1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Belfast
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Skainos Project: Vertical garden
Short description of the intervention
Skainos is a community regeneration project developed by the Methodist Church in Ireland’s East Belfast Mission. The Skainos Project has created the Vertical Gardens where around 6,500 plants make up the vertical panels, with a height of 12.5 m. The panels are designed to change colour with the seasons and will attract wildlife. The plants condition the air, remove pollutants, and provide seasonal colour and vegetation. A variety of roof gardens harbour natural flora and fauna. Green Roof technology is used to help with water retention. (Ref 2, Ref 6, Ref 7)
Address

Skainos Centre
239 Newtownards Road
Belfast
BT4 1AF
United Kingdom

Location
Point location, which indicates where the NBS takes place
Total area
500.00m²
NBS area
500.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Building
Website of the intervention
http://www.skainos.org/about-us/
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2000
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2010
End date of the intervention
2012
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Please specify "other" stage of the intervention
Construction started in 2010 with the site opened in 2012.
Goals of the intervention
The vertical garden provides screening, helps to reduce noise, reduces heat loss from the building. Additionally, the plants condition the air, remove pollutants and provide seasonal colour and vegetation. The roof gardens to harbour natural flora and fauna. (Ref 2,6, 7)
Quantitative targets
1. 6,500 plants on the vertical gardens
2. 500m2 green wall (Ref 7)
Monitoring indicators defined
1. plants on the vertical gardens
2. m2 of green wall (Ref 7)
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Water management (SDG 6)
Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Habitat and biodiversity conservation
Green space creation and/or management
Environmental quality
Air quality improvement
Noise reduction
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Regulation of built environment
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Climate change adaptation: What were the goals of the NBS?
Reduce exposure to climate risks directly
Build resilience
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase or improve urban vegetation cover to help reduce outdoor temperature
Implement green walls or roofs to lower indoor temperature and provide insulation
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What types of conservation goals are / were defined for the NBS intervention?
Species-focused
Ecosystem-focused
Habitats and biodiversity conservation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Protect and enhance urban habitats
Create new habitats
Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
Protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect species
Undertake specific measures to protect native species
Implementation activities
Vertical Gardens planted with around 6,500 plants on the vertical panels, that are designed to change colour with the seasons and will attract wildlife. A variety of roof gardens will harbour natural flora and fauna. Green Roof technology will also provide water retention. (ref 2 and ref 4)

The vertical garden provides screening, helps to reduce noise, reduces heat loss from building. Additionally, the plants condition the air, remove pollutants and provide seasonal colour and vegetation. The roof gardens to harbour natural flora and fauna.
(Ref 2,6,7)

It is the only garden of its type in Ireland and the biggest in the UK, and is expected to be a tourist attraction (Ref 5).
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Nature on buildings (external)
Green roofs
Green walls or facades
Type of Green Wall
Substrate / soil-based living wall
Please specify other type of green roof
Unknown Depth. The wall is covered in many native plants, including geraniums, ivy, red berries, spiraea and hedera. (Ref 5)
Type of Green Roof
Other
Vegetation Type
Flower beds
Other
Amenities offered by the NBS
Unknown
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Air quality regulation
Noise reduction
Carbon storage/sequestration
Flood regulation
Mediation of smell / noise / visual impacts
Habitat and supporting services
Habitats for species
Cultural services
Tourism
Aesthetic appreciation
Inspiration for culture, art and design
Spiritual and / or emblematic (symbolic, sacred and / or religious)
Please specify "other regulating service"

Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Primary Beneficiaries
Private sector/Corporate/Company
Marginalized groups
Other
Please specify "other primary beneficiary"
Methodist Church in Ireland’s East Belfast Mission (Ref 2, 6, 7)
Marginalized groups
Socio-economically disadvantaged populations (e.g. low-income households, unemployed)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Led by non-government actors
Non-government actors
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) / Civil society / Churches
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
This project is commissioned by East Belfast Mission and will create a new heart for one of Belfast’s most rundown urban districts ( Ref 3). The manufacture and installation of the structural facades done with a Dutch company Vertical Planting, experienced in green walls and vertical landscaping. (ref 4).
Key actors - initiating organization
Other
Please specify other key actors – Initiating organization
church: Methodist Church in Ireland’s East Belfast Mission (Ref 2, 6, 7)
Land owners
Private sector or company
Please specify other Key actors - Other stakeholders involved
church: Methodist Church in Ireland’s East Belfast Mission (Ref 2, 6, 7)
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Other
Land owners
Private sector or company
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Unknown
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Unknown
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Please specify other vegetation type
The wall is covered in many native plants, including geraniums, ivy, red berries, spiraea and hedera. (Ref 5)
natural flora and fauna. (Ref 2,6,7)
vertical gardens; green wall (Ref 7)
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Co-finance for NBS
Unknown
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Unknown
Financing
Total cost
€500,000 - €2,000,000
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
£16.5 million (ref 3) this is the value for the entire project. Individual cost of the green wall and planting could not be found
Source(s) of funding
Corporate investment
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
Unknown
Business models
Green densification model
Please specify other environmental impact
provide seasonal colour and vegetation. (Ref 2, 6, 7)
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Type of innovation
Technological
Product innovation
Please specify technological innovation
The manufacture and installation of the structural facades done with a Dutch company Vertical Planting, experienced in green walls and vertical landscaping. (ref 4)
Novelty level of the innovation
The innovation is completely new without connections to previous initiative(s)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
It is the first one of it's kind in Ireland (ref 3)
Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
unknown
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Environmental quality
Improved air quality
Reduced noise exposure
Green space and habitat
Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
Increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Increased spread of native/heirloom/open-pollinated seed
Other
Description of environmental benefits
The vertical garden provides screening, helps to reduce noise, reduces heat loss from building. Additionally, the plants condition the air, remove pollutants and provide seasonal colour and vegetation. The roof gardens to harbour natural flora and fauna.
(Ref 2,6, 7)

The wall is covered in many native plants, including geraniums, ivy, red berries, spiraea and hedera. (Ref 5)
Economic impacts
More sustainable tourism
Stimulate development in deprived areas
Attraction of business and investment
Please specify other socio-cultural impact
The vertical garden is part of the cross-community building that creates a new heart for one of Belfast’s most rundown urban districts and will feature offices, retail space, restaurant facilities and a 300-seat auditorium for worship. It will also include social housing and public courtyards. (Ref 6)
Description of economic benefits
The vertical garden is part of the cross-community building that creates a new heart for one of Belfast’s most rundown urban districts and will feature offices, retail space, restaurant facilities and a 300-seat auditorium for worship. It will also include social housing and public courtyards. (Ref 6)
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved social cohesion
Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
Other
Description of social and cultural benefits
It will also include social housing and public courtyards. (Ref 6)
Type of reported impacts
Expected impacts
Achieved impacts
Indicators
1. Vertical Gardens with 6,500 plants make up the vertical panels (ref 2).
2. The panels are designed to change colour with the seasons and will attract wildlife. ( Ref 2)
3. The plants will condition the air, remove pollutants and provide seasonal colour and vegetation. (Ref 2 and ref 4)
4. A variety of roof gardens will harbour natural flora and fauna.(ref 2 and ref 4)
5. Green Roof technology will also provide water retention. (ref 2 and ref 4)
6. Creation of 500m2 green wall (ref 4)
Environmental, social and economic impacts
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Environmental quality
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
No information available
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of 21 September 2020
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
No evidence in public records
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Unknown
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
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 evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
List of references
Ref. 1. D.On Architects (2012) Skainos - Vertical Gardens Plan. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 2. Belfast Telegraph (2010) New project to build community in east Belfast.[Website not available in 2020]
Ref. 3. Stewart L. (2012). Wonder wall: Belfast's new vertical gardens. Belfast Telegraph. Source: http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/wonder-wall-belfasts-new-vertical-gardens-28752727.html [Accessed on 21 September 2020]
Ref. 4. NI-NL BIZ. 2012. (Autumn / Winter 2012 edition). page 14. [Website not available in 2020]
Ref 5. BBC (2012) Vertical garden springs up in east Belfast. Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-18033924 [Accessed 21 September 2020]
Ref. 6. Farrans (2012) SKAINOS UNVEILS SPECTACULAR VERTICAL GARDENS. Source: https://www.farrans.com/media-centre/news/skainos-unveils-spectacular-vertical-gardens [Accessed 21 September 2020]
Ref. 7. Vertical Planting Specialist (2012) Project Skainos Belfast Northern Ireland. Source: https://verticalplanting.eu/en/news/54/project-skainos-belfast-northern-ireland [Accessed 21 September 2020]
Comments and notes
Public Images
36-Skainos-Centre-Vertical-Gardens
http://staringonstreets.co.uk/location/skainos-centre-vertical-garden/