Working with Croydon Council’s placemaking team Meristem Design have delivered a range of projects across town centres and community spaces in Croydon, fitting into wider regeneration works undertaken by the council including this new HIVE bug hotel.

The overall goal of the project was to assist Croydon Council in creating greener, more biodiverse and people-friendly public spaces by designing and delivering tailored green interventions suited to each location. The installations aim to build a healthier public realm whilst supporting Croydon Council’s wider goals of climate resilience, biodiversity and community wellbeing.

At Coulsdon, we designed, fabricated and installed a large bug hotel measuring 3m x 1m that spells the word ‘HIVE’, the name of a local community garden to add character to the space and attract biodiversity.

The engaging and functional home is perfect for

  • bees

  • ladybirds

  • beetles

  • other vital pollinators

The bug hotel featured 18 different compartments made up of recycled materials to attract more wildlife to the space including: bamboo, perforated solid hardwood, crushed stones and tiles, reeds and bark.