Pro Landscaper London Supplement 2019

I N A S S O C I AT I O N W I T H

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WELCOME

THE

LONDON SUPPLEMENT

W

elcome to the 4th edition of our annual London supplement. Growing up in the depths of the countryside, green spaces formed a huge part of my childhood. It’s no surprise then, that over the years, I’ve found my favourite moments in the capital were in its parks and gardens. Hyde Park in particular holds some great memories, such as pedal-boating on The Serpentine and dancing away at British Summer Time. It’s great to see London residents become so vocal about their appreciation for the environment in recent months, and it feels like a very exciting industry to be in at the moment.

This supplement comes at a particularly groundbreaking time as London received its National Park City status on 22 July.

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We catch up with Daniel Raven-Ellison to find out how the National Park City Foundation plan to help take this concept worldwide.

Biodiversity net gain is also set to become mandatory, which has the potential to positively impact the landscaping sector in a huge way. Find out on page 6 how some industry experts think it will benefit us and some challenges they foresee emerging.

We also delve into some of the ways key players in the industry are shaping the capital and making positive environmental steps.

On page 16, we speak to Jon Sheaff to understand natural capital accounting and how it can aid the green agenda.

As always, we have some stunning projects from across the city to show you, including an atmospheric roof garden, a reflective family garden, and a London

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themed therapy garden built for those with dementia and Alzheimers.

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CONTENTS

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CONTENTS 18

08 4

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CONTENTS

NEWS

06

AGENDA BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN

08

UPDATES NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL

FEATURES

10

INTERVIEW NATIONAL PARK CITY

13 16 18 20

FEATURE PLANTING AGAINST POLLUTION

22 24

FEATURE BECKENHAM PLACE PARK

FEATURE NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTING INTERVIEW STEVE EVANS INTERVIEW JANE WAGNER

FEATURE HIGH HOPES FOR CAMDEN

PORTFOLIOS

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PORTFOLIO ONE A PLACE TO REFLECT STUART CRAINE DESIGN

30

PORTFOLIO TWO A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

34

PORTFOLIO THREE LIGHTING UP LONDON

TECTONIC

CHARLOTTE ROWE

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22 COMPANY PROFILES

40

COMPANY PROFILE BOURNE AMENITY

42 44 46 48

COMPANY PROFILE EVEREDGE

50

COMPANY PROFILE VESTRE

COMPANY PROFILE GREENBLUE URBAN COMPANY PROFILE LONDON STONE COMPANY PROFILE MILLBOARD

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AGENDA

AGENDA

HOW WILL BIODIVERSITY NET GA I N A F F ECT T H E I N D U ST RY ?

B I O D I V E R S I T Y N E T G A I N R E Q U I R E S D E V E LO P E R S T O L E AV E A S I T E I N A C O N S I D E R A B LY B E T T E R S TAT E T H A N P R E - D E V E LO P M E N T, E N S U R I N G H A B I TAT S F O R W I L D L I F E A R E E N H A N C E D . T H I S W I L L R E Q U I R E T H E C O M P L E T I O N O F H A B I TAT C O N D I T I O N A S S E S S M E N T S A S W E L L A S T H E S U B M I S S I O N O F P L A N S D E M O N S T R AT I N G H OW D E V E LO P E R S A R E I M P R OV I N G B I O D I V E R S I T Y – F O R E X A M P L E , T H R O U G H T H E C R E AT I O N O F T R E E S , W I L D L I F E A R E A S A N D G R E E N S PAC E S

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PA U L B A R R E T T

RICHARD WILLMOTT

PRINCIPAL DIRECTOR, FA B R I K

D I R E C T O R , S T R ATA D E S I G N LT D

It’s encouraging to see the Government supporting what we, as landscape architects, have long been doing anyway. After all, our Royal Charter obliges us to act in the interests of the public but also those of place and nature. If the mandate gives us more authority in this discussion, then that can only be a good thing as it may enable us to prevent our proposals from being diluted at any of the steps from early concept to delivery. It’s not a challenge but an opportunity we should all grasp with both hands.

One of the major challenges will be the tension around profit lost on land set aside for the required biodiversity gain, particularly on tight sites where the principles of bigger, better and more joined up areas are not achievable. But offsetting the provision elsewhere creates fascinating opportunities for a new services industry, where landowners, developers, management companies, consultants and contractors effectively participate in a habitat banking system. Suddenly everything seems more positive – development becomes an opportunity, not a challenge. Net gain facilitates collaboration between planning officers, consultants, developers and communities, and contributes to a positive sense of place and local distinctiveness.

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AGENDA

J A M E S H E W E T S O N - B R OW N

SARAH HUGHES-CLARKE

B E N J A M I N B R OW N

M A N AG I N G D I R E C T O R , WILDFLOWER TURF

S T R AT E G I C D E V E L O P M E N T D I R E C T O R , I DV E R D E

P O L I C Y M A N AG E R , LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a fantastic opportunity to ensure nature is given a helping hand in any development project.

For it to work, this mandatory initiative must deliver biodiverse, species rich habitation to benefit wildlife. Methods and techniques to do this must be reliable and risk free for the landscape professionals who will be responsible for the results.

This is especially important as projects are to be audited for many years to come.

To achieve all of the above, a delivery framework is needed to include installation and long-term maintenance of any biodiverse habitat. Wildflowers offer concentrated biodiversity with added multifunctional benefits. Examples would be Sustainable Drainage Systems, green roofs, soil stabilisation and improved health and wellbeing. This multifunctional aspect is significant when so much is asked from limited development space and BNG is demanded.

Wildflower Turf® gives quick and reliable, long term results for species rich biodiversity that is easy to maintain and will meet future audits. The product comes with tried and tested methodology, giving risk free results to support the landscape professional responsible all outcomes.

It would be good to hear Biodiversity Net Gain is confirmed so that any new build projects will allow wildlife to thrive.

This is a really positive move for our industry and the UK’s wildlife. Given the environmental and economic uncertainty facing the UK, mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain raises the bar for environmental and social responsibility and creates further opportunities for landscaping businesses with a longstanding commitment to biodiversity. Developers won’t always be able to provide net gain within their development sites alone and may need to invest in improving biodiversity in nearby landscapes, such as parks and open spaces.

BNG management will result in greater knowledge of biodiversity within our industry and a better understanding of the positive and/or negative impacts of our operations.

A key challenge will be addressing the current knowledge and skills shortfall in our industry and within many landowners/ clients. County ecologists that advised local authorities used to be widespread but are now very few and far between.

A further challenge is the need to fund the management of biodiverse areas – BNG requirements demand that quality habitats are created, monitored and maintained.

The RSPB believe BNG must be applied on a landscape-scale with very few exemptions to deliver the target of 500,000ha of ‘Nature Recovery Network’ and the Government’s ambition to “leave the natural environment in a better state within which they inherited it”.

BNG has the potential to be game-changing for the environment, and positive for the landscape sector. The key word here is ‘potential’. The detail will be crucial, in terms of how the policy ends up looking in the forthcoming Environment Bill, but also how it is interpreted by developers and LPAs. There are some caveats for London.

Firstly, BNG is designed to ensure that existing biodiversity is preserved and enhanced, but it will have limited impact on areas with no/negligible biodiversity. 10% of zero is still zero. Secondly, BNG uses habitats as a proxy for species. Again, this means that built-up areas of London are unlikely to see any effect. Put simply, no matter how many butterflies live there, if it’s a habitat with no associated biodiversity value then it’s still a ‘zero’ under the Defra metric.

Finally, BNG is only intended for development within the planning system.

This means there’s a lot it won’t touch; from Crossrail (infrastructure) to backgarden extensions (permitted development).

Many people won’t see any change at all.

With these caveats aside, BNG does have the potential to be hugely positive.

Any mechanism which requires developers to take better account of the environment will be good for our sector. If you’re a landscape architect who can design for on-site biodiversity, then you’re about to be in much higher demand.

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NEWS

LONDON’S FIRST R I V E R S I D E L I N E A R PA R K ‘THE TIDE’ ARRIVES ON GREENWICH PENINSULA

NEWS

F R O M T H E C A P I TA L

This July saw the first section of The Tide, a new cultural linear park running alongside the Thames, open on Greenwich Peninsula. The Tide, designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the co-designers of New York City’s High Line, provides a new outdoor destination for London.

The first 1km of the 5km long landscape features elevated walkways 9m high and flows through native trees and giant sculptures by Damien Hirst and Allen Jones. Sunken gardens, a 27m long outdoor picnic table and a unique jetty garden surrounded by the river provide respite from the city bustle.

Bridges between elevated timber decked ‘stepping stones’ planted with native trees and natural vegetation provide visitors and residents with platforms to pause, reflect and enjoy the surrounding views of the River Thames.

Surrounded by natural elements including pines, silver birch, rippling wild grasses and the vast River Thames, the linear park takes you from open waterfront terraces to intimate pocket gardens to The Jetty.

N AT I O N A L P A R K C I T Y F E S T I VA L The National Park City Festival, organised by Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and the National Park City Foundation, saw a spectacular array of over one hundred events spanning over a nine day period. Visitors were able to partake in various events, such as pedal powered film screenings, wildlife photography competitions and open air theatre performances. Visitors were granted free access to rooftop gardens surrounding Canary Wharf, the Barbican Conservatory and Ham Yard Hotel, Soho.

National Park City Splash saw visitors from all ages giving water based sports a go such as paddle boarding and open water swimming. Festival goers could also take part in a photography competition judged by British personality Bear Grylls, former Wildlife Photographer of the Year winner Sam Hobson and The Urban Birder author David Lindo.

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GREEN ROOFS IN LONDON

NEWS

IN THE CENTRAL ACTIVITY ZONE GREEN ROOFS COVERED

290,000 m2 (2017 FI GUR ES)

42%

N E W N AT I O N A L N AT U R E R E S E R V E ( N N R ) DECLARED FOR LONDON London’s third NNR was declared last month. South London Downs, a 417-hectare site along the border of Croydon and Surrey is the second largest NNR in London. Jointly managed by the City of London Corporation and Croydon Council, the new NNR brings together 152.5ha of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It seeks to enhance the management of the area for wildlife, while creating a site where people can enjoy, learn and engage with the natural world.

OF THE TOTAL UK GREEN

ROOF MARKET IS IN

LONDON

£3.7bn

GREEN ROOFS REDUCE N I T RO G E N D I OX I D E LEVELS BY 40% AND PARTICULATES BY 60%

THE COST OF

AIR POLLUTION TO LONDON’S ECONOMY

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS LONDON’S RISE UP THE GREEN ROOF L E A G U E TA B L E A report highlighting the increasing number of green roofs in London has been launched by London’s deputy mayor for the environment. The report reveals that the total area of green roofs in London is higher than in other cities around the world. Launching the report was Shirley Rodrigues, who was leading the Greater London Authority’s Environment Team when the first green roof policy was included in the London Plan in 2008.

The report, titled ‘Living Roofs and Walls from policy to practice: 10 years of urban greening in London and beyond’, was published by the European Federation of Green Roof and Green Wall Associations (EFB) and livingroofs.org on behalf of the Greater London Authority.

Statistics from London Environment Strategy: www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/london-environment-strategy

AIR POLLUTION

(2016 F I GU R ES)

20%

P R I M A RY SCHOOLS ARE IN AREAS THAT BREACH

LEGAL NO 2 LIMIT

9,000+

LONDONERS DIE EVERY YEAR

DUE TO AIR POLLUTION

CADOGAN ANNOUNCES £40M INVESTMENT INTO PUBLIC REALM Cadogan, in partnership with the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, have announced the go-ahead for a £40 million public realm investment to Sloane Street. This is set to transform the street into a vibrant residential area and luxury shopping destination. This project will begin in Autumn 2019, with completion expected within three years.

Extensive new planting overseen by Andy Sturgeon will create an boulevard and better absorb airborne pollutants. Architects John McAslan + Partners have been appointed on the masterplan. The programme includes resurfacing pavements improved lighting and the introduction of new street furniture.

REDUCTIONS IN POLLUTANT LEVELS BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020 WILL RESULT IN NEARLY

4 MILLION LIFE YEARS BEING SAVED

CURRENT EMISSION

SOURCES: NOX

(NITROGEN OXIDE)

1% OTHER

37%

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

51%

ROAD TRANSPORT

11%

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NON-ROAD TRANSPORT LONDON |

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FEATURES

NATIONAL PARK C I T Y L A S T M A R C H W E S P O K E T O D A N I E L R AV E N - E L L I S O N A S P L A N S H A D J U S T B E E N A N N O U N C E D T O M A K E L O N D O N A N AT I O N A L P A R K C I T Y. OV E R A Y E A R L AT E R , L O N D O N N O W H O L D S T H I S T I T L E . D A N I E L T E L L S U S A B O U T T H E N AT I O N A L P A R K C I T Y F O U N D AT I O N ’ S P R O G R E S S S I N C E A N D I T S G O A L S G O I N G F O R WA R D

H

osting over 300 events from 20 to 28 July, National Park City Festival marked London becoming a National Park City.

Events will include outdoor theatre performances, wildlife photography competitions and a pedal powered party with live DJs. This begins the city’s journey to increase its green spaces to over 50% by 2050. Daniel Raven-Ellison was a driving force behind the idea, campaigning heavily for years through National Park City Foundation.

The successful campaigning may have helped to achieve National Park City status, but Daniel’s work is not done: “Becoming a National Park City is just the beginning of a very long journey, one which we are all involved in.”

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FEATURES

Moo Canoes near Canary Wharf

“Though he is just one of nine million contributors in London, we’re very fortunate that the mayor has given it his support because he’s aligned policies with the status,” Daniel explains. Alongside vowing to protect green and public spaces, Sadiq Khan has made some pledges in his environmental strategy which should further this agenda.

These include: London having the best air quality of any major world city by 2050; becoming a zero-carbon city by 2025 with energy efficient buildings; clean transport and clean energy; and making London resilient to severe weather changes.

BECOMING A NATIONAL PARK CITY IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A VERY LONG JOURNEY, ONE WHICH WE ARE ALL INVOLVED IN “We desperately need to have a better relationship with nature,” Daniel expresses.

“What the mayor has done is legitimise and normalise an argument around this point.”

Now that London has achieved this National Park City status, Daniel wants to add to the support from the mayor and spread the word to the millions of others living in the capital. He stresses that National www.prolandscapermagazine.com

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City Park is a place and not just a campaign, run by National Park City Foundation or a policy backed by a government leader – most of the change will come from those living within its streets, “this idea is bigger than the charity, it’s bigger than the Mayor.”

It’s crucial for Daniel that people start to consider urban wildlife as essential, just as they would in rural areas. “We actually have more breeding pairs of peregrine falcons in London than the Peak District National Park or some of the national parks in the United States.”

He explains that the animals that inhabit the city need an environment to live in, and it should be no different from protecting the rainforests for orangutans, the ice caps for polar bears or clean water supplies for otters.

“There are around 15,000 species of animals in London, and they need habitats – they need trees, water and clean air.”

Our urban landscapes are also hugely significant, not just because they house an important ecosystem, but also because they are one of the few places where we have the power to influence them. “People can literally create opportunities for life where they are,” Daniel explains, “people have the power to make these spaces greener, healthier and wilder themselves.” This is particularly significant for the landscaping industry, and as more of London becomes greener, it will

Green wall at Edgware Road

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hopefully provide a chance to expand on the innovative and imaginative ways we use the spaces we have. Because the majority of the world’s population reside in cities, and we know this number is going to continually rise, Daniel stresses the importance of having this vision of a better life during this ecology and climate crisis. “Making cities more liveable and more desirable is completely fundamental to being able to tackle those crises.”

Daniel does acknowledge that there has been a shift in mood recently: “Without a doubt, streets are getting greener rather than greyer. At one level you’ve got the Mayor’s office organising London Climate Action Week and trying to push really hard for a policy perspective. At the other end of the scale or movement you’ve got Extinction Rebellion closing down London and putting pressure there as well. I think people can feel that change on the horizon.”

Since we spoke to him last year, Daniel and his team have been working hard with World Urban Parks and Salzburg Global Seminar on a universal charter for National Park Cities. The purpose of this is to set out a

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clear common vision and set goals so that other cities or leaders around the world can take inspiration.

There is currently a campaign in Galway, Glasgow and interest from leaders in Europe, Africa, Australasia and North America. “World

WE DESPERATELY NEED TO HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH NATURE Urban Parks have set a challenge of having 25 national park cities around the world by 2025,” Daniel tells us.

National Park City Foundation is also looking to launch a National Park City Rangers scheme – they will be experts with particular

skills they can share. In addition to this, they are working on a film festival to try to connect people with the outdoors in creative ways.

Daniel stresses that a lot of the solutions aren’t complex: “We have a campaign at the moment, which is around ten ways to make life better, giving people an evidence-based approach of things they to make life better for themselves and other people. One of these is called #giveaplant, where we invite people to give a plant to their neighbours or do a swap at work.”

The National Park Cities mantra is based around two questions, “what if and why not?”

What if we were able to swim in our canals?

What if there were more outdoor play and learning in schools? What if streets were primarily for play and food growing, and not car parking? It then asks, if we are a National Park City, why aren’t these things happening?

“It only takes a few parents going into their school and discussing outdoor learning or a few architects asking how we can have more nature in a neighbourhood. My role now is to get more people asking these questions, to be demanding more of the environment we want to live in in our city.”

Photographs ©Luke Massey / London #NationalParkCity

FEATURES

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FEATURES

PLANTING AGAINST

POLLUTION

Photograph ©Dimitar Andreev/Shutterstock.com

W I T H P O L L U T I O N I N L O N D O N AT H A R M F U L L E V E L S , W E E X P L O R E W H E T H E R P L A N T S C O U L D H E L P T O M I T I G AT E T H E I M P AC T A N D T O W H AT E X T E N T

E

ach year, more than 9,000 Londoners die due to air pollution, according to the London Environment Strategy. Though this is a staggering amount, it’s hardly surprising – the capital’s pollution level remains above the legal limit of 40mcg/m3 set by the EU. Last year, Oxford Street, which draws in 142 million visitors each year to its vast retail offering, was found to have the highest concentration of nitrogen oxide (NO2) in the world. Researchers at King’s College London recorded an average of 135mcg/m3, more than three times the EU limit.

The World Health Organisation puts NO2 as one of the pollutants with the strongest

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evidence for public health concern, with diesel vehicles contributing to dangerous levels. It is one of two pollutants which are of most concern in London, along with particulate matter (PM) which is linked to asthma and death.

The good news is that levels of NO2 appear to be dropping. London could reach legal levels within six years, according to data released by the London Atmospheric Emission Inventory, which found a 9% drop in NO2 emissions between 2013 and 2016.

The same data, however, also shows that two million people in London are currently living with illegal air pollution, including 400,000 children. To tackle this problem in

the square mile, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has made a plethora of changes, such as replacing the T-Charge with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and moving the ‘cleanest’ buses to the most polluted routes, with Transport for London looking to introduce the world’s first hydrogen, zero-emission double decker buses next year. The City of London has also proposed reducing the 20mph speed limit to 15mph to reduce air pollution.

Sadiq Khan is looking at how green infrastructure can have an impact on air quality, too. The Mayor has pledged £1.27m towards improving and creating green spaces in the capital to help reduce

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©Boningale Ltd

Green walls

©Boningale Ltd

FEATURES

air pollution, and has published two maps of London’s green spaces and waterways to show the areas which could benefit the most from this funding.

PLANTING SCHEMES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY COULD ALSO HELP WITH WATER MANAGEMENT TO PREVENT FLOODING “With pollution levels dangerously high in cities and flash-flooding devastating areas of the country, we need to all embrace the fact that plants help mitigate against some of the biggest environmental threats facing us today,” said prolific garden designer Nigel Dunnett, when he created the RHS Greening Grey Britain Garden using “pollution-soaking” plants (at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017).

But, how effective are plants really, in reducing air pollution? “There is quite a lot of evidence to show that various types of planting make a significant difference, and have quite a good function of removing pollution from the air,” says Maggie Fennell, product development manager at

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Diagram 1

Diagram 2 ©Trees and Design Action Group Trust

Shropshire-based nursery Boningale Ltd. “However, the question of how much difference exactly is hard to pin down.”

A study produced for the UK Natural Capital Accounts by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, estimated that 1.3bn kg of air pollutants were removed by woodlands, plants, grasslands and other vegetation across the UK in 2015, saving the UK’s health service around £1bn due to fewer hospital admissions and premature deaths. Another study in Chicago revealed 1,675kg of air pollutants were removed in one year by the 19.8ha of green roofs in the city.

“It’s difficult to model every green space on this because there are different types of plants used in different cities, with different levels of pollution,” says Maggie. “You have to take the green roof figure, for example, as a rough figure because it’s hard to guarantee that every hectare of green roofs in every city will reduce air pollution by that much.”

Plants still have a positive impact, though, and can be a far simpler solution.

“When you introduce something like clean air zones, banning the most polluted vehicles from a particular area could possibly just change the pollution spots, not remove them. Planting, though, can take place

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crossings, where people are waiting at traffic lights with lots of cars idling and producing harmful fumes. If there were green screens or planting in these areas, it could be an easy way to make a big impact. It takes looking at all the spaces where people are near cars and seeing where we could implement something useful.” We also need to consider multi-functional planting, says Maggie.

For example, planting schemes designed to improve air quality could also help with water management to prevent flooding.

The capital is already making great strides in reducing air pollution, and with NO2 levels now falling, these measures appear to be having a useful impact. But Maggie says those at government level should not rest on their laurels.

“London has the most severe instance of the problem because it’s one of the most populated and polluted cities, so to a certain extent it has been forced to act. There needs to be more research and funding from the government, though – it’s not that nothing has started, it’s just a big, complex problem to solve.” Although the extent of their impact is not clear, there’s little doubt that plants could help to reduce the invisible smog settling on the city.

Marylebone rain garden

LONDON HAS THE MOST SEVERE INSTANCE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT’S ONE OF THE MOST POPULATED AND POLLUTED CITIES, SO TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IT HAS BEEN FORCED TO ACT ©Boningale Ltd

quickly and make a dramatic difference.

It’s a combination of measures.”

It is not simply a case of filling any empty space with plants, either. The Trees and Design Action Group (TDAG) has researched urban tree planting – how it can be damaging depending on where the trees are planted (see Diagram 1). “If you put people and cars underneath trees with broad canopies forming almost a roof over them then the leaves can trap air pollution close to people rather than allowing it to escape into the atmosphere,” explains Maggie. “People get really excited about simple sounding solutions, such as planting loads of trees, but you have to be careful about which trees you put in there, and consider which plants can survive high levels of pollution, too.”

Maggie says there is still no clear list of these plants, but that “trees which are upright and don’t have a very broad spread are possibly a lot better because they allow polluted air to funnel up through”.

It’s a case of right plant, right place, explains Maggie. The TDAG looked at how pollution travels through the air, finding those whose faces are closest to exhaust fumes when walking along the pavement, such as those in buggies and wheelchairs, are more likely to suffer, so putting a plant barrier in between could help to prevent this (see Diagram 2). “If you used a tree trunk, it wouldn’t really stop the fumes from getting across, but plants with furry leaves or dense leaves, such as a hebe or conifer, could capture some of the pollution and stop it travelling further,” says Maggie.

The impact of ivy screens to combat pollution was recently tested in an episode of Dispatches on Channel 4. Hedera Helix Ivy Screens from Hedges Direct were installed outside Lordship Lane Primary School, with the levels of nitrogen dioxide and other particulates tested before and after the experiment. By the end of the two-week period, pollution levels had been reduced by up to 53%, a hefty drop, and provided strong evidence to suggest projects such as this could help lower pollution levels around schools in London.

“Starting in schools is a really positive step,” says Maggie. “But there is a lot more we can do, such as looking at pedestrian

©Boningale Ltd

FEATURES

Floratopia multi-functional planting

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he air we breathe, the water we drink, the soils that grow our food: these are all ecosystem services that support human life. Natural capital accounting captures the value of benefits flowing from these natural resources.

The value of natural capital accounting is in developing a business case for investment in these services. As Jon Sheaff, director of Jon Sheaff & Associates points out: “Previously, society has assumed that the Earth’s natural resources were somehow infinite, but we now know they’re not. As landscape architects, we are looking specifically at the value of these resources.”

Jon Sheaff & Associates use natural capital accounting to look specifically at green infrastructure and public open space, deciphering the economic and social

PREVIOUSLY, SOCIETY HAS ASSUMED THAT THE EARTH’S NATURAL RESOURCES WERE SOMEHOW INFINITE, BUT WE NOW KNOW THEY’RE NOT benefits that these bestow on cities, communities and individuals in ways that may not be traditionally considered.

The natural capital accounting methodology emerged from the Natural Capital Committee, appointed by the Government in 2012. The committee prepared two reports proposing how natural capital might figure in future strategic planning for the environment. Taken forward by the Government’s 20-year environment plan, it was proposed that recognition of

Natural capital accounting

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NATURAL

CAPITAL ACCOUNTING J O N S H E A F F O F J O N S H E A F F & A S S O C I AT E S D E TA I L S N AT U R A L C A P I TA L AC C O U N T I N G , I T S A B I L I T Y T O A S S E S S A N A R E A I N A N I N N OVAT I V E WAY A N D H O W I T R E D E F I N E S T H E Q U E S T O F FINDING FUNDING FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

natural capital should form part of the strategic consideration for the UK economy going forward. The methodology for the strategy was developed by environmental economists eftec, who work with Jon Sheaff & Associates on a number of accounts.

Natural capital accounting is a five-step process initially based on the quality of green infrastructure assets that a landowner asset manager has. With the London Borough of Croydon, Jon Sheaff & Associates assessed the quality of green infrastructure in 129 different parks and open spaces to characterise the habitat quality.

Combining this with sets of data analysed by eftec (describing recreational value, property value, environmental

benefit outcomes and health), the natural capital account established the value of benefits delivered by that green space against the cost of sustaining those benefits.

“In the context of Barnet, it was a 13:1 multiplier, so the value of benefits outweighed the cost of maintaining them 13:1. At Barking Dagenham where we had a slightly restricted set of data, it was a 5:1 multiplier,” Jon explains.

We know that being outdoors has a positive impact on your health and wellbeing; by using this data, the impact of that benefit can be measured in terms of avoided health costs. There are some key disease groups which can be impacted by engagement with the outdoors and having a healthy lifestyle, such as coronary heart disease, obesity, type two diabetes and depression. By finding correlation between hot spots for these diseases and their connection to green infrastructure, it is able to quantify the value of avoidable health costs.

The real power of this is demonstrating the value of investing in green infrastructure.

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FEATURES

Croydon health mapping

People can theoretically be made aware of the return they’ll get for every pound they invest and when working with those who speak in terms of numbers, this is an influential tool to have.

Natural capital accounting is not without its critics. The argument offered up suggests that by putting a price on nature, we are undermining a deeper-rooted relationship between ourselves and our landscapes.

“I completely agree to some extent, but the purpose of natural capital accounting is not to try to monetise nature, it’s about demonstrating the value of the outcomes that nature delivers for us,” Jon explains.

He also believes it is really important that we are able to have a discussion on the value of green infrastructure and natural capital at the same table as people who only work in financial capital, “so far, we haven’t been able to put the case forward for the importance of natural capital as strongly as we could.”

Jon Sheaff & Associates recently used the natural capital account work to make a business case for funding for a park in Colindale. It was estimated that this particular area would become the second most populous borough by 2030, so there was a significant agenda to meet a range of objectives regarding health, education, ecology and biodiversity management.

Through the accountancy process, the current avoidable health cost in Colindale Ward was defined as £1 million a year, but given an expansion in the local population, this would increase to £1.8 million over 25 years. The local council had committed funds to improve local parks but Jon Sheaff &

Associates used avoidable health cost data to bring in further funding: “By presenting this data we were able to get funding from the London Marathon Trust, the Environment Agency and the GLA.” Though natural capital account work is an evolving tool, the benefits of it are undeniable. Recently, an awareness surrounding the value and importance of our green spaces has risen significantly. This has been demonstrated not just amongst the public but also in governmental policies.

Natural capital accounting helps to translate its importance into a language which can be understood by those who are making the decisions that affect us from day to day.

NATURAL CAPITAL ACCOUNTING IS A FIVE-STEP PROCESS INITIALLY BASED ON THE QUALITY OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE ASSETS THAT A LANDOWNER ASSET MANAGER HAS “Ultimately, if you do not ‘do’ economics, then economics gets done to you. Every inch of this country is owned by somebody and the main value they are attributing to land is a transactional one – how much is land worth when it is bought and sold? Every square inch is delivering many other benefits and we need to be able to capture those values too.”

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Field assessment map

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I N T E RV I E W

KINGSTON LANDSCAPE GROUP W E S P E A K T O S T E V E E VA N S , M A N AG I N G D I R E C T O R O F KINGSTON LANDSCAPE GROUP ABOUT ITS WORK IN LONDON, H O W T H E Y S TAY Z E R O WA S T E A N D THEIR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO BE THE KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Hanover Square

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Can you tell us about Kingston Landscape Group’s (KLG’s) work in London?

Around 80% of our work is in London, which I think is down to the location of our site in Twickenham. 85% of our work is commercial, and a lot of that is developments in London – though this time of year there is more domestic work. We have around 100 team members and also sub-contractors that work with us during busy times of the year – we keep hearing that things are going to go quiet, but at the moment there doesn’t seem to be any let up for us.

St Lukes We are primarily, and always have been, a soft landscaper. This includes soil supplies, aggregate supplies, drainage layers, turfing, and then trees and plants. Because we have our own nurseries, we’re able to supply a lot ourselves – this is useful for us but also for our clients as we can work to quite a tight timescale. Our clients tend to know they can rely on us because everything is in-house.

Part of our mantra is self-sufficiency. We have a designer, we provide soil, we have our own lorries, and as I mentioned, and more recently, we have set up our own tree division. This primarily involves pruning, trimming and felling our client’s trees, but we are in a position where we can also advise on diseases and sustainability as well.

Do you find that getting work in London is competitive?

It is competitive, but generally we are all charging similar rates, so most of the time clients will choose their favourite contractors – service is key. The biggest issue we have is in regard to maintenance. We always quote for the worst-case scenario, whereas some companies just focus on the basics, like watering. Sometimes, it seems like a surveyor’s only remit is to get the lowest price, but you can’t compare just based off

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FEATURES price because one company might only offer to come in and cut the grass every fortnight for six months, whereas we will come in and make sure your plants not only survive, but thrive.

It’s really important that we try to educate our clients about this – they’re buying assurance and insurance from us.

We will replace things if they die, so if we put in £100,000 worth of plants, the price has to reflect that.

What are some of your favourite London projects that you’ve worked on?

Doing the lion cage at London Zoo was interesting – though it was definitely the kind of job you didn’t want to mess up. Winning the award for our Streatham Hill project was brilliant as well.

Recently, there were a team of designers from China who wanted to see an example of a contemporary London podium-based garden, so we met them there. I hadn’t been back for a little while, so I was worried about what state it would be in, but it was lovely – all the iris and herbaceous borders were out, and they were blown away. I was really proud of that.

What’s one of the challenges KLG faces?

Nurseries do need to raise their bar a bit.

It’s difficult because we’re working on high-level jobs and we often have an extensive list of very specific plants that we need. We shop around and speak to various people, but sometimes it comes to the day of delivery and they’ll tell us they’ve gone or been damaged.

I appreciate when nurseries aren’t given sufficient time, but this hasn’t been the case for us. This is part of the reason why we grow some of our own plants, but we can’t grow everything.

City Wharf

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Streatham Hill What environmentally friendly strategies does KLG have in place?

We’re big on reusing and recycling – we are zero waste. All of the soil which we dig up goes to our soil screen nursery where we screen and reuse it. We work with someone in the midlands who collects our pots, which get chipped and reused. All the greenery we generate gets shredded and turned into compost. The concrete we remove gets taken and crushed to be reused. After we’ve completed show gardens, we will take back the plants that were used, and give them some TLC so they can be reused again.

I have a small plant hospital in my home – I just can’t bear the thought of things being thrown out if they’re not dead. It’s amazing how you can bring things back. They’re never quite as dead as people think. Some say it isn’t commercially viable, but in my heart, I am a gardener more than a businessman.

Are there any further changes KLG will make over the coming years, considering the goals of the environmental strategy?

I’d like us to go electric as soon as we are able to. We’ve made enquiries, but it’s still tricky when it comes to big lorries – there has to be more research. We are very mindful of our fuel consumption, and are minimising our journeys because we are aware of the enormous impact on the environment. If you can be a bit smarter about your logistics, it pays in the end – both environmentally and Field assessment map commercially, because people effectively

PART OF OUR MANTRA IS SELF-SUFFICIENCY charge by the hour. I think the technology is going to be the knight in shining armour for the environment, funnily enough. It is going to come along with solutions that will make all the old stuff obsolete. We are very proud to be FORS Silver.

Lancaster Gate What lies ahead for KLG? We’re very focused on what is going to make us more efficient. When I first started in the business, there were so many things that used to frustrate me, like sitting around for two days waiting for turf to arrive. I wanted to be big enough to get my turf delivered every day, and that’s what we’ve done.

We are going to go on as we are. We are a specialist soft landscaping company. I think inevitably we will have to take on more hard landscpaing though. I have a really good team – they get just as much as a buzz from the work as I do, which is really important.

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I N T E RV I E W

JANE WAGNER OF WALTONWAGNER

W E TA L K T O J A N E WAG N E R A B O U T WA LT O N WAG N E R ’ S W O R K I N LO N D O N , T H E INCREASE IN POPULARITY O F G R E E N S PAC E S F O R D E V E LO P M E N T S A N D H OW WA LT O N WAG N E R ’ S W O R K W I L L B E A F F E C T E D N OW T H AT B I O D I V E R S I T Y N E T G A I N H A S B E E N M A N D AT E D

Could you tell us about waltonwagner’s work in London?

We manage the delivery of high-end residential design, refurbishment and developments which also includes the landscape surrounding the property. We work 50/50 for private clients and developer clients on new builds, as well as listed

buildings, effectively acting as the client representative. On most projects, we work with a variety of landscape designers and contractors, helping to develop the brief with the client and the designer to make sure it gets implemented accordingly. We also look after the budget and cross-check the costs.

Afterwards, we will work with the landscape contractors with maintenance services to make sure that those are implemented and documented in accordance with client’s requirements. There is a very diverse range of opportunities.

How do you select the best designers and contactors for the job?

Some clients will have selected a company prior to our involvement – this could be someone they have worked with before or perhaps someone they’ve seen at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. We’ve worked with a

variety of people in the past, such as, Andy Sturgeon, Bowles and Wyer, Marcus Barnett, Randle Siddeley and Kim Wilkie, but it’s very much about finding the right people for the client and the space.

We have one client at the moment who wants a garden which her children can play in – it will be a space that’s well used and not just something beautiful seen out of the window. Another wants a garden which is very traditional and a bit more formal, somewhere they can sit and have a glass of wine. These are both very different gardens, so the designer who suits each garden will also be very different. We always put forward two or three designers and allow the client to make the final decision, then, often, the landscaping will go out to tender.

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Have you noticed the focus on landscaping shift in recent years?

It has become increasingly important to clients holding rental portfolios to maintain the value of their assets – one being outdoor space, even if it’s a small terrace or balcony.

People are aware of how important greenery is for well-being, and having these spaces increases the overall aesthetics and the properties’ marketability.

It is often about finding out from the client how much input they want. We’ve had some clients who, as part of the maintenance package, want to change the planting four times a year – that’s becoming more prevalent. Some people have concerns that the tenants won’t maintain the spaces correctly, if at all, so we’ve had some clients looking closely at the quality of faux planting.

It’s also something which has proved to be a good solution for areas which are inaccessible for maintenance.

So, low maintenance gardens have become increasingly more popular?

In our experience, it’s more that clients want someone else to maintain the space – third party maintenance is certainly popular

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IT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT TO CLIENTS HOLDING RENTAL PORTFOLIOS TO MAINTAIN THE VALUE OF THEIR ASSETS – ONE BEING OUTDOOR SPACE amongst our private clients. They still want a garden that looks stunning, which often means it needs regular maintenance to keep everything looking tidy, but it’s not work they want to do themselves. They want the expertise of a maintenance team who can give it their focus.

How do you think the mandatory biodiversity net gain will affect your work?

It is a challenge making clients aware of the issues, but you have to factor them in from

day one and communicate the potential challenges to your clients so they’re aware.

Cost implications, for example, may be an issue, but making this clear from the beginning means there are less surprises.

Our clients are all very on board with it anyway, we always try to incorporate things like bird boxes and bug houses into our schemes and they appreciate that we see it as important.

A particular client recently bought a property for the landscape it was sitting on, not for the house itself, because it contained some very beautiful mature trees. The work we did on the landscaping was equally important to him as the property renovations. In that particular location we are creating a garden room pavilion so he can be fully immersed in the garden.

The statistics speak for themselves as well – green spaces are essential for our wellbeing, and the value our clients have for them is clear.

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FEATURES

BECKENHAM PLACE PARK AS LEWISHAM’S LARGEST PARK REOPENS TO THE PUBLIC, A L I S TA I R B AY F O R D , I DV E R D E U K ’ S O P E R AT I O N S D I R E C T O R , E X P L A I N S T H AT T H I S H U G E R E G E N E R AT I O N P R O J E C T WA S N OT W I T H O U T I T S C H A L L E N G E S

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teeped in history, with an ancient woodland, parkland and a river running through it, Beckenham Place Park should have been a source of pride for those living nearby.

However, six years ago, the green space was said to appear ‘underused’ by local residents.

Derelict features, a lack of attractions as well as the woodland being viewed as unsafe were just a few of the reasons people gave

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for avoiding the park, according to a survey commissioned by Lewisham Council in 2013.

Considering that, at 98ha, Beckenham is the borough’s largest park, this was a real shame.

Eager to change this, the council submitted a Stage 1 bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Parks for People programme. The bid was approved, and £4.9m worth of funding was set aside to regenerate Beckenham Place Park. Following

this, designs were submitted alongside a final Stage 2 bid. The plans for transforming the park were extensive, including a new BMX track and 5km running route, two new children’s play areas and a space for encouraging community food growing.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, announced last year that Beckenham Place Park was to receive £440K – part of the £2m from the Greener City Fund dedicated to

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FEATURES helping turn London into the world’s first National Park City.

It seems fitting, then, for one of the leading landscape contractors in the country to undertake the monumental project – and face the challenges that came along with it.

The 48m-wide lake needed to be restored, with a drainage system installed beneath the lake liner to harvest groundwater. This connected to a wider park wide wetland scheme, which included swales and basins planted extensively with aquatics and reed bed margins.

For the past year, idverde has been leading works on the >£2m project. “It was quite a complex project which had plenty of issues we had to work around,” says Alistair Bayford, operations director of idverde UK. “The ground contamination was beyond what anyone would have expected. To create the 18,000m3 lake we removed the best part of 26,000m3 of soil. 11,000m3 of this was contaminated with asbestos.

“We had to come up with a cost-effective remediation solution and gain approval from the Lewisham Council Environmental Health department. Once signed off in late August, we then had 8 weeks to build the lake and remediate the soils before the winter weather arrived.

FROM PEOPLE TO NATURE, THE PARK IS GOING TO HAVE A MASSIVE POSITIVE IMPACT “There’s more than 4,000m2 of new footpaths, a play area and a permeable car park. People have described it as five projects within one, but it’s the skillset we have and the type of work of which we have extensive experience.”

And the time and effort has been worth it. Two components of the park opened at the end of June for the Beckenham Place Park Flower Show. “To see that level of use and to see people enjoying the park in its transformed state, that’s why we do it.

That’s the part you get the most pleasure from. Seeing children playing in an area that didn’t even exist 12 months ago or giving people the chance to swim in the largest natural swimming pool in south-east

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London, through to the wildfowl bobbing up and down on the water and rearing their young. So, from people to nature, the park is going to have a massive positive impact.”

The rest of the site was opened on 20 July

by Sadiq Khan, whose ambition to turn the capital into a National Park City is “fantastic”,

A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE DESCRIBED IT AS FIVE PROJECTS WITHIN ONE, BUT IT’S THE SKILLSET WE HAVE AND THE TYPE OF WORK OF WHICH WE HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE says Alistair. “London becoming the first National Park City means we can be an exemplar across the world for caring about our green space. We are taking steps to ensure everyone has access to good quality green space and that London and its green corridors are connected to the wider landscape beyond the London boroughs.” idverde has a significant presence in the capital, where Alistair says both the “public and private sector is quite buoyant at the moment”. The team recently worked on Holland Park Adventure Playground, which has been undergoing a complete redesign since it closed last November. The 4,800m2 playground was overhauled, with additions including a 25m zip wire, a ten-person see-saw and 110m of water channels.

“We’ve taken what was a conventional play space and provided a bespoke play environment. The heart of this is its water sensitive design, providing swales, basins and wetlands, along with storage within the sub-base to manage surface water from the park. ” Alistair adds that this and various other play spaces idverde is working on are focused on diversifying children’s play experiences, integrating it into the natural environment and veering away from the traditional kit, fence and carpet approach to playgrounds. Spaces such as these will hopefully bring in local residents and regional visitors, and surveys of Beckenham Park Place in the future will have a far more positive result.

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HIGH HOPES

FOR CAMDEN B

orough Market A S T H E C A M D E N H I G H L I N E E D G E S T O WA R D S B E C O M I N G A R E A L I T Y, Bridge, Millwall S I M O N P I T K E AT H L E Y , C H I E F E X E C U T I V E O F C A M D E N T O W N U N L I M I T E D Viaduct and the T E L L U S W H AT T H E B I D H A S AC H I E V E D I N T H E P A S T T W O Y E A R S Barbican Highwalks.

These are just three of the 12 locations where urbanist Oliver O’Brien Since coming across Oliver’s blog, the appraisals and administration costs, as well as suggested a New York-style highline could business improvement district has been the creation of visuals and a scale model. be built in Greater London. campaigning and fundraising for the Camden Hackney-based architects Studio Weave and His series of blogs on the subject, written Highline, a 1.2km linear public park leading to Architecture 00 collaborated on an initial in 2015, was soon spotted and promoted by King’s Cross. design after CTU pledged a considerable online publication Kentishtowner, and When Pro Landscaper last spoke to amount of money towards the project. the impact following this has Simon two years ago, more than 300 “The money we raised from crowdfunding been phenomenal for at least people had pledged donations to was assessing the feasibility,” says Simon. one of the prospective the project’s crowdfunding page “This has now been done and the project is boroughs – Camden. on Spacehive, including doable. We are now in the process of trying According to GiGL data Camden Market and the Mayor to finalise funding to take us through published in January 2019, of London, who put forward competition and pre-planning.

Camden already has more £2.5K worth of funding.

“We’re talking to landowners at each end than 300 open spaces totalling “We’re delighted with how well of the line debating contribution levels and to 518ha, making up nearly a quarter people have taken to the idea,” says Camden Council, which is repurposing some (23.8%) of the borough.

Simon. “It’s not just the architects and those Section 106 funding.”

The addition of a highline would put in the industry, it’s lots of local residents The Ministry of Housing, Communities 10,000 people within 400m of a green space, who just love the idea of an amazing park and Local Government (MHCLG) has also the maximum recommended distance in the in the sky.” awarded £25K to CTU to revamp Camden London Plan, and 24,000 people within The donations – which amounted to £64K, Gardens park at the western end of the route.

500m, says Simon Pitkeathley, chief nearly double the target – were to be used to The goal of is to create a focal point for the executive of Camden Town Unlimited (CTU). kickstart the project. This included site highline, with an entrance to that section.

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FEATURES Simon calls it a “precursor” to the project.

The Camden BID is also running a design competition for the pocket park, which Camden Council will own and manage.

The local authority has been hugely supportive of the highline. In fact, the project was a part of Camden Labour’s manifesto,

WE’RE DELIGHTED WITH HOW WELL PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN TO THE IDEA. IT’S NOT JUST THE ARCHITECTS AND THOSE IN THE INDUSTRY, IT’S LOTS OF LOCAL RESIDENTS WHO JUST LOVE THE IDEA OF AN AMAZING PARK IN THE SKY with the party pledging to: “support projects that make it easier to get around Camden by foot, such as the Camden Highline project.”

Allowing people to walk from Camden Market to the back of the new development by property developer Argent at King’s Cross, the highline is set to be built upon a disused section of the North London line which has been abandoned for the past three decades.

The line is still owned by Network Rail, though, and whilst the company has been supportive of the highline and is working well

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1950s Camde n with CTU, there is still the chance that this existing railway line may once again be used for trains. For this reason, the project will be considered a temporary installation.

“It hasn’t been used for the past 30 years, and it’s not in a state to be used at the moment, but obviously they reserve the right to consider using it in the future, we always have to bear that in et bridge Randolph Stre mind. Providing we can get 12 to 15 years use from it, we can justify a great scheme.”

Setting a completion date is still a long way off, but Simon and his team are steadily ramme moving towards one. Boris Education prog Johnson’s Garden Bridge might have crumbled, but the Camden Highline is showing there is a demand for London’s very own version of New York’s Camden High Line to connect two iconic locations. road at street bridge level

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London 2019 Tomorrowʼs Urban Spaces 17 October 2019 | London

www.prolandscapermagazine.com/future-landscape

Seminar Programme

What?

The Future Landscape Conference London 2019 is a brand new conference for the commercial landscaping sector.

It will be hosted by Eljays44, the producers of FutureArc, Pro Landscaper and hosts of the industry-leading FutureScape events. The conference will explore current trends and prepare the sector for whatʼs ahead.

Why? Delegates will hear the views of top, trusted names from major companies in the world of planning, landscape architecture, property development, commercial landscape contracting and architecture. You will be able to enter the discussion, share views and learn about the future of the market. It is also a great opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry.

How? Email laura.harris@eljays44.com, or call 01903 777570 to register your interest in this event. Alternatively, visit www.prolandscapermagazine.com/future-landscape for further info.

8:30

Arrival, registration, coffee & tea

9:45

Welcome

10:00

Keynote speaker introduction

Jim Wilkinson, Eljays44

Peter Massini, Greater London Authority

1: Urban Design & Planning 10:30 – 11:30 Session Simon Ward, Atkins | Jaquelin Clay, JFA Environmental Planning 2: Designing Communal Spaces (Build to let) 11:40 – 13:00 Session Dr Phil Askew, Peabody | Adrian Judd, PRP Architects 14:00 – 15:30 15:40 – 17:00

Session 3: Revolutionising Soils & Landscaping (Soils and soft landscaping)

Tim OʼHare, Tim OʼHare Associates

Session 4: Greening the Skies (Podiums)

Paul French, fabrik | Chris Churchman, Churchman Thornhill Finch | Chris Bridgman, Bridgman & Bridgman

17:00 – 17:30 Drinks 17:30

Finish

Confirmed Speakers

Adrian Judd

Chris Churchman

Peter Massini

Dr Phil Askew

PRP Architects

Greater London Authority

Churchman Thornhill Finch

Peabody

Tim OʼHare

Paul French

Jaquelin Clay

Simon Ward

Tim OʼHare Associates

JFA Environmental Planning

fabrik

Atkins

Sponsors Advert FLC.indd template.indd 11 2

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Project Value Over £100k Build Time 12 weeks Size of Project 300m2 1

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he north facing garden of this Georgian property needed to be transformed into a low maintenance and contemporary space, whilst accentuating existing features such as the London stock walls and the cloistered area at the far end of the garden.

Brief The clients wanted a low maintenance garden which had a contemporary look.

They were keen to have an outdoor room for eating and entertaining, set back a little from the house. The clients desired planting, which looked well-established straight away, and blended with the hard landscaping and the existing features of the garden. The garden also needed to be suitable for their 11-year-old to play in.

Build Stuart Craine had to create two diverse types of planting for the garden due to one side of

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A PLACE TO

REFLECT S T U A R T C R A I N E C R E AT E D A C O N T E M P O R A RY G A R D E N F O R T H I S L O N D O N F A M I LY, B L E N D I N G H A R D A N D S O F T L A N D S C A P I N G AND EXPERIMENTING WITH REFLECTIVE POOLS

the garden being shady and one side being sunny. The shady border is made up of Buxus sempervirens clipped into rectangles, and Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Nivalis’, a beautiful pure white climber which was planted to tangle up the wall behind.

The sunny side of the garden is home to a purple and blue border. Aromatic Salvia officinalis ‘Purpurascens’, Lavandula

angustifolia ‘Hidcote’, Rosmarinus officinalis, Allium giganteum, Allium ‘Globemaster’ create an aromatic and visually stunning display of colour, while Camassia leichtlinii and Hebe ‘White gem’ gleam in the background.

Five pleached standard Magnolia grandiflora provide height alongside a delicate screen of Trachelospermum jasminoides which also add to the aromatic concoction.

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PORTFOLIO ONE

Combining hard and soft landscaping Stuart Craine wanted the hard and soft landscaping to be unified, and achieved this by the choice of planting and the repetition of materials. Scottish beach pebbles blend with grey paving stones, and create a moat which surrounds the outdoor dining area and also olive trees. Smaller pebbles fill two gabions, stretching this design element round the garden and aiding the seamless blend of hard and soft. Planters in dark anthracite finish are repeated throughout the space, surrounding the seating area on the

island and marking the entrance to the front of the garden.

In the centre of the garden, Stuart Craine created a dining area sat on a moated island, reachable by a glass walkway and surrounded by turquoise-blue glass walls which provide some privacy. The structural planting and blues complement the slate grey steel of the island structure. The moat around the patio dining area was fitted with a filtration system to keep the water clear and ensure the pebble effect could be shown off in its best light.

1 I sland dining area next to reflective pool 2 R eclaimed york stone stepping stone 3 Island dining area at night

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2

Challenges Choosing the material for the pool was a challenge for Stuart Craine as he needed to give a reflective, contemporary feel. The pool, which wraps around the seating area, was a design element the client wanted included, so it was really important Stuart Craine got it right. In the end, stainless steel was used to line the pool with Scottish beach pebbles selected to sit on the bottom.

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PORTFOLIO ONE

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ABOUT STUART CRAINE DESIGN

5 4 5 6 7

Recessed uplights Night time dining with firepit Close up of dining area Cast concrete pathway with view to house

Stuart Craine Design is an award-winning garden and landscape design practice based in west London, with a reputation for creating gardens that combine first class design and quality construction. Its portfolio of work includes a wide range of projects, from small courtyards and roof terraces to large London gardens. Each one is unique, designed according to the client brief and the architectural and interior style of the property. Its gardens are recognised for their strong clean lines, use of colour and lush planting. They also specialise in bespoke water features. www.stuartcraine.com

REFERENCES Scottish Beach pebbles CED www.cedstone.co.uk Buxus hedging Tendercare Nurseries www.tendercare.co.uk

All photographs ŠMarianne Majerus

Turf The London Lawn Turf Company www.londonlawnturf.co.uk Clay pots Atelier Vierkant www.ateliervierkant.com Architectural iron work Alexander Stuart-Menteth 7

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PORTFOLIO TWO

A TRIP DOWN

MEMORY LANE T E C T O N I C C R E AT E S T H E R A P Y G A R D E N S I N L O N D O N T H AT C O U L D B U I L D B R I D G E S T O P A S T M E M O R I E S F O R A L Z H E I M E R A N D D E M E N T I A P AT I E N T S AT T H E N H S C H A S E FA R M H O S P I TA L 1

D

ementia is a long-term condition which has a high impact on a person’s health, personal circumstances and family life.

However, a number of studies have shown the benefits of therapeutic gardens and horticultural activities for patients with dementia. For example, when people with dementia can freely use outdoor areas independence is promoted, agitation and aggression are reduced and there is an increase in memory recall.

Brief The Royal Free Charity and NHS Trust’s brief was for Tectonic to create a specialist garden at the Chase Farm Hospital tailored to the needs of patients being treated for Alzheimer’s and dementia. To create a garden design that reflected and supported this group’s specific needs, Tectonic devised and held a series of in-depth workshops with staff and patients at the hospital. They also visited the De Hogeweyk, a model village in The Netherlands designed to care for elderly people with dementia.

Design This garden has an organised and geometric layout, symbolising a desire to provide patients with an ordered and structured area. Tectonic designed the courtyard garden on a grid that referenced itself to the structure of the surrounding building. As it’s important for dementia patients to ‘exercise’ their memory,

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1 Bright and colourful planting combinations and seating 2 View down memory lane leading into gardens, Victorian lamp posts, shop fronts and zebra crossing 3 Shop fronts, zebra crossing with Mini 4 Initial conceptual design master plan

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PORTFOLIO TWO

Project Value £92k Build Time 10 months Size of Project 272m2 Awards Gold Medal for Best Public Building Gardens 3

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CO URT YARD GARDE N TO ADE LAIDE WARD: CO N CEPTUAL DESIGN

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PORTFOLIO TWO

Tectonic created a ‘memory street’ within the garden, using colour, scent and visual stimulation to evoke memories.

Tectonic depicted an old-fashioned street from a post-war era, with period shop fronts, street lamps and even a real Mini Cooper.

This encourages residents to reminisce of, perhaps, their own gardens, their neighbours’ or gardens from holidays, invoking memories from different sights, colours and scents.

This street leads into a number of themed gardens. In these, the diversity of planting and hard landscaping materials allows the gardens to have a wider spectrum of appeal, and could trigger different aspects of the patients’ memory.

Tectonic created a pink garden centred around the circular paving, a wisteria walkway with colourful clematis and fragrant honeysuckle. Tectonic also created a Mediterranean themed garden with a cascading water fountain sitting on a circular resin bound base, anchored by four Cupressus sempervirens and Mediterranean planting. The Art Deco inspired garden contains a lawn and white rendered walls.

There is a red border at one end of the ‘streets’, with Callistemon, Hemerocallis ‘Stafford’ and a red post box. In contrast, Tectonic also created a cool yellow border at the other end of the ‘street’, creating a focal

point. The centre point of the garden is the Mini and zebra crossing, and a lush shady area features Dicksonia antarctica with fragrant planting such as Sarcococca, Skimmia and Osmanthus x burkwoodii.

Due to the patients’ ability to respond to bright colours, brightly powder-coated garden furniture was commissioned by a specialist manufacturer, along with shop fronts to add the feeling of a vintage street – with a post office and post box. The staff and students of Barnet and Southgate Technical College embarked on stripping the Mini back and refurbishing it with a Union Jack that took pride of place at the centre of the garden.

Funding continued to be raised throughout the build, and much of the labour force was from staff kindly donating their time from companies, including: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Metaswitch, Santander and the Masonic Charitable Foundation.

5 Challenges One of the key challenges was the logistics of working in the middle of a hospital environment – the gardens are situated within internal courtyards with wards leading directly onto them. Tectonics’ only access was through a main walkway in the hospital.

Tectonic was, therefore, required to satisfy all relevant health and safety requirements, provide method statements and risk assessments, as well as ensure sound pollution and privacy was maintained.

Under these conditions, Tectonic did not have the ability to use a mini digger. That meant all existing planting and paving had to be removed by hand from the gardens.

How materials were sourced for the job Materials were sourced from various suppliers, many of which kindly supplied at a great discount (including: Selco, Marshalls, Ronacrete and Thompsons of Crews Hill).

Tectonic undertook a maintenance contract for the first 18 months to ensure that the gardens would develop and flourish.

The gardens were funded thanks to an appeal launched by the Chase Farm Charity, part of the Royal Free Charity. The support was overwhelming, and donations came from over 200 individuals, community groups, businesses and hospital staff, who skydived, trekked, climbed Snowdon and put on a range of events.

Look out for Tectonic’s follow-up feature in Pro Landscaper’s September issue: the Japanese Stroke Rehabilitation Garden

ABOUT TECTONIC

5 T extural Mediterranean planting 6 Grocers shop along memory street and soft planting around brick piers

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Chris Valiantis of Tectonic has built a successful, 30-year career as an architect, specialising in large scale commercial schemes around the globe, before going on to study landscape and garden design at Capel Manor. Chris then teamed up with Ollie Neaves (Pro Landscaper 30 Under 30 winner 2018) and they now have an award-winning company, specialising in high-end landscape design and installation projects, across the domestic, commercial and public sector spheres www.tectonicuk.co.uk

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PORTFOLIO TWO

REFERENCES Soil, manure, woodchip mulch, slate/boulders Thompsons of Crews Hill www.thompsonsofcrewshill.com

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Main contractor for laying paving and Ronacrete resin bound surfacing Diamond Driveways Ltd www.diamonddriveways.co.uk Electrical contractors Neotek Electrics Ltd www.neotek-electrics.com Paint Crown Paints www.crownpaints.co.uk Victorian street lamps English Lamp Posts www.englishlampposts.co.uk Custom made and powder coated Victorian benches Elizabeth & Stevens, Bird Table Heaven www.elizabethandstevens.com www.birdtableheaven.co.uk/ garden-benches-antique

7 View into shady gardens 8 High level view along street and showing several gardens 9 View of Mediterranean and Art Deco Style gardens 10 View through the gardens with water fountain 11 Overgrown gardens before works commenced 12 Volunteers clearing site of plants and paving

Custom shop fronts Tectonic www.tectonicuk.co.uk 10

Mini Cooper Kindly cut in half and refurbished

by Barnet and Southgate College www.barnetsouthgate.ac.uk Railings Metal Gates Direct www.metalgatesdirect.co.uk

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Coping stones & pier caps Stonecrete Direct www.stonecrete-direct.co.uk

BEFORE AND DURING THE BUILD

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All photographs ŠTectonic & David Bishop, UCL Health Creatives

Water fountain Henri Studio www.henristudio.com

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PORTFOLIO THREE

LIGHTING UP

LONDON

Project Value £40,000 + VAT Build Time 5 weeks Size of Project 40m2

C H A R LOT T E R OW E T R A N S F O R M S T H I S N E G L E C T E D R O O F G A R D E N I N T O A N AT M O S P H E R I C S P AC E F O R E N T E R TA I N I N G U S I N G C L E V E R L I G H T I N G A N D P L A N T I N G

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PORTFOLIO THREE

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his late Victorian house in Holland Park has a good-sized roof, and given that they had permission, the clients welcomed the opportunity to use it as a roof terrace. It offers wonderful views over the surrounding area, and it is open to the south of London.

The young owners had bought the property in the knowledge that the roof would be an essential part of its attraction.

However, its existing appearance, with a row of railings, two sets of very dominant chimney stacks and rather dismal green felt flooring was not attractive or conducive to being used in the way they were seeking.

Brief The clients wanted to create a contemporary roof garden with a minimalist planting style.

They also wanted plants that, for the most part, would look after themselves; lowmaintenance choices with few requirements when it came to watering.

The clients anticipated they would be using the roof garden mainly in the evenings and at weekends, which made inspired lighting a priority. They only needed the garden to look good from spring to autumn, as the roof cannot be seen from any of the property’s windows, and there is little need for use of the space in the winter.

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1 T he decked terrace extends across the roof 2 Soft planting keeps loadings to a minimum 3 Timber decking cross-laid

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PORTFOLIO THREE

glass pebbles give a soft dusty pink wash, providing a subtle sense of atmosphere.

Planting To keep the weight down, the planting depth had to be no more than 30cm. This created an opportunity for Charlotte Rowe to grow drought-tolerant grasses and perennials, such as vivid blue toned Eryngium, the delicate Erigeron, aromatic thyme with a pink pop of Dianthus, which do not require planting in deep compost. The added advantage was that grasses and perennials look their best when viewed against an open skyline. Bulbs were added for early-season interest with pink, cream and green tulips, and white alliums, which stand out beautifully against the feathery grasses.

Challenges As with all roof terraces on older buildings, there are limitations to the weight and loadings one can put on the roofing timbers.

The first priority for Charlotte Rowe was to strengthen the roof to make sure that it was able to support a garden at all. Once this had been checked, Charlotte Rowe had to design all materials and planting to put minimal stress on the roof structure.

There was also a restriction on the height of hard landscaping, with nothing (except

Lighting A combination of frosted glass panels set into the decking, spike spots uplighting the planting, and a series of rope lights under the

plants) to be seen above the existing parapet from the street below. This was comfortably solved using timber decking, western red cedar benches and buff powder-coated steel planters and resin containers.

BEFORE

REFERENCES Lighting designer Light IQ www.lightiq.com Resin containers Domani www.domani.be Plants Chichester Trees and Shrubs www.ctsplants.com Evergreen www.evergreenext.co.uk Landscape contractors Modular www.modular.london

ABOUT CHARLOTTE ROWE GARDEN DESIGN

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Charlotte Rowe is an award-winning garden designer with a design practice in London. Over the past 15 years, she has designed around 250 gardens in the UK and overseas. In 2014, she won a Gold medal at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show for her show garden, ‘No Man’s Land’, which marked the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War. Charlotte’s gardens are recognised for their strong, clean, architectural lines, rich planting, elegant styling and use of colour. www.charlotterowe.com

All Photos ©Charlotte Rowe Garden Design and Light IQ

ighting was a key feature 4 L

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COMPANY PROFILE

BOURNE AMENITY P R O L A N D S C A P E R S P E A K S T O J O N AT H A N B O U R N E , S A L E S D I R E C T O R AT B O U R N E A M E N I T Y T O E X P L O R E S O M E T H E I R H I G H LY E F F E C T I V E A P P R O AC H A N D D I S C OV E R W H AT S E T S T H E M A P A R T F R O M C O M P E T I T O R S

How is Bourne Amenity different to its competitors?

There are a number of high-class providers in the market. However, we have always focused on making the client’s life as hassle-free as possible.

We strive to ensure the materials are on site when required, and no request should be off-limits.

London sites are demanding, and we aim to be in and out with minimal fuss.

Why is Bourne Amenity so successful at what it does?

We listen to the varied challenges on every site and put fail safe mechanisms in place to offer flexibility and reliability in equal measure.

What has been your most interesting London project to date?

Every London project has its own set of challenges, but anything involving roof terraces or podium planting requires additional planning and communication.

The American Embassy project was very tightly specified, and the heightened security measures provided one of the most challenging delivery environments.

Can you talk us through your delivery methods?

We offer the whole range of delivery methods, from loose tipped to bulk bags

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and palletised drops. Offering a range of offload techniques is often key to overcoming the challenge of sites with limited space. The more versatility we offer our clients, the better. We have invested heavily in ensuring our entire range of materials can be packaged according to client demands.

“ WE HAVE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON MAKING THE CLIENT’S LIFE AS HASSLEFREE AS POSSIBLE “ Can you tell us about the other services you offer?

As part of the Bourne Group, we have a contracting arm that predominantly specialises in sports turf installations but can also assist on larger landscaping projects.

How do you support SuDS? We have been involved with SuDS and their weird and wonderful specifications for over ten years, committing resources into developing a complete range of materials that support their performance criteria. They are now a common part of any urban planning scheme, and we have been quick to react with a full-range of performance materials and bespoke soil and substrate blends.

What environmentally friendly strategies do you have in place?

We take an interest in the provenance of all our materials and work extensively to ensure that our carbon footprint is minimised where possible. Our own fleet, and the majority of outsourced hauliers, are FORS Gold accredited and operate Euro 6 vehicles to minimise the environmental impact.

How will the goals of the London National Park strategy impact Bourne Amenity?

The National Park Strategy is another example of London leading the way in ensuring the protection of green spaces in urban areas. We work with the majority of London boroughs – their commitment to preserving and enhancing their green spaces can yield nothing but positivity for a company such as ours.

Do you have any new launches or exciting plans this year?

We are always improving and adjusting our soil and substrate blends to accommodate the pace of the industry. There is an exciting study on the horizon that will hopefully demonstrate the effectiveness of our materials in situ as we revisit historic sites around the south-east. It should highlight just how our materials maintain this quality a few years down the line.

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COMPANY PROFILE

CASE STUDY

1

TOTTENHAM

HOTSPUR STADIUM

CASE STUDY

2

ISLINGTON

ROOF TERRACE

Contractor: Willerby Landscapes Materials supplied: Lightweight intensive topsoil and subsoil, multi-purpose BS 3882 topsoil and subsoil. Both in bulk bags and loose tipped loads.

Challenges: Tight site with a lot of ground activity around the planting areas. Timing with tree planting. Very high-profile site.

Overcoming challenges: Being a FORS Gold company, Bourne is used to demanding central London sites. Preplanning and constant liaising with the site foreman was key.

Responding to a dynamic site and experience with the demands of a top tier client like Willerby Landscapes.

Contractor: Bowles & Wyer Materials supplied: Lightweight extensive roof substrate in 25L bags.

Challenges: Working at height and accessing the roof area without crane or lift access.

Overcoming challenges: Bowles & Wyer installed a platform hoist to move each bag individually via a conveyor mechanism.

CASE STUDY VISTA,

3

BAT T E R S E A Contractor: Scotscape Group Ltd Materials supplied: Over 1,000m3 of Lightweight Intensive topsoil in both bulk bags and 25L units. High permeability topsoil was utilised for the high spec lawn areas, along with BS 8601 subsoil.

Challenges: Timed deliveries are the scourge of the logistics department, but a FORS Gold fleet offered flexibility and reliability delivering to a crane lift schedule.

Overcoming challenges: Having multiple depots close to inner London gives Bourne Amenity the edge on these types of jobs where lead times are never more than 24 hours. The fleet, along with careful stocktaking of each material allow Bourne Amenity to respond quickly to these dynamic sites.

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18/07/2019 13:47

COMPANY PROFILE

EVEREDGE

PROJECT

EverEdge has been manufacturing steel garden edging and steel planters in the UK for 25 years. It has developed an unrivalled range of steel edging systems for projects of all shapes and sizes. Products come in a variety of finishes, including painted, Corten or hot-dip galvanised.

Project name: Streatham Hill Contractor: Kingston Landscape Group

PRODUCTS

EverEdge was asked to construct steel planters and walls in this prestigious London Square development at Streatham Hill. The contractor, Kingston Landscape Group, tasked EverEdge to manufacture the Corten steel to a demanding timeframe and exacting standards.

The project involved a range of custommade steel products in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. In 2018, the Streatham Hill project won the BALI National Landscaping Award for Soft Landscaping Construction (Non-Domestic).

EverEdge Classic Steel edging for domestic use, perfect for edging around lawns and flowerbeds.

EverEdge ProEdge Heavy duty edging for larger projects such as driveways and paths.

EverEdge Titan Thicker and deeper steel edging used primarily on large scale projects and in public space.

CONTACT

EverEdge Planters Custom made steel planters made to order to virtually any specification.

EverEdge Planters can be manufactured in a variety of finishes to suit any project.

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EverEdge Halestem L-shaped galvanised steel edge used in hard landscaping projects.

Perfect for use with tarmac and resin bonded surfaces.

Managing director Technical sales Production manager Design technician Logistics manager Custom design

Alexander Hall Simon Arrowsmith Peter Hughes Ryan Murphy Emma White Elliot Smith

T 01630 417120 E enquiries@everedge.co.uk W www.everedge.co.uk

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Look what you can do with EverEdge...

Image provided by Kingston Landscape Group

Call for full details on 01630 417120

Edging, rings and planters

See them all at www.everedge.co.uk

UNRIVALLED IN QUALITY AND SERVICE

Follow us on Twitter @EverEdge

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COMPANY PROFILE

GREENBLUE URBAN GreenBlue Urban is the global leading solutions provider in assisting trees in their battle to establish in urban spaces.

With more than 40 years’ experience in the landscaping industry, GreenBlue Urban provides exceptional expertise in planning, design and installation of trees in hard landscapes.

INTERVIEW

Dean Bowie

How was the company founded?

Previously named Greenleaf, it was formed in 1992 by Dean Bowie, due to the lack of available products on the market to prevent tree mortality.

How is the company structured?

The family-run business, GreenBlue Urban, has expanded to 30 plus dedicated employees, with a brand-new, purpose-built site. It has in-house manufacturing and warehouse facilities distributing ArborSystem® products across the world.

What does it pride itself on?

With a mission of enabling sustainable

Adrian Paynter

Richard Isaac

cities through green and blue infrastructure, GreenBlue Urban is proud to provide increased canopy cover for the improved quality of life for all.

Do you have any new launches or exciting plans this year?

With continued innovation and expansion, GreenBlue Urban will be launching exciting new products in the Autumn, relating to Stormwater Management and further expanding markets. The launch of the new London showroom, in the heart of the Clerkenwell design hub, enables a base for architects and contractors to pop in.

Products can be tried hands on, with educational CPD’s and product demos.

Roy Bowie

Shane Frost

CONTACT Headquarters Northpoint, Compass Park, East Sussex, TN32 5BS London 117 St John’s Street, Farringdon, EC1V 4JA T 0800 018 7797 E Enquiries@greenblue.com W www.greenblue.com Facebook GreenBlue Urban Twitter @GreenBlueUrban LinkedIn GreenBlue Urban Ltd Instagram GreenBlue Urban

PROJECTS

King’s Crescent Estate – Hackney, London Muf Architecture, along with GreenBlue Urban, carefully designed the infrastructure so that new trees can thrive in a heavilyengineered environment, by cleverly incorporating different natural elements around the trees to provide social cohesion and an area for play.

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Selfridges – Duke Street, London The RIBA award-winning development, designed by David Chipperfield Architects, Djao-Rakitine, WSP and Sir Robert McAlpine, enabled GreenBlue Urban to empower tree planting from concept to design. Liquidambar trees were installed, along with design and manufacture of four bespoke brass tree grilles.

Northwood Hills – Hillingdon, London The Northwood Hills project rejuvenated shop fronts and public spaces to make the centre more attractive and encourage local people to make better use of it. A new central boulevard, planted with 35 Carpinus betulus ‘Frans Fontaine’, provided an attractive and safe crossing feature.

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Establishing the future urban landscape.

Kings Crescent, Hackney

We enable sustainable cities for improved quality of life.

World’s leading provider of tree pit solutions.

Building a greener environment for future generations.

SuDS solutions for flood risk management.

Advisors in urban design offering on-site support.

greenblue.com 0800 018 7797

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COMPANY PROFILE

LONDON STONE London Stone are a well-established name in the hard landscaping materials supply sector. A successful 2018 saw the company win their first BALI Principal Award and APL supplier award, respectively.

2019 sees the family-owned company celebrate 10 years in business with an improved service offering.

INTERVIEW Managing director, Steve Walley What was the thinking behind the new service offering?

London Stone has come a long way in the last 10 years, but we felt it was the right time to take stock and decide where we wanted the business to be in the next 10 years. It’s our vision to keep growing and become a nationwide business, but we knew we had to appeal to a wider audience. Our 2019 offer sees us reinforce our brand promise – always putting customers first – and is a combination of saying thank you to our existing customers and meeting the needs of the next generation of customers.

What do you see as the main positives of the new offering?

Where to begin? The key part of our 2019 offer is freezing most of our prices, and in many cases, lowering the price of our natural stone and porcelain materials.

Not easy to do, but careful analysis of our

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expenditure, business practices and increasing our use of technology enabled us to buck the trend and reduce prices. I am very proud of that.

We knew that we were pricing ourselves out of certain schemes, so in addition to the price reductions, we re-structured our porcelain products into Luxury, Premium and Project ranges – all with different price points. We are confident that whatever the client’s budget, there is a product within our porcelain range to suit. London Stone would never compromise on quality in any area of the business, but we also want to appeal to the more budget-conscious, and the new porcelain ranges do just that.

Speaking of porcelain – can you tell us more about the 900x600 range?

We know our customers well and we know the types of products they like to use. The 900x600mm size is by far the favourite in the UK, so for 2019 we developed an industry-leading 900x600 porcelain collection in 11 popular colours.

We have also crafted an inspirational, dedicated sample box for this range – even the samples are scaled-down to 90x60mm.

Is London Stone still a ‘London and the Home Counties’ business?

We are spreading our wings! We have introduced a new nationwide free delivery initiative on all full packs of natural stone, porcelain and composite decking.

Landscapers and designers outside of the South-east can now purchase our

materials without worrying about paying delivery charges.

How has the business changed recently?

We have three industry partners that share our ethos for delivering exceptional customer service and high professional standards: Garden House Design in West Sussex, Lowarth & Co in Cornwall and Urban Garden Products in Cheshire. Having inspiring spaces where our customers can view our products is so important. I am excited to see where our partners take the business.

What improvements have you made to your existing showroom portfolio?

In 2018, we opened two new high-spec showrooms – one in North London and one in Farnham, Surrey. Both are amazing spaces for the company.

Our business is much more than just selling stone – our premises are used regularly to host educational events by industry-leading institutions, such as the APL, BALI, the SGD, and the LCGD. Our existing three showrooms are currently undergoing extensive upgrades to ensure that they are not left behind by the two newbies on the scene!

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COMPANY PROFILE

Why should a landscaper or garden designer use London Stone?

We supply an extensive range of quality products and provide awesome customer service. Our new pricing structure suddenly makes everything more affordable and puts extra margin into the landscaper’s pockets. It is the complete package. Why should you use London Stone? Quite simply; we always put our customers first.

What else does 2019 bring for London Stone?

We are about to launch a game-changing e-commerce website, which is massive news. By using e-commerce, we can give clients the flexibility to create quotes and place orders at their convenience.

We have spent years creating a fresh-looking website, which we hope will provide a smooth journey for our customers.

Stay tuned for more on the website launch soon. We’ve had a busy show season and are looking forward to attending trade events such as FutureScape in the Autumn.

Does e-commerce spell the end of your sales team in the showrooms?

No chance! London Stone’s success has been built on the skills of the people within our organisation, and there will always be team members in the showrooms and on the end of the phone. All we are doing is recognising that consumer habits are changing, and we plan on being at the forefront of that.

CONTACT T 01753 212 950 E info@londonstone.co.uk W www.londonstone.co.uk

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COMPANY PROFILE

MILLBOARD Hand-moulded from natural timbers, Millboard decking is virtually indistinguishable from real wood, yet outperforms it on every level. Millboard’s hand-coloured decking resists the elements, requires minimal maintenance, is slip and stain resistant and won’t rot or warp.

INTERVIEW How was the company founded?

Millboard grew out of another innovative outdoor landscaping product company: Stonemarket. Founded by James Douglass in 1976, this company developed the early use of concrete to create paving slabs with the authentic look of stone but with design and performance features that natural stone could not offer. This business later sold to Marshalls and the Douglass family turned their attention to timber decking.

How is the company structured?

Millboard is still a family-owned business.

This structure informs the culture of the business, which, although it has grown substantially, is still close knit. Millboard is manufactured and distributed from our headquarters in the Midlands.

What does it pride itself on?

We are proud to be a family business and are thrilled to have seen the reception to Millboard since launching the product back in 2007. Our boards look incredibly authentic yet boast performance and maintenance benefits that wood cannot match – our customers recognise this and that’s why the brand has gone from strength to strength.

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What is your most prestigious London project?

We are also very proud of Studio RHE’s Republic development in the East India Docks. This project includes office spaces flanked by cutting-edge amenities and relaxing communal areas. The central public water garden features an oasis of trees, landscaped ponds and 860m² of Enhanced Grain decking in Golden Oak. The decision to use Millboard decking was based on the product’s endurance, its suitability for a wet zone and good looks.

Do you have any new launches or exciting plans this year?

In addition to our newly enhanced Embered line and the launch of our beautiful Burnt Cedar boards, we’ve also opened a new showroom on Goswell Road, Clerkenwell. The Millboard London Design Hub displays the company’s leading-edge range of decking and hosts CPD training sessions, architect-focused events and design presentations. As a design-led company, we chose Clerkenwell over a range of options, owing to the area’s rich design heritage.

PRODUCTS Enhanced Grain range Moulded from refined timber for a textured look and feel, the Enhanced Grain collection’s contemporary design accurately recreates the subtle nuances of natural wood.

Weathered Oak range Beautifully aged in appearance, the Weathered Oak collection is moulded from 100-year-old French railway carriage timber and is hand-coloured with authentic tones.

Lasta-Grip range Safety-focused boards with style. Perfect for areas where safety is paramount but appearance is also important.

Edging & fascia Designed to resist high wear points, the square and bullnose edging comes in all the Millboard colours to match the rest of a deck.

Durafix fixings Millboard’s decking system is complemented by Durafix screws. These virtually hidden fixings make installing Millboard straightforward.

CONTACT The Millboard Company Ltd, Unit A, Castle Court, Bodmin Road, Coventry, CV2 5DB T 024 7643 9943 E enquiries@millboard.co.uk W www.millboard.co.uk Facebook @MillboardFlooring Twitter @Millboard_UK LinkedIn The Millboard Company

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COMPANY PROFILE

CASE STUDY

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CASE STUDY

CHANNEL 4

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EAST INDIA

DOCKS

HEADQUARTERS

LONDON

Location: 124 Horseferry Road, Westminster Designer: GTA Interior/Well Done Construction Products Used: 370m2 Enhanced Grain in Charred Oak, with edging and fascia built upon a Plas-Pro subframe Well Done Construction contacted Millboard regarding a terrace renovation at Channel 4’s headquarters. The wooden decking had stained badly with time, and had developed algal growth that made it slippery, an issue Millboard decking would not suffer from. Decking was to be laid out radially from the building, filling the shape of the terrace to create a pleasing curved effect.

CASE STUDY

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FLOATING

POCKET PARK

Location: Paddington Designer: Tony Woods, Garden Club London Products Used: 302m2 Enhanced Grain in Golden Oak with bullnosed edging and fascia

Designed by RHS Young Garden Designer of the Year Tony Woods, London’s first floating park is situated on a hitherto unused and neglected part of the canal system. It features lawns, trees and a wildlife island, with walkways and decking created using Enhanced Grain boards. Woods was inspired by a 2016 report that confirmed that waterside living contributes enormously to improving mental wellbeing and physical health, conceptualising an ‘urban blue space’ in London.

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CASE STUDY

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Location: 2 Clove Crescent, Poplar Designer: Studio RHE Products Used: 860m2 Enhanced Grain in Golden Oak with matching fascia In March 2017, Studio RHE, set out plans to remodel Clove Crescent, East India Docks. The space would house a new public realm, become a ‘workplace of the future’ and an icon of the capital’s regeneration.

Millboard supplied 860m² of Enhanced Grain decking with matching fascia boards. The £25m project includes cost-effective office spaces flanked by amenities and communal areas. The central public water garden features trees, landscaped ponds and seating.

Location: Trafalgar Square Contractor: Crown Awnings Products Used: Enhanced Grain in Smoked Oak, Plas-Pro subframe, pedestals

TRAFALGAR

ST JAMES HOTEL The Trafalgar St. James in London has recently renovated its popular roof terrace and now houses a new bar and restaurant, simply called ‘The Rooftop’.

The contemporary makeover was designed by SHH Architects, who married traditional luxe materials to beautifully engineered modern materials, including Millboard’s Smoked Oak decking – the result is a luxurious and welcoming space. SHH chose premium slip-resistant decking that offered all the good looks of well-sourced timber without the associated rot and algal issues.

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COMPANY PROFILE

VESTRE

Vestre is a leading manufacturer of outdoor furniture.

It has helped create social meeting places for over 70 years. Collaborating with Scandinavian designers, its products are produced in Norway and Sweden – using first-class materials for high-quality

PROJECT PRO LANDSCAPER SPEAKS TO VESTRE UK B U S I N E S S D E V E L O P M E N T M A N AG E R R O M Y R AW L I N G S A B O U T T H E C O M P A N Y How was the company founded?

By our current CEO’s grandfather, in 1947. He was a mechanical engineer who started to develop various patented products, including a fishcake making machine and play equipment. Over time, Vestre came to manufacture outdoor furniture.

How is the company structured?

It’s a family-owned business based in Oslo. We now have additional local support in the UK, USA and Germany, and we supply furniture to global projects.

What does it pride itself on?

We’re a design-led company with excellent environmental credentials – we’ve operated carbon neutral production since 2010.

What does the company offer?

A range of outdoor furniture to suit all

projects, available within six weeks of order in almost 200 RAL colours.

What London projects have you recently been involved with?

Republic in Poplar, Southwyck House in Brixton, and The Bower on Old Street. We’re also supplying furniture to Creekside in Greenwich and Blackhorse Mills in Walthamstow.

Most prestigious London project?

The first, approximately eight-years old now, is Kings Cross. Blackhorse Mills will be the largest though, with installation due to be completed in August 2019.

Do you have any new launches or exciting plans this year?

The Festival of Place in July, to be held in Tobacco Dock. This inaugural event will bring together hundreds of people involved in placemaking.

Project name: Republic in Poplar Client: Studio RHE Materials Supplied: Bloc seats and sun benches, Vroom modular seating This large external space has been transformed into an area that boasts covered seating spaces equipped with internet, power and audio connectivity, allowing individuals to work outside with ease. The space is filled with trees and aquatic flora, providing a relaxing and welcoming area for visitors to use and enjoy. The waterways in the space originate from the East India Docks, and have been reconceptualised via the inclusion of waterfalls. These aerate the water to provide a relaxing and green environment.

CONTACT

PRODUCTS

Vestre AB, Bergebyvägen 27, 685 34, Torsby, Sweden Parklets 2.0 Stripes

Bloc

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April Go

Code

T 07780 770945 E romy@vestre.com W www.vestre.com Facebook Vestre Twitter @vestrefurniture LinkedIn Vestre Instagram vestre_furniture

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DESIGN TANK PHOTO MATTEO GASTEL

Bloc Design: Atle Tveit & Lars Tornøe

vestre.co.uk

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