Last updated: October 2021
Newcastle Helix - Science Central is Newcastle’s flagship project aiming to create a global centre for urban innovation. The 24-acre site has been at Newcastle’s industrial heart for 200 years. The site is transforming into an exemplar of urban sustainability, a ‘living laboratory’ where it will trial innovative urban technologies. (1, 2) The Core is the first building on the 24-acre Newcastle Helix - Science Central development with a 27m-high green wall construction on its side functioning as a vertical garden of ivies, seagrass, thyme, primulas, euphorbia and nesting boxes (5)
Source: https://newcastlehelix.com/about/the-core
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Nature on buildings (external)
- Green roofs
- Green walls or facades
- Other
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
Focus
Creation of new green areas
Project objectives
Objective of Newcastle Helix - Science Central:
- Bring together academia, the public sector, communities, business and industry to create a global centre for sustainable innovation in the heart of the city (7)
- Create a living laboratory where projects and experiments run at scale, in real time. Infrastructure, urban planning, data, and ageing are the main themes of our research (2)
- Close the gap between academic research and commercial innovation (2)
- Increase capacity for research, education and engagement by providing the necessary facilities (2)
- Respond to urban challenges; generate private investment; increase growth in occupier demand; benefit the local economy; and contribute to better city living environment for citizens (8)
Green wall installation on The Core Building:
- Attract a huge amount of wildlife to the local area, including insects and smaller birds, which will be able to benefit from the plants that are being grown on Science Central.
- Encourage even more flora and fauna in the local area. (5)
Implementation activities
- Construction of a rail framework on the side of the building (5,13)
- Planting the plants into the boxes (5,13)
- Development of an irrigation system which later was linked to the plant boxes (5,13)
- Installation of 'bee hotels' (5,13)
- Creation of a planted sedum roof (13)
- Installation of rainwater harvesting system (13)
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Researchers/University
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Local government/municipality
- Researchers/university
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Dissemination of information and education
- Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The green wall was initiated by the Newcastle City Council in partnership Newcastle University as the initiators of the Newcastle Helix district development. The wall was designed, engineered and installed in conjunction with Newcastle architect Faulkner Brown; landscape architect Land Use Consultants; living wall experts ANS Group Europe; engineers Mott MacDonald; and building contractor Sir Robert MacAlpine (5). The university provided scientific insights prior to implementation on the role of blue-green infrastructure in Newcastle. The Council created the plan and monitored execution of the plan (1, 3).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Core Strategy and Urban Core Plan for Gateshead and Newcastle upon Tyne 2010-2030.
Also, Newcastle Helix - Science Central forms part of Newcastle City Council’s strategy for knowledge-based economic development. (6))
Financing
Total cost
More than €4,000,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public national budget
- Corporate investment
- Funds provided by non-governmental organization (NGO)
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Water management and blue areas
- Improved stormwater management
- Green space and habitat
- Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
- Increased green space area
- Enhanced support of pollination
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Achieved impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Unknown
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No
References
1. Source link. (2016). New research show a role for blue and green alongside Newcastle’s classic black and white. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
2. Newcastle University. (n/a). Newcastle Helix. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
3. Newcastle City Council. (2016). Science Central West Development Framework. Website not available.
4. Jorat, E., Goddard, M. A., Kolosz, B. W., and Sohi, S. (2015). Sustainable Urban Carbon Capture: Engineering Soils for Climate Change (SUCCESS). Researchgate. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
5. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). Science Central creates one of UK's tallest living walls. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
6. Newcastle City Council. (2011). Core strategy and Urban Core AAP. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
7. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). Chancellor announces £10M of new funding for Science Central. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
8. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). The Core set to bring £20M to Science Central. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
9. Newcastle Helix. (2016). Science. Central to your future. Website not available
10. Sustainability Exchange. (n/a). Green Gown Awards 2016–Research and Development: Institution–Newcastle University-Highly Commended. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
11. Eco North. (2015). Newcastle's Green Walls. Ecological Consultants. Website not available.
12. 1NG Limited. (2012). Science Central interim site uses and enabling works: Environmental Statement, Non-technical summary. Website not available
13. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). The Core. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
2. Newcastle University. (n/a). Newcastle Helix. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
3. Newcastle City Council. (2016). Science Central West Development Framework. Website not available.
4. Jorat, E., Goddard, M. A., Kolosz, B. W., and Sohi, S. (2015). Sustainable Urban Carbon Capture: Engineering Soils for Climate Change (SUCCESS). Researchgate. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
5. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). Science Central creates one of UK's tallest living walls. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
6. Newcastle City Council. (2011). Core strategy and Urban Core AAP. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
7. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). Chancellor announces £10M of new funding for Science Central. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
8. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). The Core set to bring £20M to Science Central. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
9. Newcastle Helix. (2016). Science. Central to your future. Website not available
10. Sustainability Exchange. (n/a). Green Gown Awards 2016–Research and Development: Institution–Newcastle University-Highly Commended. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link
11. Eco North. (2015). Newcastle's Green Walls. Ecological Consultants. Website not available.
12. 1NG Limited. (2012). Science Central interim site uses and enabling works: Environmental Statement, Non-technical summary. Website not available
13. Newcastle Helix. (n/a). The Core. Accessed on October 16, 2020, Source link