Floating Meadow

When brand experience agency PIE Factory asked Ben Browning and Tony Goodridge of Unique Projects Devon to build a floating meadow in time for the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, Ben knew just who to help him procure all of the materials needed within a very tight timeframe.
Richard Bickler from Arbour Landscape Solutions relishes a challenge, and this one was right up his street.
Designed by horticulturist Ian Herriot, the floating meadow was created to 'celebrate flora, fauna and the pollinators that benefit from the project. The Burberry Floating Meadow is a zero-waste installation which acts as an extension of Superbloom highlighting both the critical importance of biodiversity to the world, as well as the brand's commitment to tackling the climate crisis.'

The biggest challenge of all with this project was having such a tight deadline to work to. And, just like a show garden, the date and time for completion was non-negotiable. There was no leeway for bad weather, materials arriving late or any other possible hiccups, this floating meadow needed to be delivered on time.
Construction time was a mere 5 days. That's 5 days 120 hours (assuming nobody needs sleep!) to assemble a meadow from 80 tonnes of topsoil, 15 tonnes of crushed stone, 8 tonnes of self binding gravel, 300m2 of geotextile, 100 log slices, 50 pallets, bespoke lettering, 180m of steel edging, 130m2 of wildflower turf and 5000 plants.
With so many contacts within the landscape industry, and his expertise in logistics Richard was able to ensure that all of the inputs arrived exactly when they were needed. And, being Richard he joined the team and helped with the construction too.

The idea behind Burberry's floating meadow created in collaboration with PIE Factory was to create an interactive experience to inspire customers and colleagues. And, having watched the barge pass beneath Tower Bridge en route to it's mooring directly opposite the Tower of London, we're all agreed that the project certainly met the brief.
The floating barge is 100% zero waste and aims to highlight the role of plants in storing carbon and supporting riverside wildlife.
Every element of the barge will be either reused, repurposed or recycled. Burberry volunteers will be moving all of the plants to various community projects including The Listening Space at the The Caversham Group Practice in Kentish Town.
All carbon emissions were measured throughout the build and breakdown of the floating meadow and will be offset by PIE Factory.