Green-Tech

One of the main goals for the designers of 80 Charlotte Street, MAKE Architects, was to engender a strong sense ofwellbeing for the office workers, residents and public that use it. As part of this commitment, the designallowed the inclusion of numerous roof terraces, both private and shared for the offi ces and residents, offeringdramatic views over Fitzrovia including the BT Tower.Green-tech involvementGreen-tech were contacted by Barton Willmore landscape architects, with whom we have a long workingrelationship going back nearly ten years, to quote for irrigation for the many planters required on two of theexternal terraces; part of a design developed by Piercy & Company Architects for a specifi c high-end tenantfi t-out.The most effective solution was to use Green-tech’s Mona tank system. This subterranean reservoir systemirrigates the soil through capillary action, reducing watering frequency whilst at the same time, aerating thesoil.

New road layouts and tree planting were undertaken in Athlone town centre, in both pedestrian and roadside locations. The main contractor was John Cradock, and the team is used to working with geo-cellular tree pit systems and saw no problem with the straightforward, simple design of TreeParker®. As is common in a town centre, there was the expected multitude of service lines and pipes running through the rooting area at various levels and angles. However, due to the way that the TreeParker® units are assembled, this caused no problem whatsoever, the support legs simply straddled the service pipes, as can be seen in the photographs.The new TreeParker® system comprises rigid, modular units made from reinforced, recycled polypropylene. The units enable the ground above a tree pit to be trafficked, supporting the paving above (up to 56t/m2), whilst still protecting the soil below from compaction. This means that rather than needing to use a fast-draining and low organic structural tree soil, a soft, friable, organic topsoil can be used, which is ideal for successful tree establishment. Although highly rigid, the units still provide 95% of their volume for rooting space. The heavy-duty, reinforced legs are available in various heights from the factory; 400, 600, 800mm, and 1, 1.2, and 1.5m. This gives a previously unheard-of adaptability with depth options, and more importantly, without the need to stack multiple units, saving installation time and money, as well as plastic. It also enables the units, by having legs rather than side walls, to easily straddle, or work around service pipes and lines, as was demonstrated at Athlone.