The Ecology Consultancy has entered the CIRIA BIG Biodiversity Challenge in conjunction with The Green Infrastructure Consultancy, Taylor Wimpey and L&Q Housing Trust for the Chobham Manor development at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London. The project is a residential site and mixed-use urban regeneration project that uses the Lee Valley to draw the rural into London.
The BIG biodiversity challenge invites award entries where projects have added biodiversity enhancements to construction sites, developments or existing buildings. With recent reports highlighting a serious decline in biodiversity over the past few decades there is a real need to put biodiversity enhancements at the centre of the design and engineering process.
The Chobham Manor project has been entered into the large scale permanent section, with Phase 1 covering an area of 2.8 hectares and comprising extensive biodiverse green roofs of four different types on all buildings and in 11 locations, in total creating 2700m2 of biodiverse habitat.
The Ecology Consultancy and The Green Infrastructure Consultancy worked closely with PRP Architects to provide detailed specifications for these four green roof types and the installation of 34 bird boxes at roof level. Ground level green infrastructure elements also included rain gardens, wildflower grasslands, green walls, bee-hotels and an urban orchard. Planting in ‘parklets’ have also been designed to increase biodiversity.
Biodiverse Green Roof Cross Section
Although this is an example of a large scale project, it is made up of many smaller green infrastructure elements. By working with our partner the Green Infrastructure Consultancy we can provide assistance in incorporating a wide range of biodiversity elements into any project, large or small.
Additional support for the project was provided by PRP Architects, J&L Gibbons and Muf Architecture/art with further multi-disciplinary involvement provided by RSK Environment Limited, Mott MacDonald, Quod, Karakusevic Carson, Make and Haworth Topkins.
