10 years of Fruit Routes – Loughborough University

 

“There’s something so simple and so powerfully celebratory about this project. I have no doubt that it will continue to prosper and grow for many years to come”

 – Jonathan Porritt CBE

BCA Landscape are proud to be associated with the Loughborough University ‘Fruit Routes’ – project a unique art installation made up of over 150 trees and other edible plants providing an enriched habitat for people, plants, insects and animals, as well as a location for cultural activities and outdoor learning.

The concept, developed through a collaboration between artist Anne-Marie Culhane, the University Sustainability Manager and BCA Landscape, was to plant fruit, nut trees and edible plants along footpaths and cycle paths across the university campus creating a spring snowfall of blossom and an autumnal abundance of fresh fruits and berries for harvesting, eating and distributing. 

Over the last 10 years the project has become a great example of a Living Lab project with partnerships in the Design School, School of the Arts and Architecture Schools and also brings in members of the local community to participate in University life.

The project was funded by the University Estates & Facilities Management Service in line with the Biodiversity Action Plan and is managed by the Sustainability Manager at Loughborough University. It began life as a proposal for RADAR’s Building Green season in 2010.

The first trees were planted in 2012 following plans, details and specifications prepared by BCA landscape.  From there it has gone from strength to strength thanks to exemplary maintenance and governance by the University.

Fruit Routes has been recognised as an award-winning project by the Guardian Higher Education Sustainability Award in 2014, was a finalist in the 2013 and 2019 Green Gowns awards for Social Responsibility and Benefitting Society categories. and a facilitated workshop at the 2013 EAUC Conference.  It was also awarded a highly commended in the Association of University Directors AUDE Reaching Higher category in 2019.

The University hosts an annual harvest event and campus apple ‘Bake-Off’ as part of this, providing recipes ideas, a fruit foraging map

The project has now been passed into the care of a Steering Group made up of staff, students and local people, which should ensure it’s continued contribution for future cohorts of staff and students at the University.

 

Find out more about The Fruit Routes Project

Better Places Award

Liverpool Waterfront project shortlisted for national CIHT ‘Creating Better Places’ award

We are delighted to announce that our Liverpool City Centre Waterfront project: The Strand has been shortlisted for the CIHT Creating Better Places Award 2022

This has been a ground-breaking collaborative design project over the last few years with our friends at Amey Consulting and Liverpool City Council.

The winners of the category will be announced at the CIHT Awards Ceremony 2022 – taking place on the 7 September 2022 at the London Marriot Hotel.

This award recognises how outstanding design and implementation of schemes in our towns and cities improve the places around them and create places for people.

The panel have shortlisted exemplary schemes from across the country that enhance their neighbourhoods, integrate with communities and are inclusive. Considering transport planning, design, construction, sustainability, accessibility, safety and wellbeing, and climate action.

The Strand is at the epicentre of Liverpool’s renowned waterfront, surrounded by Grade II* listed buildings including the Liver Building, part of the iconic ‘Three Graces’

The regeneration scheme exemplifies the very best of green infrastructure projects, providing a new sustainable urban drainage system with on-going data analysis for storm waterflow, water filtration and air quality by Liverpool University, keeping us connected via safer walkways, new pedestrian squares, segregated cycle lanes and introducing large canopies of trees and celebrating the city’s heritage.

The project contributes to the mitigation of climate change risks, increases the resilience to climate change effects, improves health and well-being and improves air quality and biodiversity.

Take a look at the Liverpool Waterfront project here

Overhead Railway

A new stone and bronze interpretative celebration of Liverpool’s world famous Dockers Umbrella – designed by BCA Landscape – has just been craned in to place in the position of the original Overhead Railway Pier Head Station.

By 1880, Liverpool’s dock network was virtually complete. So too was the congestion along the Dock Road, as carriages, omnibuses, lorries, carts and drays all plied the route.

An elevated railway had been proposed as early as 1852 but came to nothing. In 1888 the Liverpool Overhead Railway Company was formed and the world’s first electric elevated railway opened along the waterfront in 1893. The new segregated waterfront cycleway will follow the old railway route.

Find out more about the project here

Webinar series

BCAL on-site filming with Hardscape and Gilbertius Productions for the Landscape Institute’s Webinar series on ‘Green Infrastructure’ (Tuesday 13th April – 11am)

Celebrating how we as landscape architects can strive to mitigate climate change through nature based systems by re-naturizing urbanisation, green infrastructure, water interventions and non-technical interventions.

Two of our ground-breaking public realm projects have been selected ( The Strand on the Liverpool Waterfront and Tower Road on the Wirral) to showcase how significant climate challenges can be tackled through sustainable urban drainage systems, intelligent traffic management, segregated cycleways and the planting of over 250 trees.

Click here to have more info and join the event this April…