urbanruralism

urbanruralism.com

urban, adj.[ûr'ban] relating to a city or city life; from Latinurbanus from urbs 'city'.

ruralist, n. [rur'a-list] an advocate of rural living; from Latinruralis from rus ‘country’.

urban ruralism, n. balancing the urban and the rural inharmony, the equilibrium of urbania and rurality, bringingthe two extremes together to make a single statement.

Welcome

Our vision

from nature we love creating our walls for office, home, arena and mallseverything we do is done with passionnot gone in a minute like some new fashionbut long term commitment to all our clientswe build our business on trust and reliance

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Our mission

Our mission is to deliver a simple, quality and effectivesolution to the ecological requirements of today in anenvironmentally and socially responsible way.

SimpleA modular system and quick installation procedure.

QualityProven brand, bespoke design service and a 10 year warranty.

Effective Instant coverage on the day of installation.

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Our valuesHonestyHonesty, loyalty and trust are and will be placedabove all else, as they are the starting blocks inevery successful relationship.

ResponseWe understand that there is no time like thepresent in our business journey. We set tightdeadlines and aggressive challenges and pushourselves hard to achieve them. Any enquiry willbe dealt with quickly and with understanding.

TeamworkWe understand that teams develop direction,momentum and commitment by working to shapea meaningful purpose. We recognise that individuals have differentstrengths that, when blended together, create a powerful drive.

OwnershipWe firmly believe in investing in people. Eachemployee can and must make a difference, anddeserves to be listened too and treated fairly andwith respect.

SupportThe concept of support includes help, assistanceand provision. To assist with your success, webelieve in going the extra distance, and willprovide a high level of technical support to all ourclients – both existing and potential.

DeliveryWe recognise the importance of time. Steps willbe taken to deliver quality products every time, ontime.

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ANS Group are Europe’s leading provider of Living Walls. Using our patented modularsystem - ANS Living Wall System™ - we offer the complete solution: design, manufacture, establishment,installation and on-going maintenance.

there’s a way

where there’s a wall

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Archi-textureThis wall has been designed to bring a masterpiece to life. One of Van Gogh’s famous paintings, ‘A Wheatfield’, wasdepicted in plants. The true painting can be seen within theNational Gallery. 640 modules were grown, using over 8000plants of varying species.

The artwork was created by hand-planting each plant into themodules, using a numbered drawing. The modules were grownon our nurseries in Aldingbourne, hung vertically to establishand then dispatched. Due to the very tight deadline on theproject, the whole installation took three days to complete.

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The first time a painting has ever been turned into a Living Wall.

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Hun

dred

s of

AN

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alls

ha

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inst

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whi

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in m

any

dive

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ronm

ents

Hotels

Receptions

Architects

Atria

Commercial Offices

Roof Gardens

Events & Exhibitions

Airports

Government Departments

Break Out Areas

Showrooms

Shopping Malls

Councils

Courtyards

Universities

Museums

Entrances

Schools & Colleges

Balconies

Restaurants

Designers

All ANS Living Wall Systems™ aredesigned by our in house team workingwith clients, designers and architects toany specific style and shape, in bothinterior and exterior environments.Plant species, selected from anextensive proven planting listpurposely designed for the ANSSystem, are chosen according to thelocation of the walls. The modules arethen planted by hand from a designplan, providing a living solution withcolour and texture.

ANS Group works closely witharchitects and local councils to transform towns and citiesinto greener environments.Living Walls can provideenvironmental benefits in theform of biodiversity, thermalinsulation and cooling benefit to the building and noiseattenuation.

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ANS aspired to create a living wall solution that replicated nature as closely as possible andhad to be a ‘cradle to cradle’ system. And so was born The ANS Living Wall System™:100% recycled material incorporating organically grown media and backed by our 10 yearcomprehensive warranty. This proven modular system can be built up and around any structure, to any size -a living work of art professionally designed and delivered to site fully planted to give instantfull impact.The system incorporates a fully automatic irrigation system to allow every area of the wallthe correct amount of water.

livingUP THERE HIGH IN THE SKIES

CONCRETE MONSTERS FILL MY EYES

HOW DRAB THE SLABS WITH LIFELESS STARES

THEIR VIRTUAL CRY OF WHO ON EARTH CARES

THESE FINGERS OF BRICK AND GLASS AND STEEL

POINTING UP AS IF TO APPEAL

TURN US INTO ORGANIC TOWERS

ADORN US NOW WITH BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS

DON’T GIVE THE GIANTS A LOOK OF PITY

LET THEM BREATHE LIFE INTO THE CITY

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LETTHECITYLIVE&BREATHE

STYLE

CR

AD

LE TO

ECOTISTLIVINGWALLS

STR

EE

TLIF

ELIVING FORTHE CITYTHE NEW URBAN HORIZON

URBANRURALISM

LIFEROOTS TO THE CITY

• softening of the city• enhances image• beautification of the landscape• can be designed to form dramatic shadows

by incorporating plants and lighting

• biodiversity in the urban area habitats, breeding and nesting possibilities

• offsets carbon footprint• air purification• can be included in the BREEAM rating• lowers the heat island effect in the urban area• recyclable• utilises rain water harvesting• reduces smog from traffic fumes• provides protection for flora and fauna

• insulating properties• longer life facades• enhances property value• fire resistance• protects from elements of rain

and wind damage

• colourful• bespoke designs• personalised logos• educational• can be incorporated with other

wall cladding

Rain water can be harvested andeasily re-absorbed.Soils and plants have absorptionproperties that traditional buildingmaterials do not have.

Living Walls have the capacity to provide soundinsulation for buildings, and absorb surroundingnoise. They beautify otherwise barren eyesores ofour cityscape and provide unique opportunities fordesign and creativity.

On-going watering of plantsassists with reducing globalwarming, through an increasein evaporation levels and ahigher transfer of solar energy.

Habitat preservation andprotection of flora and fauna,as buildings in urban areascan still have a rural havenand contribute to preservingbiological diversity. Increasedurban habitat for song birdsand butterflies.

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THE NEW CITYOF CULTURE

Plants help to add oxygen to theair therefore reducing industrialsmog, and the planting helps tocool the ambient air temperature.Movement, colour, sound andtexture of plants add to theoverall health and well being ofcitizens.

URBAN BREATH

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CRADLE

outsidein urban place is where they servealive to form the perfect curve

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upstairsthe new direction in city landscapinga lift to all floors

downstairs

hotel motel, urban kingthese living walls are the inn thing

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haute cuisine... greens with everything.Create an ambience that gives back what was once removed.Bring rurality to whatever you innovate.Let urbania live and breathe plantatia and create the perfect equilibrium.Love steel, love chrome, love wood... now add the vital ingredient.

gastro, pesto, haute cuisineurban eating touch of green

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take time out, call in hereenjoy good chat and atmospherearoma derived from coffee beana living wall there to be seen

Plantfood

a w

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odThe wall at the M&S store in Norwichwas designed to blend in with theexisting open space to the rear of thechurch and increase the visual drama ofthe urban landscape.152 square metres of wall was coveredwith species indigenous to the localarea. The range of plants selectedcomprised 11 different varieties whichflower at different times of the year, hence the wall will visibly changethrough the seasons.

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urbanruralism

who says the gardenbelongs outside?bring it in.

At last the outside world fuseswith indoor life.It’s the new wallpaper. The newway to decorate. Green goes with everything. Andeach day it’ll look a little differentas it breathes life into the home.Water the walls, don’t emulsion.Create a picture that’s unique.And put your signature on it.A sense of belonging.

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outwardbound

this peaceful zone so rarely foundthis urban place so outward bound urbanruralism.com

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urbanruralism

at the Chelsea Flower Show

Green turns togold“This design is inspired by the windingjungle streams and rich traditionalarchitecture of the Malaysian archipelago.The layout captures the sinuous movementof a brown limestone riverbed, carved outby a slowly moving stream, leavingpebbled deposits along the naturallyplanted terraces”.

Gentle streams drop to a pondplants so green adorned with frondand sat behind the waterfallthe beauty of the living wall

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transformationsmaking urban

rural

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transformationsmaking urban

TIAR

ELLA SPR

ING S

YMPHONY

LIRIOPE M

USCARI

HEUCHERA G

REEN S

PICE

STACHYS LANATA

VINCA M

INOR

BOWLES P

URPLE

CAREX F

ROSTED

CUR

LS

POLYPODIUM

VULGAR

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HEUCHERA P

URPLE P

ETTICOATS

TIAR

ELLA ‘IRON B

UTTERFLY’

STAINLESS S

TEEL SECTION

WITH B

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planning This is very important to ensure the longevityof the wall. Once they are ready forinstallation, they are transported to site on atrolley system for protection of the plants.The wall is then assembled by one of ourdedicated installation teams.

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The Living Wall production begins at our nurseries. Here the modules are hand planted by our team of horticulturists, and remain on our nurseries to give time to allow the planting to become fully established.

Another very interesting internal living wall. This was installed for the Body Shop group in theWestfield (Stratford) complex. Due to the nature of the store, a living wall depicting a world map was requested. Soleirolia soleirolii wasused for the ‘sea’ – a number of herbs and other plantsformed the countries. The wall is divided by the shopfront glass, meaning 2/3s of the wall is inside the shopand 1/3 is outside. Each country contains nativespecies of plants, which then corresponds with the lineof natural products in the shop. Plants are regularlyreplaced to keep up with the changing product lines.

The Body Shop has itmapped out.

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nature’s way

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ecologicalthe story of the birds and bees

urban build could mean the endto our fine little feathered friendso to give them all a place to restwe’ve built in places to nest

One of the key features of a living wall is providing habitat for urbanwildlife. A large number of animal species are happy to live in urbanareas if a suitable habitat can be found. Habitat boxes coupled withcarefully chosen plant species, can create fantastic roosting/nestingplaces for birds and hibernation opportunities for insects.

ANS Group are able to offer bird, bee and bat boxes, together withinsect hotels fully installed into the living wall modules. Our in-housedesign team will work closely with you as the client to ensure thenesting boxes are installed on the right elevation and that the correctdimension of box is used for the bird species.

All habitat boxes are manufactured from sustainable FSC timber and have extremely good insulation properties, making them warm in winter and cool in summer. None of the nesting boxes havedecorations that predators could cling to and threaten the birds inside.

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a mix of purples, pinks and whites

growing through the bottle green to

represent foaming wine

warm yellows, vibrant reds

representing the sun

3D butterfly adding

depth to work of art

sprinkers

3D bee added

depth to work

of art

Bottle label

dark green plant for

bottle with light green

to create highlight

image of sky digitally

printed as backdrop

water featurepave

men

tart

vino verdeThe world’s first living billboard wassuccessfully installed at the WestfieldShopping Centre, West London.

Working with ANS, winecompany ‘Banrock Station’created this superb work ofart to publicise their donationof £30,000 to help preserve2100 acres of Britishwildflower meadows.In place for two weeks, thebillboard had an integratedpump, so that shoppers canwater the floral installation!

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pave

men

tart

vino verdeThe world’s first living billboard wassuccessfully installed at the WestfieldShopping Centre, West London.

Working with ANS, winecompany ‘Banrock Station’created this superb work ofart to publicise their donationof £30,000 to help preserve2100 acres of Britishwildflower meadows.In place for two weeks, thebillboard had an integratedpump, so that shoppers canwater the floral installation!

anslivingscreen

Easy living.

The living screen, designed by ANSGroup offers everything that you’dexpect from a living wall - a fresh,healthy environment combined with adynamic visual to complement anylocation it’s in.

And there is no requirement forplumbing. The unit is self containedwith its own water tank discretelyhidden away in the base section witha fully automated irrigation system.

The living screen makes the idealfeature wall, partition wall, divider forsectioning offices, dining areasand/or communal meeting places.

Of course, should you wish to re-arrange the area, the unit is easy toreposition wherever.

Simple.

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Destinations

Offices

Board rooms

Receptions

Meeting areas

Kitchens

Restaurants

Public houses

Libraries

Care homes

Hospitals

Gymnasiums

Health spas

Airports

Public transport depots

Corridors

Placement

Along walls

Office dividers/partitions

Island sites

Base units and side panels can be manufactured in anyRAL colour.Graphics can be applied tomake the unit customised andunique.

The ANS Living Screen makes use of the ANS Living wall system™.

breathing

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Wherever you need to place a screenwhy not have it in living green?

life

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freestyle

500m2 of ANS Living Wall System™ have beensupplied and were installed on the Aquatic Centre. After extensive research by the architects involved inthe project, the ANS Living Wall System™ was the onlysystem that could handle the complex curves andangles of the structure.

Planted with blue moor grasses (Sesleria Caerulea),the design was to resemble the rippling of water. As the plants move, swathes of blue and green arecreated, achieving an awe-inspiring visual impact tothe ‘already stunning’ Aquatic centre. The imagesshown were taken through the installation!

see the swathes of blue green passcreated by the living grass

livingexamples

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Eat up your greens

entrance

This is an interesting project, right in themiddle of a large shopping centre inChristchurch, New Zealand. A frameworkwas constructed, with the facility to hangmodules on one side. Once installed, theback of the framework was then coveredwith murals etc to finish it all off.

Maintenance visit at Digby roadWhen a maintenance visit is due, ANS call in theabseilers! At 13 storeys high, this method is theonly realistic way of doing it! Not a job for thosewho suffer acrophobia.

Dizzy heights

The living wall at the Network Housing Group’s new affordable housingdevelopment, near Hommerton Station (London). It stands the tallestliving wall in Europe; possibly the world. Topping out at the 14th floor, thewall covers over 220m2, using over 24,600 plants.The project won the Estates Gazette Green Award – Residential Development of the year.

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This superb interior wall was recently installed in anexecutive lounge at the Biggin Hill Airport.A maintenance team regularly visits the wall to carryout a health check on all planting, calibrate irrigation ifneeded and apply a liquid feed. This ensures the wall isalways looking its best as it greets passengers!

making an

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Fermoy Road, North London Amidst the dust and traffic of busy North London, avertical landscape has been installed at the end ofa 5 storey residential block of flats. The vertical landscape helps reduce the noiselevels of city traffic, thereby creating a welcomingenvironment for the residents.

A flight of fancyHeathrow Airport

Heathrow goes green! The ANSLiving Wall was installed in the No 1Traveller Lounge at Heathrow AirportTerminal 3, replicating the wall ANShad already installed in their lounge atNorth Terminal, Gatwick Airport.Choose your airport; inspect a wall!

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Ecologymeets economyThe London School of Economicsrealised the ecological benefits ofinstalling a living wall on its property.

A superb location was found onthe 4th floor terrace area, whichis viewed by over 9000 students.

Growing up53

FSC pressure treated softwood battens fixed to existing structureat 250mm centres

Waterproof membrane ANS fixing railsfixed to surfaces at 500mmcentres

Indicative existing structure

pre-planted before installation fitted to fixing rails

16mm diam. pipeworkwith inline pressure compensatedemitters at 125mm centres

ANS living wall modulebuild up

Drainage channel

The science bit

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12

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100mm

capillary matting

irrigation pipe channel

PFC

hanging bracket

60mm stainless steel fixingattaches module to hanging rail

for extra security

horizontal fixing rail

damp proof membrane

vertical structure for hanging

WATER SUPPLY GENERALLYUTILISING RAINWATER

HARVESTING

DRAINAGE TROUGH

LIVING WALLIRRIGATION SYSTEM

WATER TANK

CONTROL PANEL

PUMP STARTRELAY

UNSWITCHED FUSED SPURS

ALARM

2 M

ET

RE

S

1 METRE

OVERFLOW

FLOWPULSEMETER

PRESSUREGAUGE

FLUSHFILTERVALVE

VALVE

VALVE VALVE

LIQUID FEEDADAPTOR

SOLENOID

SOLENOID

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imagine... UP THERE HIGH IN THE SKIES LIVING WALLS FILL MY EYESWHAT ONCE WAS A SIMPLE DREAMNOW TOWERS OF LIFE THAT RADIATE GREEN

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ANS Group (Europe)Aldingbourne Nurseries Church Road, Aldingbourne Chichester PO20 3TU United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)845 505 5555Tel: (international) +44 1243 545818enquiries@ansgroupeurope.comwww.urbanruralism.com

living wallsThe ANS Living Wall System™