A thriving creative hub and arts venue in the UK, the Exeter Phoenix, is installing a living wall and ecofriendly rainwater harvesting system on its historic building, which will save around 350,000 litres of water each year.

Living walls are an innovative blend of nature and art. They are made up of a collection of specially selected plants hanging vertically together, creating a thriving mosaic of greenery and flowers. These walls are not just pretty to look at, the plants naturally purify the air and can help reduce carbon emissions by insulating buildings.

In order to dramatically reduce the amount of water needed to make the living wall thrive, the Phoenix is also installing a rainwater harvesting system to capture water. This water will also be used to flush the building’s toilets and water the other greenery they have growing on site.

The plant-filled wall will be installed and grown on a prominent external wall of the building in the heart of the city, next to Exeter Central Library and the RAM Museum. Thanks to the support given by South West Water’s Water-Saving Community Fund, the Phoenix has been able to fund the installation of the living wall and rainwater harvesting system.

The wall was installed on World Water Day - 22 March, with the rainwater harvesting system installation to follow soon.

Holly Lawrence, fundraising & development manager at Exeter Phoenix, said, “We are very excited to be able to extend our long-standing work to improve our sustainability with this project, kindly supported by South West Water. We envision this boosting the city centre’s biodiversity and get people thinking about the environment when they see the beautiful living wall up close and in person.”

The team at the Phoenix are currently in the throes of planning a Green Phoenix Festival, which will feature the living wall in all its wild glory, set to take place on 30 June.

Laura Flowerdew, chief customer and digital officer at South West Water, said, “We’re really pleased to support Exeter Phoenix and many other worthwhile causes across the region who are looking to use less water in their day-to-day lives. The living wall is a great idea for reusing water, and what better day to install it than on World Water Day?”

Since launching in 2021, South West Water’s Water-Saving Community Fund has supported local not-for-profit organisations and community groups with projects that benefit the community, help to conserve water, and work to reduce water waste.