The Seedlings Project
learn about our tree planting mission and become part of our journey...
The Seedlings Project
At PiP, we take great appreciation for the natural world - without it our architecture wouldn't be possible. The Seedlings Project is a PiP tree planting scheme in which one tree is planted for every architectural project completed.
Each seedling (or PiP project if you will!) will eventually grow into a tree that is forever lasting through a perpetuating and restorative cycle, each with its own characteristics and unique story - much like an architectural project!
composting
seedlings
recycling
tree growth + carbon capture
architectural projects
timber harvesting
Biodiversity
Trees are hugely beneficial to the diversity of a given ecosystem at a number of scales - the tree itself, the soil it works symbiotically with, the animals and insects that inhabit them, the plants, fungi and mycelium that grow on them of which helps to break down organic matter and connect trees throughout the forest.
Climate
Global warming is an ever present threat whereby excessive green house gas emissions such as Carbon dioxide are causing the atmosphere to warm. Trees are pivotal in offsetting this damaging process through photosynthesis and carbon sequestration.
Soil
Trees help to improve soil health - of which is a huge carbon sink and reservoir for water, nutrients, and wildlife. Their roots improve the ability and capacity of soil to absorb water, reducing the risk of wind erosion. Fallen leaf litter creates new organic matter in the soil, an important element of new topsoil creation.
Biophilia
By increasing access to green space and getting hands on with nature through the tree planting scheme we are harnessing the huge well-being benefits provided by the biophilia effect - our innate attraction to nature.
Planting schedule
For us, it is important to plant tree species that will grow into enriching eco-dwellings for wildlife, insects and fungi whilst also providing effective carbon sequestration and that are native to the area around the site.
The following trees are examples of some of the species we plan to include within the PiP Seedlings Project!
Field Maple
English Oak
Hornbeam
Carbon sequestration
Excessive carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions as a result of human activity is a primary contributor to global warming through its thermal radiating properties which increases the amount of retained heat on the planet's surface. Our planets natural systems such as forests and oceans provide the world with carbon sinks that capture and store carbon. Forests play a huge role in our carbon cycle since the trees and plants help sequester carbon by transforming it into biomass through photosynthesis.
As natural carbon sinks, trees capture CO2 from the atmosphere as they grow - known as biological sequestration, but the amount of CO2 captured by a tree depends on its size, it’s age, and other factors, like the tree’s species and where it is growing. In addition to the carbon sequestered by a tree’s trunk, roots, branches, and leaves, additional carbon is stored in the soil when the tree sheds its leaves or branches.
The average tree sequesters around 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year for the first 20 years. This was determined by reviewing the planting density of projects around the world, with an average planting density rate of 1,000/trees per hectare. However looking more precisely at the Seedlings Project that currently includes the planting Oak, of which sequesters significant amounts of carbon over its lifetime - 3100 kg of CO2 per tree respectively.
Based on the average figure that a tree can absorb anywhere between 10 and 40kg of CO2 per year we can estimate that the Seedlings Project will capture between 4,000 and 16,000 kg of CO2 per year over the course of its lifetime! In 50 years that could be between 1,600,000 and 6,400,000 kg of CO2.
The graph below shows the amount of carbon sequestered by an average tree over a 50 yr time period, we have assumed 10 kg CO2 sequestered per year for the first 10 years and then 25 kg CO2 sequestered per year thereafter.
The site
The site for the Seedlings Project is located on a previously undeveloped plot of land. We hope to continue to plant more trees and different flora, and watch our PiP forest grow into an enriched and thriving ecosystem, eventually strong enough for nature to reclaim its land. Watch this space to find out more!
