The Vertical Garden 2013

With the city of tomorrow in mind, ESAD imagined to equip buildings in its city centers with vertical biotopes, real signs of biodiversity in urban areas. This vertical garden called upon the design work of the Schools students and the latest planting techniques. This living work of art is designed as a perfect example of vertical gardening, and includes undemanding plants coexisting with birds and insects and requires very little maintenance. Hives installed on the roof of the school in 2009 are fully integrated in this ecosystem that may obtain an official label as a LPO refuge.

Just as in nature, insects allow plants to reproduce, while the flora provides food and refuge to small wildlife. It is in this balance of the living and its integration in the city that demonstrates the various skills of the ESAD.

Students were asked to develop the project and imagine birdhouses, insect hotels and pots for plants. This successful project running since May 2012 is a mixture of wall plant boxes and various objects designed by students which are suspended by a system of hooks representing branches. These objects have been developed and prototypes created out of organic concrete by the expertise of the Companions of duty, the LPO (Bird Protection League) and experts of insects in urban areas. It is an opportunity to experiment with new techniques in natural materials.