Exterior Large Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility

The Leeds RERF (Recycling and Energy Recovery facility) is the flagship development at the heart of Leeds Integrated Waste Strategy over the next 25 years. Amidst the timber frame, on the buildings southern elevation will be a green ‘living’ wall creating a visually stunning feature in stark contrast to the building’s industrial use. The feature will soften the building’s visual impact and provide vital bio-diversity to the site and surrounding industrial area.

This Ambitious project has 1,800m2 of living wall made up if 6,500 Biotecture living wall panels. It is 120m wide and ranges between 14m high and 26m high along the South façade of the building. The 19 living wall bays sit between the timber columns attached to a custom designed and built steel frame.
The Planting design intention is to provide a significant contribution to local urban biodiversity by focusing on the surrounding landscape character. There are three planting layer areas with a mix of native, wildlife friendly and ornamental species of shrubs perennials, grasses and bulbs suitable for the site conditions. A mix of evergreen species offer year round coverage while deciduous shrubs add seasonal interest. In total there are 110,000 plants used to create this green wall.

This living wall also includes habitat boxes to support insects such as solitary bees and 700 custom designed shrub boxes.