Handmade wooden planters filled with delicate leaves, shoots and wildflowers and a striking sustainability mural with a powerful message … an eight-month labour of love has been brought to life in vibrant, thought-provoking form.

A quiet corner of RCS’s Renfrew Street building, at the student IT suite, has been transformed into a space designed to spark conversation and invite contemplation, thanks to an ambitious environmental project spearheaded by Student President Ulysse Tonnelé Verjus (pictured above, right) and Vice-President Dale Thrupp.

At its heart lies a colourful, illustrated seven-metre-long mural – known as the green wall – that offers both an overview of environmental issues and practical guidance for change.

“I feel that a major obstacle in solving the climate crisis is not understanding the current state of things, and the causes of it,” Ulysse explained.

“I wanted to address that with something that gives both an overview of how things are at the moment but also offers concrete actions that we can take forward.”

The wall is a visual landscape divided into sections, with information written entirely by Ulysse after delving into hundreds of studies. It covers everything from water and plastic pollution to deforestation and the fashion industry.

“It’s probably half of everything that I wrote, but I had to cut it down so that it didn’t look too overwhelming. I love researching, though, so it was a lot of fun.

“This project is about offering insight and getting people to think about their own environmental impact. The introduction to the mural asks, ‘Can individual actions make a difference?’ I’ve aimed to show that collective and individual actions aren’t mutually exclusive.”

The impact of the mural is only one piece of the transformation. The planters were crafted by RCS’s Production Arts students, with wood sourced locally from Glasgow Woods, in keeping with the project’s environmental ethos.

Inside, lettuce, tomatoes, chillies, beans, wildflowers and grasses bring the outdoors in, adding greenery and softness to the space.

Ulysee said: “The idea at first was just to have planters but we thought it’d be nice if people could use the space for relaxing, so we built a bench between them, which we plan to cushion. It means the area can be used for sustainability focused events, like our swap shops.”

The bench also features a brass plaque with a touching tribute to Gary Brunton, RCS’s former Head of Estates, who sadly passed away this year. It reads: ‘In memory of Gary Brunton, whose unwavering support helped this project take root and flourish’.

Ulysse said: “Gary provided us with the wood – he actually bought it for us. But most importantly, he was so supportive. When I first talked to him about this project in September last year, he said it sounded great and to go for it.

“Gary helped make space for it, suggested we move things around, and was an incredible source of encouragement.”

Find out more about sustainability at RCS, visit the Green Room

Images © Hope Holmes