Berkshire's living rain forest redevelopment plans
The visitor attraction and education centre say they want to become the UK's first zero carbon tropical house
Plans to rebuild The Living Rainforest centre at Hampstead Norreys in west Berkshire will be announced by the Trust for Sustainable Living (TSL) on Thursday evening (18th April) at a special event aimed at Closing the Sustainability Gap.
In its first 30 years, The Living Rainforest has welcomed over 2 million visitors including 500,000 students on school trips.
Now, looking ahead to its next 30 years, they say the priority in an uncertain and warming world is to redesign the centre to become more climate resilient and adaptive, so it can continue to welcome visitors and provide a safe habitat for its cherished rainforest animals and plants.
TSL, the global education charity which runs the centre, have announced a design team, including Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt Architects, Ridge & Partners, Jubb Consulting Engineers and Harmatan Renewables.
Conversations
Karl Hansen, TSL's executive director said:
“We’re thrilled to be embarking on this exciting journey with such a talented team of sustainable design professionals, all of whom care deeply about the future of The Living Rainforest and about educating the next generation,
"As the redesign journey begins, the team is asking is, what will it take to build the UK’s first zero- carbon tropical house, replacing the Living Rainforest’s existing glasshouses? The impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are conversations for society as a whole, and a totally immersive environment with educational experts can be transformational.
"The ambiton is bold, at a time when countries appear to be running out of time to achieve the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and while large gaps continue to exist between sustainability aspirations and outcomes in most sectors, including education and construction."
In the UK, for example, there is:
• a ‘learning gap’ with over 70% of teachers feeling inadequately trained to teach their
students about sustainability, and
• a ‘performance gap’ between buildings’ actual vs. designed energy use
Strategic partners
To help make the new Living Rainforest 2.0 designs a reality, TSL say they are currently seeking strategic partners to support the next phase of the building journey. Interested parties are invited to contact future@livingrainforest.org.
Living Rain Forest facts
• The Living Rainforest is home to over 850 species of animals and plants including a two-toed sloth, blue poison dart frogs and rare orchids.
• Around 100,000 people visit each year, including 25,000 schoolchildren on school visits.
• Last year, TSL celebrated 30 years since The Living Rainforest first opened to schools and the general public
• TSL also works with schools worldwide, empowering young people to build a more sustainable future. Since 2011, TSL has hosted the world’s leading annual International Student Essay Competition and Debate on global sustainability challenges. Schools in over 115 countries have participated to date.