Living Lattice Trial 

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Design and Invention: Mac Van Dam

NUNA Studio trials its “Wild and Circular" Living Lattice, with Grosvenor to help cities rewild and naturally manage water, while increasing the natural resilience of planting in Living Walls. Originally conceived as a research project at UCL, the product is being developed through the support of research grants and industry partnerships.

The Innovation

The Living Lattice system features a patented hollow lattice geometry that maximises soil volume, root space, and water retention. Built primarily from expanded cork—an organic and carbon negative material made from the waste of the wine stopper industry—the system avoids the use of plastics often found in the Living Wall industry. Coupled with a recyclable, lightweight aluminium frame, the wall is modular and free from adhesives, making it biodegradable and/or reusable at the end of its lifecycle.

The system is made of modular parts that stack to create a screening system that can be used in exterior or interior settings. The system is visually porous allowing it to be used in front of windows or curtainwall systems. The modularity and bracketed fixing system makes the system intuitive and flexible. It can be imagined as a large-scale ventilated facade system or an alternative water downpipe, connected directly to rooftop rainwater collection. The system helps building owners meet sustainability targets such as BREEAM. 

The system focuses on ruderal, low maintenance ecosystems and acts as a vertical SuDS, seeded with native wildflowers and perennials to promote biodiversity. Rainwater is collected via reservoirs distributed throughout the wall, slowly releasing moisture to the plants over several days, reducing strain on urban sewage systems and promoting ecological resilience. The system can hold up to 9L of rainwater per square metre.

“Oddly enough, our system doesn’t focus on the plants—it focuses on creating the conditions for plants to grow healthy and resilient. Everything about the architecture is done to optimise the potential for growth, giving the authorship of the ecosystem back to nature.”
– Mac Van Dam, co-founder and Design Director, NUNA Studio

“Our mission is to enable cities to rewild by creating accessible, architecturally integrated green infrastructure that supports functional, biodiverse ecosystems.” – Ben Wall, co-founder and Commercial Director, NUNA Studio