The Terrence Higgins Trust Bridge to 2030 Garden takes a holistic view of sustainability. We believe that achievable, longterm and meaningful sustainability needs to incorporate three main pillars: environmental, economic and social.
The environmental pillar sits at the heart of our design where we embrace a simple palette of reclaimed timber and by-product/reclaimed slate materials. The materiality will reflect our message of resilience and embody our belief that these materials once considered waste are in fact characterful, beautiful and practical. We will use traditional construction techniques and permeable contoured surfaces which allow water to drain through the landscape where it can be captured in depressions.
We are proud to use Welsh Slate in the garden. Slate has extremely low levels of embodied energy and carbon and the energy used in its production is limited to extraction, processing and transport. Today Welsh Slate are commited to utilising 100% of the slate extracted, (they typically utilise 90%) to make a diverse range of products. Once quarried, slate requires very little in terms of further processing. No artificial materials or chemicals are used and products are mainly produced by hand using chisels rather than heavy machinery. It has a lifespan of 150 years and it can then be crushed and reused as a fill or drainage material without effecting the PH of soils and water courses.
More on our sustainability story to follow…
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