What is a Living Pillar?
A LivingPillar™ is an innovative way to introduce planting to street lighting columns. Solar powered with re-circulating irrigation, they are a sustainable solution to the challenges of planting in our streets.
LivingPillar Benefits
Biodiversity
Designed as a logical next step in our quest to introduce biodiversity back into streets where pavement space is limited and services under our pavements prohibit planting.
LivingPillars™ are not only able to link up existing green spaces but can form biodiversity corridors from the countryside right into the heart of our towns and cities.
As our LivingPillars™ support long-term planting we have a wonderful opportunity to help Nature back into our urban environment using lamp posts.
We encourage the use of insect and bird boxes on all our schemes. When they are not providing homes for our fauna, they give an important visual message about biodiversity.
Air Quality
In 2019, we ran an air quality trial on our LivingPillars™ in Victoria in central London in conjunction with the Greenwich university.
The nature of city landscapes can cause the ‘street canyon effect’ which traps pollution at street level.
LivingPillars™ can help mitigate this pollution.
Wayfinding & Placemaking
What better way to demark cycling or pedestrian routes and encourage a sense of community - streets lined with LivingPillars™.
Sustainability
Our LivingPillars™ are solar powered and re-cycle the irrigation water to truly embrace sustainability.
Our patented fytotextile system supports long term plant health so replacing planting in the Winter and Spring is a thing of the past.
All Year Round Interest
Our LivingPillars™ are planted using a combination of hardy perennials and shrubs for all year-round interest with attractive foliage and colour.
Combining Nature with Technology
Each LivingPillar™ uses cutting edge technology to help plants survive in the challenging street environment.
The smart sensor technology allows the plants to call for additional irrigation when require.
Via an App, we are connected to each LivingPillar™ which gives us real time feedback on solar and irrigation performance and notifications of when to fill the reservoir.
