Outerspace Uses Cycling for Good

The many benefits of cycling are no secret; from getting healthier and feeling good about yourself to saving money and avoiding the dreaded train commute, we could go on! In fact, a 2017 study showed that the benefits of cycling to work are so much more than initially thought; the study looked at 263,450 UK commuters over a five-year period, finding that cycling regularly reduces incidences of cancer by 45% and heart disease by 46%.

And cycling is not only good for us as individuals, it also plays a critical role in helping our societies become more sustainable.  More and more evidence is building showing the hugely damaging impact air pollution has on people, especially in large cities like London, where poor air quality  causes up to 9,400 premature deaths a year and is estimated to cost between £1.4 and £3.7 billion to the Health Service.  Bicycles take up far less road space than cars and produce zero harmful emissions.  It also brings humans closer to nature as we cycle through parks and along tow paths. It’s a no brainer! 

Here at Outerspace we’re not just passionate about creating sustainable landscaping, we also want to reduce our impact on the environment and help our team be healthy and happy.  Making it easier for our team, and everyone here at the Boat House, to cycle to work is a key priority for us. We have spacious washing, changing and drying facilities with plenty of hot water and we have provided safe, secure and convenient bike storage in the form of our living roof bike shed (we are landscape architects after all)!  We even have a company Brompton that our team can borrow when going to jobs to make their commute quicker and more convenient!

Our living roof bike shed was the brainchild of our Managing and Creative Director Richard Broome when we first moved to the Boat House. A keen cyclist himself Richard wanted to encourage as many team members to cycle as possible.  He knew that cycling improves mental wellbeing and boosts brain power and wanted to make it as hassle free as possible for those who wanted to cycle to work to do so.  Creating an environment that attracted butterflies and bees was an added bonus both for our local environment and for for those sitting on the riverside café terrace at The Boathouse.

Planting on the bike shed combines drought tolerant groundcovers, herbaceous perennials and wildflowers to provide year-round colour and encourage pollinators. It is planted in a lightweight soil to retain moisture and nutrients and sits within a waterproof tray.

Written by: Kate Kershaw, Practice Manager