“Our roots may go back well over a century, but we’re always looking forward. We know from experience that that’s how we can grow our positive impact on people, climate, and nature – all in line with our purpose of bringing progress to life.” Such is the vision statement of dsm-firmenich, a leading global company that delivers sustainable solutions in the spheres of nutrition, health and beauty.

With sites located in nearly 60 countries, the company’s South African office in Midrand, Johannesburg, has recently brought progress to life by becoming the first GBCSA-certified, Net Positive Ecology Level 2 – Operational Ecology (Measured) project in the country. Through the planting of over 4 000 individual plants and close to 140 different species, all locally indigenous to this endangered ecosystem, the project is paving the way for urban ecological regeneration.

Sowing the seeds

“I was contacted by green building consultancy Solid Green, who had been appointed to perform three other Net Positive certifications for dsm-firmenich,” says managing director of Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects, Marc Sherratt. “They asked me to support them in achieving Net Positive Ecology for the existing building and site. This project excited us, as our company mission is “reversing local extinction through sustainable architecture”. Landscaping is essential to achieving this goal, and so we’ve built a landscaping division into the company’s service scope.”

According to Sherratt, the site’s original native landscape was discovered to be Egoli Granite Grassland, which originally covered most of the northern suburbs of Johannesburg. “This is the most endangered vegetation type in the city and so this project, with its lofty Net Positive goal, was a perfect candidate to test how many plants from this vegetation type we could ethically source,” he says. “This approach breaks with a widely held belief that there are not enough indigenous plants in commercial production for indigenous landscaping to be interesting.”

The design process started by positioning the new landscaping correctly on the site, with the rating requiring about 15% of the site to be regenerated. In this case, it equalled an area of just over 1 500m2. Work then began on removing the existing exotic kikuyu lawn, and planting the carefully sourced plants from reputable indigenous nurseries. Adequate irrigation was installed to establish the landscape in its first year, after which it will be rain-fed. In total, the project took about 10 to 12 months from concept to completion.

“Engaging with the landscape is done via an interactive sensory pathway where specific species have been highlighted using insect hotels with integrated signage noting their scent, taste and medical properties. This links with the site’s core business of flavours and fragrances,” says Sherratt.

“South African grasslands have a unique look and feel. Many species die back in winter, so it was important that the client understood this visual change,” he continues. “The focus of the landscape design was on diversity above aesthetics. Perhaps surprisingly, these landscapes need intensive maintenance due to their small size. Specifically, it means making sure weeds don’t overgrow them, as they are usually surrounded by exotic species. This is an important aspect over which the client assumes ownership.”

A blossoming success

Ashley Sams, Workplace Manager Sub-Saharan Africa Region at dsm-firmenich, says that they had thought that this accreditation might be the most complex of the four, but after working through everything, it presented fewer challenges than expected. “The additional birdlife that has already been observed in the indigenous space is a real highlight,” he says. “There is an authentic beauty in an indigenous garden, bringing what should have been [there] back to life. We are also very pleased with the informative pathway, titled “Journey of Taste and Smell”, which links directly to the site’s core business.”
Gaining this rating means that the site has achieved an independently verified, measurable improvement of its native ecological system. Sherratt says that at the time of the project he was also part of the technical team writing the Ecological Regeneration credit for Version 2 of the Green Star New Build rating tool. “This project was a good pilot to test if the thinking we developed for this credit was achievable, especially around how to practically measure and report an increase in landscape diversity.”

The word “regeneration” is used in this context rather than “restoration”, as the latter means to bring back the site as it originally was, which is near impossible in many urban settings. Regeneration is about using the site’s original vegetation type as a reference, but with the freedom to adjust the design in order to achieve the highest possible biodiversity that the site can manage. It also means taking into consideration new local anthropogenic systems like afforestation or climate change.

The project showcases the variety of indigenous plants available and how landscaping can be used
to reverse local extinction in urban areas.

“The importance of regenerating endangered vegetation types in cities is a vital discussion. The landscape of a city is part of its identity as much as its architecture is. You can tell a lot about which nations and cultures have influenced a city by what has been planted historically. Looking back is one thing, but as designers we also need to question what the future city should look like. Cities should be seen as a part of the natural realm, having wildlife corridors through them, having safe spaces for migratory animals like birds, and increasing their locally indigenous planting to provide food and shelter for many species that have been pushed out of their natural home ranges. Much of the work we do focuses on how to practically do this in an African context,” explains Sherratt.

Future growth

“Having a client that strives for innovation was a breath of fresh air, when often going green is seen as a grudge purchase – especially regarding something like landscaping that doesn’t have a financial payback. Its positive impact on human health is also difficult to measure objectively,” he says.

“My hope is that this project helps show clients the value of highly diverse, locally indigenous landscaping. Landscaping is usually given only leftover space, and a budget that allows only a few pretty, easy-to-maintain species. Increasing the client base of cities to include endangered wildlife is a powerful idea. Without romanticising the past, it does link to a time of deep connection between people and their natural environment, perhaps the original definition of sustainability.

“These projects remind us of our collective responsibility as the most dominant species on the planet to care for our local species in need of protection. With the government stretched financially, it highlights the necessary role of the private sector in contributing to conservation, even in a small, simple way like urban landscaping. If we do this collectively, we can transform our cities to places of sanctuary and refuge for many species in need of our help,” says Sherratt.

“Well done to dsm-firmenich for pioneering this type of project in Africa and for being the first GBCSA-certified, Net Positive Ecology Level 2 accreditation in the country.”

“The importance of regenerating endangered vegetation types in cities is a vital discussion. The landscape of a city is part of its identity as much as its architecture is – you can tell a lot about which nations and cultures have influenced a city by what has historically been planted,” says managing director of Marc Sherratt Sustainability Architects, Marc Sherratt.