAN AI and satellites herald a new era for urban biodiversity 26 BIOO From energy-generating microbes to bioluminescence...
14 SUGI ‘Pocket forests’ boost urban biodiversity
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Warmest regards, Nathan Parsad-Wyatt
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CASE STUDY
Renovation provides opportunities for nature
How a once-in-a-generation investment is contributing to a ‘network of nature’ – in the West End and beyond
I n 2025, Redevco will complete the refurbishment of its property on James Street. And beyond letting out vacant space, the project provides a unique opportunity to invest in the building as a whole – including its contribution to nature. “One of the big themes within this is our contribution to biodiversity within the heart of the West End,” says Chris Baker, the company’s UK Portfolio Director. A key feature of the development will be a new, rooftop garden – around 4,000 square feet of accessible, reflective space. “This will be a real garden, and we intend to plant an array of species and have several different areas for wellbeing and mental health”, Chris explains. The building already has a small green wall, which is planned to be upgraded. Internal planting, throughout the building common parts, will bring this outside experience in. The renovation fits with Redevco’s mission, which is to be a force for good while also being an amazing real estate investor. According to Chris, “you shouldn’t think that one comes at the cost of the other.” For him, investing in nature is “a genuine investment in the building you own.” As you’d expect with any project, the challenges Redevco has worked to overcome include cost and practicality. When converting a space that was originally designed for something else,
Investing in nature is not mutually exclusive with investing financially
Chris Baker UK Portfolio Director of Redevco
developers must ask a range of practical questions. Can it structurally take weight? How would you access it? How will the change in use affect others? “A lot of these challenges come when you’re refurbishing an existing building rather than investing in a new build,” says Chris. “You also have to make sure you’re creating something that is inclusive by design, and that you’ve considered things like noise and sightlines, etc.” So, what will success look like for James Street? Redevco will be looking at measurements on things like biodiversity net-gain, and, of course, usage. But Chris is keen to highlight that the project is building on a base where there was little urban greening. “We obviously want to maximise that impact as much as we can, but one step forward is better than not doing anything.” He is therefore taking a holistic view: “If we provide facilities
that make one person’s life better, then that’s significant.” For others considering urban greening projects, Chris outlines two main learnings. First, he stresses that “investing in nature is not mutually exclusive with investing financially.” But beyond this, the importance of collaboration to maximise impact emerges as a key theme. “What often happens is that you concentrate on the building that you’re in, but the building next door will be doing something similar, as will the one over the road,” says Chris. It’s rare that nature works against itself, but making the connection between different patches of urban greening, such as by planting complementary species, can amplify positive impact. As Chris puts it: “Nature will travel if you allow it to, and that is how you get an increased network of nature – in the immediate street, the West End, and ultimately London as a whole.”
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INNOVATION
Could cork make living walls even greener?
Living walls can be a wonderful and natural addition to commercial buildings, but they often require a high level of maintenance and after-care. In high- footfall locations in the West End, where maintenance has to fit around trading hours, NUNA offers a low-involvement and sustainable way to see the benefits of a living wall, without the costly and time-consuming maintenance required of other solutions.
NUNA Studio’s design utilises sustainable materials and reduces running costs
‘L iving walls’, where plants are added to vertical surfaces, are a tempting option for architects and urban planners looking to add greenery to the urban environment. But today’s systems are often made from unsustainable materials, and the containers they use typically limit a plant’s access to soil, preventing them from maturing properly. And because immature plants are needy plants, this leads to high maintenance costs. Now, NUNA Studio, a recent spin- out from University College London, is tackling this problem by building living wall systems out of cork. According to the startup, the super-sustainable material, which is harvested without cutting down trees, offers three times better thermal regulation than standard modular living walls, and a 90% reduction in carbon footprint. The company has even been experimenting with using waste cork left over from the wine industry. The company’s first product is the NUNA Lattice, a modular system of planters that can be used to create wall coverings, window shades, and free-
standing structures. And it’s not just the material it’s made from that makes this novel living wall a step up from existing options. A key feature of the NUNA Lattice is the unique geometry of its form. This maximises the space for soil and root growth, enabling the plants to benefit from soil microbes and nutrients while building healthy mycorrhizal networks as they would in the wild. The system also optimises water retention. While standard living walls are thirsty, requiring energy-intensive watering systems, the NUNA Lattice enables 40 times more water to be retained per plant. This means that it only needs to be watered roughly once a week. As with any architectural feature, looks matter. To look good, traditional systems require plants to be constantly in
bloom. But with the aesthetic, natural-looking finish of the cork, the NUNA Lattice is designed to be appealing even without plants. This means that plants can go through natural seasonal cycles, which fits with NUNA Studio’s philosophy of working with nature’s rhythms. Founder Mackenzie Van Dam explains that the startup’s goal “is to bring nature back to urban environments – it’s about rewilding not gardening.” The company’s current focus is on completing pilot projects that will be used to test different aspects of the design’s performance, including water retention and impact on occupant wellbeing and biodiversity. It has already completed a pilot at UCL’s BaseKX courtyard and will be partnering with Grosvenor on a large-scale pilot in Eccleston Yards in Victoria.
Made from sustainable cork, the NUNA Lattice living wall system offers improved water flow and healthier roots, while minimising maintenance costs and maximising aesthetic value and biodiversity. Through its clever design, the modular system addresses some of the constraints limiting existing living walls, unlocking benefits from improved biodiversity and occupant mental health to reduced heat and air pollution.
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INNOVATION
Machine learning for low- maintenance green walls
Today, artificial intelligence and machine learning are no longer just buzzwords – they are essential tools for shaping a more sustainable future. Zauben meets the twin needs of sustainability and commercial efficiencies – something businesses
in the West End and beyond will appreciate.
Zauben’s tech-enabled living walls, green roofs, and ‘smart plants’ self-irrigate
I n 2021, researchers from The retrofitted with a living wall to measure its impact on heat loss. The result was a clear win for proponents of urban greening: a reduction in heat lost through the building’s structure of more than 30%. With insulation high on the agenda of the new Labour government, greening existing buildings in this way could be an effective strategy for property owners, and innovation is driving efficiencies in green wall implementation. US-based company Zauben creates University of Plymouth published the findings of a study that saw a a pre-1970s building on its campus outdoor and indoor green walls, as well as green roofs. These are designed to be self-irrigating, which removes one of the biggest maintenance tasks associated with living walls. Acting as natural air purifiers, the plants also help to shield buildings against intense urban heat, which could mean less money and energy spent on indoor air conditioning during the summer months. Outdoor living walls can also help with stormwater management. Zauben’s flagship product, called the Model Z, is a hydroponic living wall designed for commercial office spaces, which the company claims requires
Having greenery inside, particularly in office environments, can boost productivity
suit an indoor space, depending on light levels, temperature, and the desired look. Sensors keep track of the plants’ health, so that they only receive water as and when needed. According to the company, this approach can cut water usage by half and keeps service callouts to a minimum, although clients can still easily schedule monthly maintenance visits if needed. Adding greenery to office environments can bring several benefits. For example, one study by the University of Reading found that adding plants to offices boosted employees’ perceived attention, productivity, stress, and efficiency. More objectively, greenery can also improve acoustics and indoor air quality. CBRE, JLL, Ford, and Google are all early adopters of Zauben’s technology, which is currently available in the US and Canada. However, Zauben is open to discussing potential projects with businesses outside North America.
75% less water than plants grown in soil. The frame is made using recycled plastic bottles, and a tank at the base circulates water so that the wall irrigates itself without requiring extra plumbing or time-intensive manual watering. Zauben continually monitors the health of the green walls through its connected sensors to ensure they are getting enough water and light. Machine learning capabilities power this monitoring to ensure the system is optimised. The company also offers a ‘Smart Planter’ service, whereby the Zauben team handpicks a selection of plants to
Installing greenery both inside and outside buildings can require complicated planning and time-intensive upkeep, but startup Zauben aims to overcome those barriers. With its tech-enabled solution and continual expert support, owners don’t need to worry about spending unnecessary time, money, and resources keeping the plants healthy. Although currently focused on North America, Zauben shows the potential of combining technology and nature to enhance the built environment.
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INNOVATION
Bringing greenery to the roofs of historic city buildings
The eclectic, and often protected, mix of buildings in the West End are generally not appropriate for a “one-size-fits- all” solution. The possibility therefore of greening pitched roofs with bespoke platforms widens the opportunity to a much bigger range of West End estates.
Roofscapes creates timber-supported platforms for adding greenery to pitched roofs
R ooftops occupy a huge greening, they have the potential to act as an energy-saving mechanism for buildings during cooler periods (soil acts as extra insulation) as well as having a positive cooling effect when temperatures rise. Typically, greening takes place on flat roofs, but in many city centres with historic buildings, the roofs are pitched. How is it possible to green this type of roof? Roofscapes, a spin-out from the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, is answering this question. The company has developed accessible ‘green platforms’. These are specially designed surface area in urban centres. But, instead of simply being ‘dead space’, through
to be used with the pitched roofs of Paris but could easily inspire efforts to add greenery to other city centres, including to the many sloped rooftops in the West End.
Many companies and landscapers are already working to add vegetation to roofs wherever they can. But according to Roofscapes co-founder Oliver Faber, although this work is “awesome – and necessary – ‘roofs’ in this case always means flat roofs.” Roofscapes claims to be the only firm that has been dedicated specifically to making sloped roofs accessible and vegetalised – i.e. green. The system works by distributing the load from the timber platforms to the thick masonry and load-bearing walls common in pre-war European buildings. Greenery can then be added to the platforms to help mitigate urban heat island effects, encourage biodiversity, capture stormwater, and create outdoor spaces for communities to use.
Paris is known for its sloping zinc roofs, which mostly date from the 1800s, but many other European city centres, including the West End, have a similarly high proportion of pitched roofs. An affordable means of bringing greenery to these could therefore be a game-changer. Roofscapes is currently working on a prototype of its system, which uses prefabricated elements. In future, these could be adjusted to different dimensions and roof spans, preserving the integrity of the existing roof while creating space for plants and the benefits they bring.
Many companies and landscapers are already working to add vegetation to roofs wherever they can
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INNOVATION
Moss-covered concrete for
Respyre’s ‘moss walls’ could be an attractive proposition for businesses in the West End, particularly due to their resilience to climate fluctuations – increasingly a consideration of businesses who must adapt to periods of extreme heat and cold throughout the year.
efficient greening
Respyre has developed a low-maintenance solution for applying greenery to buildings and urban infrastructure
O ne of the challenges when implementing green walls is the fact that property owners often underestimate or do not factor in ongoing maintenance costs. Mosses – part of a hardy group of plants known as bryophytes – could help to address this problem by offering a low- cost, low-maintenance solution for adding greenery to vertical surfaces. Mosses have low nutrient requirements and a high tolerance for ‘desiccation’ – the removal of moisture during drought. And, Dutch startup Respyre has created moss wall and roof products that make the most of these benefits. Using mostly recycled materials, such as reactivated cement and granulate rubble, the company creates a concrete mixture that provides an optimum environment for moss to grow on. A bio-enhancing gel that moss spores can attach to is then used to coat the concrete surface. This approach can be applied, not only to buildings, but also to other urban structures such as overpasses and bridges. Respyre recently released two main products: VertiScape, a facade product,
and a moss roof tile. Use cases for VertiScape include a plaster solution for retrofitting existing walls. This works best with ‘stone-like’ materials such as concrete, bricks, and, of course, stone itself. Crucially for the greening of city centres, the plaster can be used to restore historic buildings. For new builds, VertiScape is available as pre-cast concrete panels and walls. The roof tiles, meanwhile, make it possible to create horizontal moss landscapes for rooftops. Also suitable for both renovation and new construction, the tiles form a single- layered cladding element of a roof upon which a moss layer can grow. Currently, the Respyre suite of products is commercially available in the Netherlands and Belgium, with wider availability planned for the future.
Crucially for the greening of city centres, the plaster can be used to restore historic buildings
‘Moss walls’ are exciting because they offer multiple benefits including cleaner air, enhanced insulation, improved water retention, and a lowered risk of surface water flooding. But in addition to this, they are also easy to maintain. In Respyre’s case, a temporary irrigation system is only required for around 12 weeks during the earliest stages of growth, after which the fully grown moss becomes self- sustaining and highly resilient. During dry conditions, moss goes dormant only to spring back to life once re-hydrated, and it can also survive winter cold snaps.
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INNOVATION
‘Pocket forests’
With space in the West End at a premium, the idea of a heritage forest, with a dense range of trees and shrubs, is an interesting concept – and one that goes beyond typical planting schemes. It could be a worthwhile consideration for more substantive developments in the district, which plan to create new spaces for planting and greening.
boost urban biodiversity
SUGi’s ultra-dense forests are species-rich but have a small footprint
F orests contain the majority of life on Earth, including around 80 per cent of the planet’s terrestrial species, and a healthy forest supports biodiversity in the canopy, the forest floor, and the soil. Now, a US-based organisation, SUGi, is bringing these benefits to urban districts through the planting of hundreds of small-scale, urban ‘pocket’ forests around the world. The group uses the Miyawaki Method, named after Japanese botanist Dr Akira Miyawaki, which involves careful soil preparation and dense planting of a range of native plants beneficial to wildlife – all in an area around the size of a tennis court. The resulting pocket forests are 30 times denser and 100 times more biodiverse than conventional tree plantations. To date, SUGi has planted 200 of its pocket forests, including 342,654 native trees, in 42 cities. This includes 34 projects in the UK and 22 in London, including several in Kensington and Knightsbridge. One of these, the ‘Serenity’ forest, was developed in partnership with Louis Vuitton,
the trees reached a height of 2 metres with a 95 per cent survival rate. Cadogan and Louis Vuitton have also partnered with SUGi on a different project, the ‘Heritage’ forest, in Kensington and Chelsea, which was planted in October 2021. Surface temperature readings taken at the forest site on a hot August day in 2023 were 17.6 degrees Celsius lower than a nearby pavement. Elise Van Middelem, founder and CEO of SUGi explains that “the modern trend towards monoculture tree planting or the placement of single isolated trees in skirts of concrete gives a false sense of having ‘done something’ meaningful.” According to her, SUGi’s pocket forests “have the highest survival rate in the industry because they are right at the heart of the community and foster a very high sense of stewardship.”
To date, SUGi has planted 200 of its pocket forests, including 342,654 native trees, in 42 cities
Cadogan, and Moët and Chandon, and was planted over a 240 square-metre area in November 2022. After 10 months
SUGi provides an example of how greenery can be brought into the public realm in a meaningful and inclusive way. A key element of its approach is to build faith in the authenticity of greening efforts, with the organisation publishing verifiable growth reports on each forest. SUGi also offers fellowships that provide fully funded training in how to create local Miyawaki forests, complete with mentoring.
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INNOVATION
Self-irrigating planting systems
Vertuo’s solution has been developed with concrete urban cityscapes in mind, and its integration into public realm enhancements for the 2024 Paris Olympics underlines
its suitability for an international destination, with high footfall.
Vertuo makes urban planting much less water-intensive and expensive to maintain
W ithout plants and soil to soak up rainwater, concrete cityscapes are prone to flooding, particularly as heavy rainfall events have become more frequent (according to the UN’s climate body the IPCC). Now, French startup Vertuo has devised two modular solutions, BU Origine and BU Oxygene, that bring greenery back to urban areas, even where there’s no soil. The self-irrigating blocks absorb rainwater, keeping themselves nourished all year round, even during extended heatwaves, without requiring expensive and time- consuming maintenance. BU Origine cubes are buried flush with the ground, with each one containing a planter and water retention basin. When multiple cubes are fitted together, they create a hydraulic network of plants that will continually absorb rainwater. The BU Oxygene works in much the same way, except the blocks also act as urban furniture with customisable wooden seating areas. The plug-and-play system can be installed in a day and, because of its modular design,
The self-irrigating blocks absorb rainwater, keeping themselves nourished all year round, even during heatwaves can also be moved around and adapted as needed. Vertuo has already completed many projects across France. Alongside partnerships with Emulithe, Alkern, and Veolia, it has also been tasked by Solideo – the organisation responsible for the delivery of all infrastructure and venues for the 2024 Paris Olympics – to ‘green’ a 160-metre stretch of road for the Games, which could offer some useful learnings for the West End.
Green urban spaces can be a challenge both to install and maintain, especially as global warming lengthens hot summer periods and plants require additional manual watering. Vertuo solves both these issues, providing easy-to-implement green solutions that can quickly improve the aesthetic appeal of grey spaces while boosting urban biodiversity and an area’s flood resilience. Plus, they can serve as an attractive and unique rest space for pedestrians in busy city streets.
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INNOVATION
Climbing plants add urban greenery
VERD° offers an innovative way to reuse biomass that would otherwise create additional waste – ideal in an urban city centre environment where waste management is already a complex process to keep efficient.
For OMC°C, seasonally harvested plants provide a new and efficient solution for urban greening
M osses and sedums are often favoured for green roofs and walls, but German startup OMC°C is taking a different approach, adding greenery to cities through seasonal climbing plants. The company provides textile-based planters for modular public summer gardens. The system, called ‘VERD°’, consists of wood and steel frames, planters made from 3D-printed recycled polypropylene, and biodegradable flax netting that supports the plants during vertical growth. Crucially, VERD° uses fast-growing, ‘annual’ climbing plants that complete their lifecycle within a single season, as opposed to ‘perennial’ plants, which live for a longer period. The use of annuals for urban greening offers several advantages; they require less water and space and do not become woody over time. The plants are harvested at the end of each season and the resulting biomass is recycled. Because this is done seasonally, there is no need for laborious pruning, and the installation won’t block out the sun in the winter. In between each harvesting cycle, the
which is provided through an automated irrigation system, the VERD° modules are largely self-sufficient once installed. OMC°C coordinates the planting of seeds in the spring and the harvesting of the dried plants and netting in the autumn – services that are provided through its partners. With up to 25 varieties of plant available for use in the VERD° system, the company customises the vertical gardens to the specific microclimate of each location. VERD° modules can be freestanding, fixed to the ground through concrete or screws, or attached to building facades. The first VERD° prototype was installed in the Senckenberg Naturmuseum in Frankfurt, and having launched in Germany, the company will soon be present in the UK with installations expected to be realised around 2026.
The plants are harvested at the end of each season and the resulting biomass is recycled
planters are filled with a proprietary mix of an organic, peat-free substrate that contains all the nutrients required for the growing season. Other than water,
The modular VERD° system, with its vertically climbing plants, is ideal for use in densely populated urban areas. Each garden is customised specifically to suit a particular location and purpose, and the lightweight design of the supporting structure is suitable for serial production. Because the plants follow a seasonal cycle, they require little maintenance, and the biomass collected during the harvest has economic value and can be reused.
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CASE STUDY
Partnerships deliver a ‘Wild West End’ How key West End stakeholders are coming together to create more high-quality green spaces
T he principle that organisations can do more as a collective than they can individually underpins the Wild West End (WWE) – a partnership established in 2015 that is the first of its kind globally. The WWE brings its partners together to answer two key questions: How can we work together to improve green space within the West End? And how can we raise awareness about its importance with stakeholders, including occupiers and the general public? Originally consisting of five core West End landowners, WWE has since expanded its membership to seven: The Crown Estate, Grosvenor, GPE, Shaftesbury, The Howard de Walden Estate, Church Commissioners, and The Portman Estate. The Greater London Authority, Westminster City Council, and London Wildlife Trust have also been involved as strategic partners, while Arup and Greengage have served as the partnership’s technical advisers. Most recently, WWE partners worked closely with Greengage to update the Value Matrix, which has been designed to set standards and best practice for green infrastructure in the West End, going above and beyond current urban greening requirements. The WWE’s work reflects a shared interest in improving the urban environment in the West End. “As partners, we all face similar challenges, whether it’s around air quality or the deficit in green space,” explains Bill Eyres, Sustainability Director, Nature Recovery at The Crown Estate. “By collaborating, we
You can do more as a collective than you can individually – challenges we all face are much easier to solve together
roof spaces, or terraces in some properties, rather than the larger area of external walls,” he adds. There is accelerating focus on the importance of increasing access to green spaces in cities due to the wellbeing benefits for people, the biodiversity benefits, and to mitigate climate change impacts like urban heating. Eyres comments that “recent interest in nature recovery and the setting of commitments in this important area have produced a renewed focus within the group, galvanising us to consider where we can have the most impact in the future.” As part of its development of St. James’s Market, The Crown Estate has installed a green wall and is upgrading and maintaining green roof spaces while also adding to the property’s customer terrace gardens. Another major project delivered by The Crown Estate recently was the temporary public realm scheme it developed together with Westminster City Council (WCC) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This comprises more than 5,000 square metres of additional pedestrian space, 300 planters, 60 trees, accessible seating, and cycle lanes. Looking forward, The Crown Estate continues to collaborate with WCC on the ‘Park-to-Park’ project. According to Eyres, this “will create a permanent replacement for the temporary public realm scheme and will create broader value along Regent Street – optimising nature, wellbeing, and climate change resilience while enhancing accessibility, inclusivity, and links across the West End.”
have a better chance of improving the West End as an important area in Central London.” One of the most tangible benefits that partnerships on urban greening can bring is the ability to exchange learnings. This includes shared experience overcoming challenges, such as planning restrictions, but also the sharing of ideas and suppliers that can service heritage buildings rather than new builds. As Eyres puts it: “We are all often on the same journey with the same end goal of more sustainable outcomes, but particularly in the West End, collaboration is absolutely critical to achieve change at scale. We can do more as a collective than we can individually – challenges we all face are much easier to solve together.” Planning rules do set constraints around how you can ‘green’ heritage buildings. “Given the planning policies around listed buildings, and importance of protecting our heritage we have to find the right solutions for installing green or nature- friendly infrastructure,” Eyres explains. “Green walls or building facades, for example, would be considered as changing the structure of these buildings, so we may only be able to enhance internal spaces,
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INNOVATION
Green shades for tight urban spaces
Many side streets in the West End, with the potential to become ‘amenity spaces’, lack the scope for in-ground trees and planting
– whether due to limited space or the presence of underground
services. The green shades developed by SingularGreen could solve this issue, creating a pleasant space with the added benefit of a reduction in temperature on hot days.
SingularGreen’s shades regulate temperature and humidity in bustling streets
H eatwaves across Europe are on the rise, with 57% more people exposed to them between 2010 and 2019 than the previous decade. In cities, extreme heat is particularly damaging as it adds to the urban ‘heat island effect’, which can prove deadly to vulnerable people. Trees are often used to mitigate urban heat as water vapour released from their leaves has a cooling effect. However, not all areas are suitable for tree planting. Aiming to solve this problem is SingularGreen, a Spanish leader in urban greenery that recently developed ‘green shades’ – canopies covered in vegetation that cool the urban environment. Currently in the pilot phase of development, the shades have been installed in a 1,200 square metre area in Valladolid, Spain in a project designed by Jordi Serramia Ruiz, Hugo Riquelme Ortega, and Lorena González Ciller. Designed to be lightweight and easily installed, the shades are suitable for tightly packed spaces where it is impractical or impossible to plant trees
shade they provide. And through evapotranspiration – whereby water evaporates from soil and plant surfaces and is exhaled by leaves – they also cool the surrounding area. What is more, the plant species used are carefully selected to maximise absorption of both CO2 and air pollutants. For commercial streets and historic city centres, the shades can be anchored to building façades following a preliminary study that ensures that the anchorages meet regulatory and structural requirements. Alternatively, for spaces like city squares where there are no surrounding buildings, the shades can be implemented via a proprietary system of vertical and horizontal supports. Although the green shades are not yet ready for direct sale, SingularGreen is open to collaborating on specific projects.
or add other forms of greenery. The awnings reduce the temperature directly beneath them through the
Green shades – or canopies covered in vegetation – are suitable for outdoor spaces where it is otherwise difficult to plant trees and so mitigate extreme heat. They regulate temperature and humidity without requiring extra space, which means that narrow and bustling shopping streets that are otherwise exposed to the sun can benefit from the cooling effect of greenery. The shades also provide protection from rain during the winter.
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INNOVATION
AI and satellites herald a new era for urban biodiversity
Gentian’s ability to assess the impact of green space solutions and the scope of new green spaces could make it a valuable tool for planners and policymakers in the West End, particularly when considering how to meet ambitious net- zero targets at both a Westminster and city-wide level.
Gentian’s machine learning and remote sensing technology identifies urban greening opportunities
U K startup Gentian is and big data. The company speeds up environmental analysis of land by using AI to derive insights from high-resolution satellite imagery. This analysis, which bringing habitat monitoring and ecological surveys into the age of deep learning is already available for developers, landowners, and municipalities, makes it easy to establish an ecological baseline for a particular location. It also gives organisations insight into how biodiversity changes over time. In a use case applicable to the West End, the technology can assess the number of green roofs in a given area and their impact on biodiversity. It can also identify the number of flat roofs that could be retrofitted with greenery, while also assessing whether rooftops could become energy-producing biosolar roofs without compromising on biodiversity. Crucially for businesses facing demands for greater transparency on nature-related issues, Gentian’s assessments are compatible with regulations such as the UK’s
biodiversity net gain (BNG) legislation and the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. The technology can also support reporting against the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures framework – a market-led initiative providing guidance on how organisations should report on their nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities. Gentian’s technology is tried and tested, and the company has previously worked with well-known names including Grosvenor, Cadogan, and Barratt Developments. It is now working to expand its market reach and increase the capability of its technology by enhancing its algorithms and integrating more comprehensive data sources.
Gentian’s assessments are compatible with regulations such as the UK’s biodiversity net gain (BNG) legislation
Tools like Gentian’s help land and estate owners identify where to add greenery to both existing and new spaces. The company’s solution also provides monitoring agencies with the data they need to ensure long-term compliance with legislation, ensuring nature continues to be prioritised as cities and towns expand. For the West End, technologies like this can help to monitor biodiversity and identify and prioritise the most promising greening opportunities.
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INNOVATION
From energy- generating microbes to bioluminescence…
The ability to create self-sustaining green spaces is sci-fi thinking brought to reality, whilst the flexibility of Bioo Tech’s solution will make it appealing for a wide range of end-users in the West End, whether retail, hospitality, or property owner.
Bioo is tapping into the power of nature to create self-sustaining green spaces
W hen microorganisms in the soil break down organic matter, they set electrons free, creating an electrical current. Spanish startup Bioo is leveraging this process to create ‘biological batteries’. Its ‘Panel’ product consists of an open layer, which can be planted with any natural ecosystem, on top of a microbe-containing battery layer. This ‘battery’ captures the electrical current created by the microbes, and this power is then used to reduce maintenance costs for the green space through automation, including a smart irrigation system. The panels, which can be installed on ceilings, walkways, roofs, and on the ground, can even be used to power lighting or charge phones. Bioo’s second product, called ‘Switch’, The panels, which can be installed on ceilings, walkways, roofs and on the ground, can be used to power lighting...
under development. In the first solution, the company works with 58 species of bioluminescent fungi to create open or encapsulated lighting systems. In the second, a harmless and bio-compatible phosphorescent compound is added to plants to make them bioluminescent for their lifetime. The third, which is not yet available, will genetically alter plants to continually produce the bioluminescent luciferin or luciferase protein. The startup’s technology is compatible with projects of different sizes, from small-scale installations all the way up to large megastructures. For example, the company’s products have been used by designers in retail environments, including in Dockers and Adidas shops in Europe. And, in the UK, the technology has been incorporated into the Eden Project.
enables people to activate electronic systems simply by touching the leaf of a plant connected to the company’s technology, while a third product, ‘Lumina’, provides lighting via bioluminescence – the production of light by living organisms. Lumina is delivered via three solutions, two of which are available today and one that is
Not only do Bioo Tech’s sci-fi-like solutions inspire intrigue among visitors – they also provide tangible benefits. For example, by generating its own electricity and being fully autonomous, the Bioo Panel can save both water and energy. The company even claims that the panels can lower maintenance costs by as much as 60 per cent compared with traditional installations. Similarly, providing lighting through Lumina delivers energy savings of 90 per cent as well as a 95 per cent reduction in light pollution, according to the startup.
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