World Green Building Week

Celebrating World Green Building Week with Lidl Zero

As part of World Green Building Week, Lidl Ireland was invited by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) to showcase its Lidl Zero store in Maynooth, county Kildare — the first of its kind in Ireland — during a special open day for the public and invited groups.

The IGBC, a non-profit membership organisation established in 2011, unites stakeholders from across the built environment — including architects, engineers, contractors, universities, NGOs, local authorities, and major national and international businesses — all working towards a more sustainable built environment in Ireland.

During the open day:

Lidl and the project architects gave presentations on how the store was designed and constructed to be carbon neutral, energy efficient, and aligned with sustainable building principles — from smart energy systems to low-carbon materials, Lidl Zero is setting a new benchmark for green retail in Ireland.

Tim Austen, Principal Landscape Architect at Austen Landscape Architecture, shared insights on the role of the external environment in sustainable design. This extends far beyond the walls of buildings and the car park to include:

– Native trees, hedges, ornamental planting
– Nature-based solutions and SUDS (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems)
– Biodiversity-focused grass seeding and habitat creation

One of the most distinctive features of the Lidl Zero site is the transformation of an adjoining piece of land into a community and biodiversity garden.

Designed using PVC panels, this experimental space is a living landscape — where some species will thrive and others may not — embodying the resilience and adaptability of both plants and people.

The garden also improves active travel access, providing safe and inviting routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Benches and educational signage have been added to invite visitors to pause, reflect, and learn about the space and its purpose.

The planting scheme is predominantly native and includes hedgerows, ferns, and woodland grasses. Special care has also been taken to protect the existing whitethorn hedge along the site boundary — a vital wildlife corridor that is rich in biodiversity.

This project is a powerful example of how sustainability, biodiversity, and community connection can be integrated — both inside and outside the building.