Speakers

Julia Thrift

Julia Thrift is Project and Operations Director at the Town and Country Planning Association. She joined the TCPA in May 2013 and runs projects and events covering topics including planning and public health, planning and social justice, green infrastructure, and garden cities. Earlier in her career she worked for CABE, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, where she was the founding director of CABE Space, the government’s adviser on policy and practice regarding England’s urban parks and public spaces. Prior to that she worked at the Civic Trust, where she ran the Civic Trust Awards for Architecture and the Green Flag Awards for parks. She began her career as a journalist, writing about design, architecture and art, and has contributed to a wide range of national newspapers and international journals. She has a degree in philosophy from University College London. She was a member of the Mayor of London’s Green Infrastructure Taskforce, which published its report, ‘Natural Capital – investing in a green infrastructure for a future London’ earlier this year.

Thomas Harle

Thomas Harle is a senior environmental economist at Natural England which he joined in January 2016. He is currently involved in a range of projects evaluating and promoting the social and economic value of green infrastructure and other environmental improvements. He previously spent 10 years as a regulator and consultant in the water and energy sectors where he was heavily involved in the introduction of cost-benefit analysis and an outcomes-based approach across the water industry.

Nicola Murphy-Evans

Nicola Murphy-Evans has been a Senior Policy Officer at Greater London Authority since 2011.  She has worked on various urban greening and community focused projects such as the flagship Pocket Park Programme, which provided funding to support the creation or enhancement of 100 small parks across London.  Currently, Nicola is developing a programme of work that is looking at how nature based solutions can be used to support regenerative development and provide positive social outcomes.

Eddie Jackson

Eddie Jackson is a Principal Transport Planner at the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Eddie leads on the several projects for the Borough, particularly ‘Greenways’ Cycling schemes through parks and open spaces, the roll out of Electric Vehicle Charging infrastructure, and the expansion of the Borough’s Car Club Network. Eddie will be speaking on the recently announced £2million Low Emission Neighbourhood project in Greenwich Town Centre and Trafalgar Road, which will introduce a series of interventions to improve air quality along this corridor.

John Dover

John Dover is an ecologist. He worked initially as an agro-ecologist working on hedgerow, field margin, and extensive grassland ecology and management. He subsequently developed an interest in urban ecology and green infrastructure. John has carried out fieldwork in Australia, Norway, Sweden, Spain and the UK. He was a Senior Project Scientist on the pioneering Cereal & Gamebirds Research Project before moving into commercial consultancy. He moved to Myerscough College near Preston to concentrate on teaching, subsequently moving to Staffordshire University where he is Professor of Ecology and Director of the University’s ‘Green Wall Centre’.  He is author of the book ‘Green Infrastructure: Incorporating Plants and Enhancing Biodiversity in Buildings and Urban Environments’ and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Insect Conservation.

Benz Kotzen

Dr Benz Kotzen leads the Green Roofs and Living Walls Centre and the Landscape Environmental Design Research Group. He is a Chartered Landscape Architect with over 25 years of experience and has been teaching landscape design for over 15 years at the University of Greenwich. Benz’s expertise includes environmental noise particularly related to landscape design and he has written two books on the subject. Other fields of research include a focus on dry and arid lands, the combat of desertification and in particular restoration techniques through planting. Micro landscape manipulation, plant choice and water supply play a big part in designing appropriate solutions and this focus on water extends into research into the ‘green cities agenda’ with green roofs and living walls as well as aquaponics as a part of urban agriculture. Benz is Chair of COST Action FA1305 EU Aquaponics Hub. Benz instigated the establishment of the University of Greenwich Green Roofs and Living Walls Centre which will become a leading focus for research and education in creating sustainable ‘green’ solutions for the 21st century.

Sarah Milliken

Dr Sarah Milliken is a Research Assistant in the Department of Architecture and Landscape at the University of Greenwich.  Originally trained as an archaeologist, Sarah has taught at various universities in the UK, Ireland and Italy. A keen interest in environmental issues and a desire to be able to actively address them recently led her to undertake postgraduate qualifications in landscape architecture and urban sustainability. Her current research focuses on how the economic and non-monetary evaluation of ecosystem services can be integrated into the discourse and praxis of landscape planning and design. She was a key member of the British Council UK India Research Initiative project on ‘Ecosystem Assessment of the Habitats of the Kachchh District, Gujarat, India: Planning for Biodiversity and Livelihoods into the Future’ (2014-2016).

Shelley Mosco

Shelley Mosco is a Research Assistant in the Department of Architecture and Landscape at the University of Greenwich where she is also Senior Lecturer in landscape design and GIS (Geographical Information Systems) for Landscape Planning. Shelley is a landscape architect and director of her own consultancy, specialising in green and living wall design. She has been involved in projects such as the UK’s tallest living wall, recently installed at Veolia RERF in Leeds, Network Rail’s Birmingham New Street Station, and Transport for London’s Puddle Dock living wall which was used as a study for air pollution mitigation. Her plant knowledge and expertise of Europe’s living wall system leaders puts her at the forefront of this emerging technology.

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Workshop Presenters

Maxine Hamilton Stubber, Founder | We Own Wellbeing

Our belief is that everything is connected and that wellbeing is achieved by working on all aspects of our self. Maxine has a BSc (Hons) in Osteopathy, and has taken MSc modules in Obstetrics, Clinical Neuroanatomy, and Advanced Integrated Systems. She has also been part of ‘Spectrum’, the college of Humanistic Psychotherapy, for the past 9 years; body, brain, mind, and the relationships that bring them all together. This has led to her research in ‘Brain Entrainment’ using natural elements including living walls. Maxine has 17 years of clinical experience, including a clinic for the Royal household for the past 10 years.

Christopher G Herniman, Product Designer and Developer | Green Vertical Garden Company

A green wall system that works, is quick and easy to install and less costly to ship. This unique system is distributed throughout USA and now available in Europe. Christopher has worked in Taiwan for many years on manufacturing projects and has thirty years’ experience growing trees in extreme conditions where understanding the importance of the correct growing medium and irrigation was crucial in developing the GVGC living wall system.

Paul Garlick, UK Business Manager | Mobilane

Mobilane is a specialist in developing and marketing instant indoors and outdoors landscaping systems. Mobilane has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, South Africa, Hong Kong and the United States and works in collaboration with agents and dealers across more than 35 countries. Paul’s background is in sales management and he has been at the forefront of introducing new, innovative ways to use Mobilane’s living walls in the UK.

Niall McEvoy, Education and Maintenance Manager | Scotscape

Our unique fabric system enables architects and designers to specify aesthetically detailed planting plans across every building surface, to create a biodiverse ‘wow’ factor. Maintenance is crucial for the long term health and viability of living wall systems and Scotscape offer essential living wall maintenance packages. Niall trained at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin before joining Scotscape, where his in-depth knowledge of living wall systems has developed further. He heads up training courses on the design, construction and maintenance of living walls, runs a thriving CPD programme to architects and designers nationwide and connects with new clients to develop new business.

 

 

 

Christiaan Bakker, Marketing Manager | Sempergreen

Sempergreen is a grower by birth, with an innate love of nature and the determination to make the world a greener place. But also the world’s largest and most experienced supplier of quality products for green roofs, living walls and ground covering. Christiaan is a green wall specialist and provides system advice for marketing living wall systems in Europe.

Armando Raish, Director | Treebox

We are one of the UK’s leading living wall designers and suppliers. Whether large or small, residential or commercial, our team will design and install a beautiful living wall to be truly proud of. Uniquely our easily assembled Easiwall panels are available unplanted too. Our simple modular design can be installed both indoors and out to give you year-round colour and beauty. Armando’s background is in architectural and landscape design along with construction. He was inspired by the passive benefits that living walls offered our cities, including increased thermal insulation, noise reduction and improved air quality to name a few. Armando develops solutions that make living walls a viable option, from passive irrigation systems to Bio-filtration. He has now consulted and assisted in delivering over 100 living wall projects across the UK and Europe.

Neal Landsberg, Director| Watermatic

Watermatic are the importers, distributors and installers of Aerogation Breathing Living Wall systems. Intelligent use of water is at the heart of everything we do. Watermatic co-founded the Sustainable Water Industry Group (aptly named SWIG).  Neal’s background as an earth scientist formed his interest in the ‘whole system’ approach to problem solving, especially in environmental matters. He developed an entrepreneurial career in business and consulting with growing companies,  particularly in emerging fields like polluted air remediation, sustainable water and urban greening.