"paving"

West Lindsay Council sought out to build a new crematorium for the area, as statistics showed that 75% of funerals are now cremations. The £6.3m site is state-of-the-art and includes landscaped grounds, remembrance gardens filled with young trees and wildflower meadows, a reflection pool, a car park for 120 vehicles and ample space for further development if necessary; to include a second chapel if there is demand.The new crematorium will be welcome to all forms of religious and/or secular services. With beautiful views of the woodland across Nottinghamshire, this facility will help make a real difference to residents at difficult times in their lives.With the building itself boasting modern design, the chosen paving materials for the hard landscaping were chosen to help complement the rural nature of the area and make the best use of the natural boundaries.Modal textured in Charcoal Grey Granite and Oatmeal Granite were used alongside Myriad Sunlight for the pristine entranceway, working brilliantly with the warm tones of the building and soft landscaping in the surrounding area.Main contractor, Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd. alongside Haverstock as the architects, carried out the project.The result was a warm and beautiful landscaped area. The combination of sizes and colours create an unmissable entranceway that is modern and welcoming. The facilities are now open to the public to provide a much-needed service for local’s in a tasteful and well-designed environment.Images supplied by West Lindsey Council

AG was delighted to continue our partnership with Braidwater Homes at one of the house builder’s most prestigious private housing development, Castlehill, located just off the Ballygowan Road in Belfast.Braidwater Group’s Chief Operating Officer, Ryan Boyle said:“AG’s paving and walling products which are aesthetically pleasing, tie in totally with Braidwater’s ‘living the dream’ aspirations. For the Castlehill development we had a number of requirements, which included ensuring that the landscaping tied in with the modern feel of this high-end development.” To this end, we utilised AG’s Vertica® and Diamond® retaining walls, where appropriate, together with AG’s River Stone 3’s set pavers in contrasting tones.”AG’s Regional Sales Manager, Barry Scott commented:“We have a really good relationship with the Braidwater Group and are currently involved in a number of their sites across Northern Ireland. The Castlehill contract was an important one for us and we have worked hard to ensure we live up to their high standards. As part of our commitment to Braidwater I personally make visits to their sites to ensure their team always have the products they need. Our personal service supported by speed and ease of delivery is something they appreciate. They also like the fact that by utilising our Anchor® Diamond® mortarless/pin-less segmental retaining wall system their team can work on in wet weather with no breaks in construction.”

Marlborough Manor is one of Carrickfergus’ newest and most sought-after developments, with façades reflecting a traditional, Georgian-style design created by premium AG facing bricks whose hand-crafted aesthetics appeal to architects, house builders and professional designers alike. The ChallengeBuilt by HJ O’Boyle contractors in November 2015, the 16 homes making up the £2.5m Marlborough Manor development mark the first residential development by Rosemount Homes Ltd, an offshoot of Lagan Construction Group, with whom AG has enjoyed business relations for nearly 20 years.Befitting the aesthetic tone of the Georgian-style homes the development called for facing bricks with the hand-crafted appearance sometimes only associated with clay bricks.Key to the development was also attractive and comfortable outdoor living spaces. The SolutionThe Heritage range, with its rumbled edges and traditional, rustic finish was chosen by the contracting team – and they haven’t looked back since.The beautiful Heritage facing brick – in Fergustie Mixture – was matched with AG’s Rectangular paving in Creagh Peat Brindle colour which affords a smooth finish with clean lines and richness of colour plus great skid and slip performance. And, of course, it’s also renowned for its durability and minimal maintenance requirements. Architect Alan Bennett has been completely won over by AG’s high quality facing brick – “The Heritage Fergustie brick is a great product and one I hope to use in the future.”

Our premium granite TerraPave® flagstones were a perfect choice for this scheme at one of London’s foremost rooftop cocktail bars and pizzerias. Skylark Roof Garden, located on Kingdom Street, sits on the 10th floor of Paddington Central, offering incredible views overlooking the beautiful Notting Hill, on the banks of Little Venice. For this project, a combination of Pedestals and TerraPave® flags were utilised. The incorporation of Pedestals (stools on which the flags were laid) , meant no base was required. The depth of TerraPave® flags is calibrated as part of the manufacturing process, delivering exceptional dimensional accuracy which in turn delivered consistent levelling across the terrace. Project architects, Allies and Morrison selected our TerraPave® Flags, in Rimini and Milano Ground due to their rich, distinctive styles and impressive durability in highly pedestrianised areas. These flags are produced with locally-sourced, natural aggregates instead of pigments meaning their unique colouration won’t fade. TerraPave® also offers a cost-effective, and practical alternative to traditional stone paving. The £80m Paddington Central scheme was completed built by Wates Construction and designed by Allies & Morrison. Some of the impressive project’s additional features include London’s highest basketball court, an external glazed stair tower, and a public colonnade around the retail space on the ground floor.

The Barony Campus in Cumnock is one of Scotland’s most innovative, ambitious and inclusive learning facility. It opened its doors to the Robert Burns Academy and Supported Learning Centre pupils in October 2020.The Barony Campus in Cumnock will be the biggest capital project ever undertaken by East Ayrshire Council, with costs in the region of £68m. Situated on a 19.8-hectare site, the innovative new Barony Campus consolidates five schools into one shared community campus, creating a centre for education for the towns of Cumnock, Auchinleck and the surrounding area.The project for East Ayrshire Council, and based on standards set by the Scottish Futures Trust, includes a secondary school (for 1,633 pupils), a primary school (517 pupils), a nursery (240 children) and an 80-place supported learning centre. £40,000 worth of AG’s Plaza Salt, Pepper and Kardemom paving was provided to the campus’ grounds which accommodates over 2,700 pupils.Plaza is manufactured using the highest-quality aggregates, giving it an uncommon durability that’s ideal for large number of pedestrians. Set into the landscape on a radial geometry, the design helps to break down the overall mass of the building, minimising visual impact and giving each element of the school its own identity. The fresh, crisp look of Plaza makes it particularly suited to create a contemporary feel.Sustainability was at the heart of the design from the outset of Barony Campus thus the choice of Plaza was ideal as the product is produced in the UK from locally sourced materials. Using a high percentage of recycled non-primary materials in the base mix, and 90% harvested rainwater and 100% renewable energy in the production process.

The Burton Borough School development is a brand new sports hall for Burton Borough School in Newport, Telford. As this building will be used primarily by schoolchildren, it was especially important that it was built using a durable solution which can stand up not only against weather conditions, but is fully non-combustible.Ash & Lacy worked through Kynaston Contract Services with Pave Aways Building Contractors and TACP Architects to deliver for Telford & Wrekin Council a MechSlip façade employing Ibstock’s Himley Ebony Black brick. Developed in conjunction with Ibstock Kevington, MechSlip is a lightweight, mechanically fixed system that offers significant advantages including reduced installation times and associated costs, as well as being classified A1 (non-combustible) to EN 13501-1 fire testing standards by Exova Warringtonfire.This project shows some of the design versatility of MechSlip as well, with the projecting header pattern on the building’s front elevation being achieved by alternating between half bricks and full bricks to create a memorable impression which manipulates shadow well. MechSlip allows specifiers and architects to create distinctive façades thanks to the flexibility of different sizes of brick slips and choice of multiple colours and textures.As well as offering the reassurance provided by a mechanically-fixed design, MechSlip has been rigorously tested to the Centre for Window & Cladding Technology (CWCT) standards, for wind resistance, water tightness and impact resistance. The result is that it eliminates the weather dependency of traditional building methods without compromising on the choice of brick finish.

The original timber sleepers used for Manchester Royal Infirmary external areas had begun to rot away quite early in their lifespan. We were tasked with replicating the existing footprint of planters to replace them within the confines of the existing paving. All installation works were undertaken in a busy hospital with minimal impact on patients and workers. Using a typographical survey we created CAD outlines for each planter, a number of existing structures featured extremely tight angles, which meant we needed to modify our corner cuts to ensure a perfect match.Our components were all pre-cut ready for installation so there was no need to use any heavy machinery on site. WoodBlocX modular system is guaranteed for 15 years and because the structures are made up of a series of individual blocks, held together by strong dowels, they will not warp or distort, nor will they rot, thanks to the pressure treatment used.WoodBlocX components are manufactured in five different sizes and work in the same way as bricks, in addition, any capping and angled parts are pre-mitred, which saves installers significant build time and eliminates the need for sawing, drilling and disposing of waste. With WoodBlocX you receive a guaranteed standard of material. From the planting of the trees to harvesting of timber all the way through to cutting the WoodBlocX components, we keep on top of every aspect of each process - maintaining the highest standards of timber quality. Using WoodBlocX, specifiers can be safe in the knowledge that the supply chain of their timber products is sustainable and reliable.

Developed as a great space to live in one of Manchester's best-connected locations, close to the city's shops, restaurants & bars, and next to Manchester Victoria train station, the project comprised two 20 and 25-storey residential towers, which delivered 520 new homes.The architect Sheppard Robson, main contractor VINCI Construction, and installer Deckbuilders, all came together to deliver a great project, that is part of a gateway into the city, featuring fantastic-looking balconies, which we were very happy to secure against the forces of nature: namely wind-uplift.There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to mitigating the effects of negative pressure on balconies and terraces in high-rise buildings, and in this particular case, we had to fix the paving down to the main structure of the building mechanically, to de-risk against the impact of up to -2.68kPa of suction on the roof.To account for cost and time constraints, the system we used to secure the balconies against wind-uplift was the TerraSmart™ Pedestal system with the addition of a visual wind-uplift mechanical fixing.The tiles were mechanically restrained to the pedestals which, in turn, were mechanically fixed to the concrete deck of the balconies.And the outcome? Balconies secured, the project de-risked against wind-uplift, and the beautiful Quadro Argento Tiles (600x1200x20mm) safely in place for all residents to experience and enjoy. Listen to what our specification manager had to say.If you are specifying a project and want to know how you can mitigate the effects wind-uplift or the impact that occurs as a result of urban canyons, we can help.

The first part of a vital £23m project to alleviate the risk of flooding in Hull has been completed with product, design support and on-site assistance from Brett Landscaping.Brett Landscaping has worked with contractor Morrisons Water Services, Yorkshire Water and Hull City Council to retrofit Rosmead Street, a residential street vulnerable to surface water flooding, supplying 4,000 square metres of concrete block permeable paving.The Rosmead Street scheme is the first part of a £23m investment in surface water management schemes planned across Hull and East Riding due to be completed over the next five years, coordinated by the Living With Water partnership. Hull has always been a city susceptible to flooding, due to its location on low lying land alongside the Humber estuary and River Hull. Surface water from the surrounding area and city itself has to flow through a series of drainage and sewer networks to discharge into the estuary. This system was challenged in 2007 when over 9,000 properties were flooded. Since then the partners have joined together to work on increasing the cities resilience through awareness and engagement, alongside investment in the infrastructure. The Living With Water partnership was set up by Hull City Council, East Riding Of Yorkshire, Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water and University of Hull with two key objectives to educate the community and look at ways to mitigate the problems with surface water drainage in the area, based on the concerns and requirements of residents.At Rosmead Street the Living With Water team committed to a SuDS retrofit scheme that would help to mitigate any future serious rainfall incidents by removing the original MacAdam roadway and using permeable paving to attenuate the water flow and ease pressure on the sewer systems.

Guilden Village is brand new to Guildford, offering 533 high-quality bed spaces accompanied with 1030 sq. m of student amenity space including a fitness boutique, sky lounge, and an indoor mini golf course: all revolving around student mental well-being.The space was designed and created by Future Generation to create the perfect home away from home for students who want something more. The scheme which has a GDV exceeding £102 million will help to deliver on the much-needed increase in quality student accommodation that Guildford requires to meet demand.A mixture of AG products were supplied throughout the project entirety with 60mm and 80mm Plaza (Salt, Pepper, Birkes, and Kardemon) and TerraPave Rimini Ground Flagstones being utilised across the scheme. Additionally, our TerraPave step units and Buff Corduroy were also added to further compliment the scheme. The combination of Plaza colours and sizes provides the complex with a beautiful vibrant modern look with the addition of TerraPave’s durable granite finish.Aneed Mohammed, AG’s Technical Specification Consultant stated, “We thoroughly enjoyed working with the design and whole project team at Guilden Village to provide specification support throughout the stages to ensure all appropriate products were utilised across the PBSA scheme. A wide range of high-quality granite-topped products were utilised with the further adoption of granite step units to continue the granite theme throughout the project in order to give the scheme the high-end appearance they required. Another project once again with a great showcase of our high-quality paving products”.

Addagrip Terraco were delighted to see our BBA approved Terrabound Resin Bound porous surfacing installed at Constitution Hill as part of the new East-West Cycle Superhighway. The project will run through central London from Tower Hill to Lancaster Gate. The installation of this new stretch of the cycle path runs alongside Green Park to provide a safe route for cyclists from Buckingham Palace to Wellington Arch.BBA approved Terrabound Resin Bound surfacing was selected to provide over 2,200m2 of smooth, seamless, porous paving that would be hard wearing and provide good slip resistance for the cyclists. The natural aggregate finish in a 6mm Rhine Gold complements the location alongside Green Park and will provide a low maintenance surface in this very busy location.Working for Transport for London, F M Conway carried out the installation over a 9-day period working in one of the busiest tourist areas in Central London and during a period of very hot weather. The team started at Wellington Arch/Commonwealth Memorial end of Constitution Hill and finished the last 185m stretch outside Buckingham palace on Friday 8th July. Whilst the crowds gathered to watch the Household Cavalry ride up Constitution Hill from Wellington Arch, St James’s, London to Buckingham Palace there was also much public interest in seeing the team’s coordinated system of installing the resin bound surface and watching the transformation as it happened.The work was completed alongside the existing path that runs along Green Park so a metal edging detail was used, separating the Resin Bound surface from the hoggin surface around the mature trees that line the roadside.

October 2021 Cheshire East Council officially marked the reopening of Castle Street in Macclesfield following the completion of a scheme to transform the area and support the town’s regeneration. After delays, the work began in April 2021 and has seen footways widened and roads resurfaced with a natural cobblestone-style paving, newly planted trees, and improved street lighting.Artform Urban Furniture was appointed by Ringway Jacobs Ltd to provide seating and cycle parking to the new external space. The seating option selected was the robust and sizable Canape Bench.The units consist of a powder-coated steel frame topped with exotic hardwood timber slats and backrest, providing a spacious bench for a number of users. In order to maintain the appearance of the benches, custom skate deterrents have been integrated into the design. The benches are positioned in rows of three, complementing the new resurfaced space and surrounding architecture. To further improve the space a number of Lucchetto Cycle Stands featuring a sealed Corten and stainless steel finish installed at the end of the new road providing stylish cycle parking. Lucchetto stands have the unique appearance of a padlock creating an original cycle parking offering. The project is part of a larger strategic regeneration of Macclesfield town centre to encourage greater footfall and business to the area. Castle Street was previously an underused space with vehicles having priority. The road has been opened up to the public to move freely and businesses can also apply for an alfresco dining license to expand their seating to the outside.Much of the Bailey Street Furniture Group workforce have been raised in and around Macclesfield, making this project a privilege to be a part of.

Stockport Exchange has been undergoing extensive refurbishment since 2014 with improvements to the train station, a new multi storey car park, new retail and leisure facilities as well as office buildings. Given its location on the doorstep of one of the busiest train routes in the country, connections to London in under 2 hours, and less than 10 minute journey into Manchester - The potential and popularity of the scheme has seen well known brands such as Stage Coach, Music Magpie and many others fully occupying the office spaces. The external area surrounding the buildings is completely pedestrianised with a combination of paved walkways, grass plots, and raised concrete edging for plants and trees. An open green space that is the first thing visitors see of Stockport after leaving the train station.Artform Urban were asked to provide their popular Stone Benches in HPC Granite with a smooth Velluto finish. The unique design and polished finish invites users to interact whether to rest or to climb and play. The solid stone bench becomes an immovable barrier offering security and protection once it has to be maneuvered into place with cranes. A modern and monolithic design that creates a striking visual contrast to the contemporary glass and steel architecture. The stone bench range has recently been expanded with three sizes now being offered in new finishes.The client, George Cox & Sons, have a mission to present a high quality finish on all their projects that provide essential transport links. Stockport Exchange is another excellent scheme added to their portfolio. The regeneration scheme has and continues to be a success for Stockport Council and is a benchmark for future renovations to the town centre. 

County Hall - LondonSystem Used - TerraSmart Aluminium IGNOA hub for businesses, a site of attractions and accommodation, London's iconic County Hall is as stunning on the outside as it is on the inside, made even more beautiful thanks to our TerraSmart Aluminium.In order to create a venue for events, Coronado Property Developments Ltd needed a solution for the huge steel floor installed into the lightwell.A Grade II listed building required a decking solution that would complement the overall aesthetics and cater for the increased load requirements: the design load went from a 2.0kN Concentrated Load and 2.5kN/m2 uniformly distributed load (UDL) (used for areas of residential activities, typically used for balconies) to a 4.0kN concentrated load and 5.0kN/m2 UDL (as an area where people may congregate).TerraSmart Aluminium was selected as the ideal system to meet the client's loading criteria. Aluminium decking is a lightweight system when compared to other paving solutions, but very strong. Coronado Property Developments Ltd were very impressed with the solution provided by RYNO and the work done by Pritchard & Pritchard, who installed the system in both lightwells in the building.The TerraSmart Aluminium system featured the ADB80 Deck Board, selected specifically for its increased top surface thickness, delivering superior durability, ADS50 Aluminium Joists to suit the spans of the steel frame underneath, and RD-FR Non-Combustible Joist Support Pedestals for guaranteed supporting strength.The steel grillage was supplied by another manufacturer and installed around the decking to meet the ventilation requirements of the air-conditioning units below.The County Hall was opened over 100 years ago by King George V and it's great to see our systems in London's most versatile, historic building.

The Old War Office is a magnificent refurbishment of Winston Churchill's headquarters during the World War II. The sensitive restoration of this Grade 2 historic building includes a 125-room world class Raffles Hotel and 85 luxury residences, along with restaurants, exclusive bars, a Spa and Wellness centre. Referred to as London’s anticipated destination, this architectural landmark opens its doors to the public in Summer 2023.RYNO’s involvement in the scheme included providing the paving and substructure to the Centre triangle Courtyard and the Penthouse Roof Terraces. The triangle Courtyard was finished with a RYNO Quadro porcelain range and supported on our TerraSmart Rail system. The system uses a double lattice structure to provide superior support to the pavers even around the complex curves of the planters on the courtyard and penthouse terraces. The design and detailing of the build-ups from concept to completion has been brilliant, fully complementing the building’s magnificent heritage and unique character.RYNO worked very closely with The Gardenists to ensure the rail layout and build-ups were designed to absolute perfection. Seeing is believing and as Calvin Dalrymple, Specification Manager at RYNO, testifies “to come to the site and see the results…, they really just speak for themselves. Knowing and understanding the coordination that's gone into this whole project and now to see it looking so fantastic has really been a huge reward.” Home to Winston Churchill and David Lloyd George, the Old War Office was designed in a trapezium shape to maximise the use of the land in Whitehall. Of the 25 million bricks that make up the building, the first was laid in 1901: the building was completed in 1906. For all Bond-fans out there, the building has featured in the background of many films: its first Bond-appearance was in 1983.

LDA Design specified WoodBlocX Landscaping to provide the raised planters and seating for the courtyard areas of its Westpoint Homes project; One Hyndland Avenue, a development comprising of 63 luxury apartments with beautifully landscaped outdoor spaces in Glasgow’s West End.The design LDA created for the development featured a series of open paved spaces, ample seating and pergolas to add height, with large angular raised planters with integrated seating bordering the perimeters of the site to plant trees, shrubs and plants.Following a consultation with LDA on potential solutions, the WoodBlocX design team took the initial plans and recreated the original footprint using CAD designs of the modular timber blocks. Thanks to the versatility of the system WoodBlocX were able to match the design almost identically, incorporating the shapes and angles of the original outline.WoodBlocX supplied all materials directly to the Westpoint Homes’ site and the structures were assembled by their own teams. The space for materials on site was tight and the size of the planters meant that a large quantity of materials were delivered. WoodBlocX components arrive on site neatly palletised and the individual lightweight pieces are easy to access and manoeuvre when needed.All WoodBlocX structures are built in the same way using a series of light weight blocks which have been pre-drilled and then treated to provide superior strength - there is no waste or cutting needed.With all projects challenges can arise during the build, in this case some onsite changes were required due to manholes and water access getting in the way of original design. Our team swiftly redesigned instructions and supplied suitable components to match the change.

Ashdown Forest in East Sussex is a major destination for horse lovers, with several stables and riding schools amidst miles of bridleway. Clark-Drain supplied drainage solutions to one of the forest's prestigious equestrian centres, which is undergoing development of its visitor amenities.The centre has installed 3,000 square metres of new paving and parking areas, along with other upgrades to its facilities. Contractor Codrin Iordache of Cody Building took the opportunity to use Clark-Drain’s new HD-PE Technodrain solutions for the first time. Codrin says: “I was interested when I heard about Technodrain as an alternative to the polymer concrete drainage channels we generally use. Technodrain seemed to combine value with meeting all our technical specifications.“We found that the lightweight system is easy to handle. It’s also clear that, despite being light, the drainage channels have all the strength required.”All the Technodrain channel installed at the centre is in fact load rated to D400 and able to accommodate vehicles up to 40 tons. This means the area is equipped to handle even the biggest horseboxes, including HGVs carrying up to nine horses.Channels of two sizes were sourced from the range for this project:1. An external depth of 210mm, internal width of 100mm and max through-flow of 8.25 litres per second. 2. An external depth of 310mm, internal width of 200mm and max through-flow of 42.6 litres per second.Integrating sump units with channel drainageAlso supplied were several Technodrain sump units. These remove silt from the surface water, preventing dirt and debris from entering the drainage system and causing blockages. Codrin says: “I was impressed by the sump units. As with the channels, the galvanised steel edging made it simple for us to integrate them with the 80mm paving. They also feature grating that bolts in place, which is really easy to remove for maintenance inspection and cleaning of the unit and the channels.“The design of the Technodrain system also means that it’s easy to connect units together. Simple tongue and groove joints allow for the installation of channels with a ready-mounted grating, saving time on site and providing accurate connections. We will definitely be using Technodrain again on future projects.”Cody Building sourced the Technodrain products through the Tunbridge Wells branch of Professional Building Supplies, who specialise in drainage products as part of their wider range. Terry Hallett says: “We have been talking to customers since Clark-Drain introduced the Technodrain range and have had a really positive response. People like the value the range offers, and the fact that the light weight makes the units easy to handle.“The light weight is also good for us as a merchant. It makes this product sustainable to transport, and the HD-PE construction means there’s less likelihood of channels cracking in transit. It will also make storage at our central warehouse and branches simpler, with fewer issues around safe handling to deal with.”WHY THESE PRODUCTS WERE CHOSEN:Value - Technodrain consistently adds great value to excellent specifications.Load ratings - units chosen for this project were rated at Group 4 (D400), suitable for HGV parking. Robust - the HD-PE (high density polyethylene) channels and sump units are resistant to a wide range of acids, salts and hydrocarbons.Ease of installation - the 210mm deep channels used in this project weigh just 15kg each, including the ductile iron grating and galvanised steel edge.System integration - products in the Technodrain range connect easily together using simple tongue and groove joints.