Posted on 16 July
Leeds College of Building (LCB) students and staff have come together to create a series of ‘bug hotels’ that have been donated to a local affordable housing scheme.
The project was a collaboration between LCB and our partners at Ashfield Group, with all the building supplies kindly donated by Travis Perkins.
Also known as ‘insect boxes’, ‘bug hotels’ are a man-made structure designed to provide shelter for various insects and other invertebrates.
The boxes are made up of a variety of natural materials and help to maintain a healthy ecosystem in gardens, and other outdoor spaces, by helping beneficial insects survive and thrive.
At LCB we are committed to providing our students with hands-on experience on real-world projects during their progression whilst also supporting the wider community.
The ‘bug hotels’ will take up residence at Ashfield Group’s Wesley Road housing development which aims to provide affordable and sustainable homes in the Armley area of Leeds.
Ashfield Group Technical Design & Marketing Manager Jules Morrell said: “At Ashfield Group, we’re very mindful of social value, biodiversity, and our ecological impact and this felt like the perfect opportunity to bring all those principles together.
“By inviting the students to design and build the bug houses, they gained meaningful, practical experience and the wildlife at our Wesley Road project received some luxury accommodation! With the college being in close proximity to our site, our carbon footprint was also kept to a minimum. The students and tutors have all done a fantastic job and they really did us proud.”
Asked about how the project came about LCB Construction Crafts Lecturer Matthew Cattle said: “we were contacted by The Ashfield group and instantly knew this was something we wanted to be involved with. Our students took the lead researching and designing the bug hotels, and they all enjoyed the fact it was an opportunity to do something that was going to live outside LCB. It was a perfect final task for the academic year.”
Fancy being a part of projects like this one? Come study with us and join our LCB family. Find a course that works for you right here.
