The Living Rainforest has announced plans to rebuild its educational visitor centre at Hampstead Norreys.
A design team has been appointed to transform the existing glasshouses into the UK’s first net zero tropical house — making a positive contribution to the country’s sustainability journey to 2050.
Trust for Sustainable Living’s (TSL) executive director, Karl Hansen, said: “We’re thrilled to be embarking on this exciting journey with such a talented team of sustainable design professionals, all of whom care deeply about the future of The Living Rainforest and about educating the next generation.”
Plans for a multi-million pound, multi-channel fundraising campaign will be announced by the TSL at a special event on Thursday evening (April 18).
In its first 30 years, The Living Rainforest has welcomed more than two million visitors, including 500,000 schoolchildren.
But the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss are pushing it to redesign the centre to become more climate resilient so it can continue to welcome visitors and provide a safe habitat for its cherished animals and plants.
The design team includes Ayre Chamberlain Gaunt Architects, Ridge & Partners, Jubb Consulting Engineers and Harmatan Renewables.
TSL has also said it would invite strategic partners interested in supporting the next phase of the project to contact them on future@livingrainforest.org
