We are starting this week with more Gold Leaf Award winning case studies. Today’s scheme is from the Design & Installation category and was awarded to Plant Designs for their installation at Uncommon Liverpool Street. Well done Plant Designs.

General information

With this project, our client was creating a luxury co-working space in the heart of London and wished for there to be an intense focus on biophilic design. By using plants and natural analogues they sought to enhance the work experience for their members, offering a unique work environment that centred on wellbeing.

Plant Designs, in collaboration with Uncommon, sourced and supplied over 700 live plants for the venue, showcasing over 70 different species both inside the building and on the exterior terraces. As well of live planting there is also a mixture of faux planting and preserved moss, ensuring that every space has an abundance of greenery, working around any possible logistical barriers.

One of the most striking features of the site’s planting is a large Ficus alii tree, which stands at 5-6 meters tall and stretches between the top 2 floors in a beautiful, light-filled central atrium.

Installation
Over 700 plants used throughout the interior and exterior of the building, spanning approximately 70 species.

Larger Species include:
Large Ficus Alii Tree approx. in height 550cm – handpicked in Holland by Design Team
Ficus Lyrata
Ficus Robusta
Ficus Flores
Ficus Benghalensis
Scheffelera Amate
Scheffelera Arboricola
Howea forsteriana
Strelitzia nicolai
Dracaena fragrans
Polycias fabian
Monstera deliciosa

Smaller species include:

Philodendron (variety)
Scindapsus (variety
Nolina recurvata (tips)
Aglaonema (variety)
Sanseveria (variety)
Chlorophytum comosun
Crassula (variety)
Aspargus plumoses
Phlebodium aureum

Exterior species include:
Olea Europa
Prunus laurocaceous ‘Herbergii’
Phormium tenax
Fatsia japonica
Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’

Pots/Substrate/Dressing
Coconut peat soil used throughout – all displays topped with polished black pebbles
305 standalone pots used throughout installation, in a variety of sizes and finishes. Min pot size approx. 13x13xm – max pot size approx. 100x800cm. Finishes range between rough textured, soft textured, smooth, glazed and metallic, keeping in line with the overall aesthetic.

Replica/Preserved Foliage
9.9m2 Reindeer Moss Wall 

Approx. 75m2 Replica Ivy foliage – suspended from ceilings

Comment
We had worked with Uncommon founder Tania Adir on previous projects, however we know that planting-wise, this was to be the most ambitious and challenging design yet.

As with all Uncommon sites, there was a strong emphasis on the café/members areas, encouraging people to use the spaces to create and collaborate. We filled these areas with beautiful planting to adhere to the company’s love of biophilic design.

At the heart of the café stands a Ficus alii tree at roughly 5-6m tall. The tree is planted on the 7th floor, standing between the 7th and 8th floors. Due to the logistical challenges with getting the tree into the building on such a busy thoroughfare (just next to Liverpool Street Station), the tree was eventually craned into the building and carried into place by hand by a team of 20-30 people.

The rest of the 7th and 8th floors are adorned with smaller plants, and the result is a true urban oasis, often populated by people that use the space to escape their busy offices to focus. This plant-centric aesthetic was then recreated throughout the building in smaller communal areas.