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The strong interlocking capabilities of Tobermore’s Toberloc block paving proved to be the ideal solution for Daniel Hurd Associates who required a product that could handle regular pedestrian and vehicular use at this Sainsbury’s branch in Cheltenham.

Limerick Institute of Technology’s Coonagh Campus is the first engineering-focused higher education campus in the Mid-West of Ireland.The new 7,000m2 engineering campus provides an additional 542 places on LIT’s engineering courses, an expansion which is considered essential to support industry demand in the region.Designed to provide agility of use, the campus will go beyond what is traditionally expected from an educational institution. It will provide facilities that encourage education and research to co-exist, facilitate industry leaders to meet and share ideas, and allow companies to use the various diverse spaces for training courses and seminars.Tobermore is proud to have provided granite-look paving and kerbs on this landmark Irish project.

The Analog Devices Building at the University of Limerick was constructed as part of the ground-breaking Bernal Project and was since awarded the Irish Building Project of the Year at the Irish Building and Design Awards 2016 in Dublin. Irish architect, Brady Shipman Martin, was appointed to design the external landscape and Tobermore helped make their job easier with the provision of an attractive paving solution that complemented the distinctive new building whilst providing continuity with the other areas on campus.

When Solihull Borough Council was looking for a block paving system for the refurbishment of Hurst Lane Place, the council was seeking something that would meet both aesthetics and performance of the busy urban site. Tobermore presented a variety of product offerings and the council was particularly impressed with Tobermore’s Fusion block paving with its striking granite aggregate surface.

The ChallengeA rapid build retaining wall solution was required to cut down the construction programme.House builders are experiencing extraordinary pressure to meet targets despite the shortage of materials and skilled labour. Contractors are faced with incredibly tight construction programmes which are difficult to deliver on.This challenge is prevalent throughout GB and Ireland, and the case is no different on Bushby Fields Housing Development in Leicestershire. Contractor P Hughes explored every opportunity to claw back on their construction programme, without compromising quality, sustainability, health or safety on the Bloor Homes site.When considering retaining wall options, P Hughes first considered traditional masonry walling. But as skilled brick layers are in short supply and masonry walls are slow to build, they were open to alternatives.The SolutionSecura Grand was selected as it is readily available, quick to install and doesn’t require skilled labour.Tobermore is proud to have supplied their Secura Grand Segmental Retaining Wall System to the Bushby Fields Housing Development. Secura Grand is used in the attractive colour Slate to prevent sloping site issues as well as creating a more efficient use of land. Secura offered a cost-effective mortar-free solution which promised a fast and easy installation process.

Tobermore’s Landscape Designer, Beth Moore, provided an expert design advice service for this educational facility which required an aesthetically pleasing solution designed for purpose. Secura Grand was an attractive and functional choice for the school amphitheatre the paving products specified complemented the site perfectly.

Tobermore’s Secura Grand Retaining Wall facilitated the creation of a new shared-use route in Edinburgh. Secura Grand is used as a retaining wall system which also supports a bridge used for walking and cycling. This new path provides a safe, fun and convenient route around the City for pedestrians and cyclists alike. The vital community link connects the Shore in Leith with Portobello Promenade. The route forms part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s Family Network as set out in the Active Travel Action Plan.

A contemporary hard landscaping solution was required at the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre at the University of Sheffield and Tobermore’s Mayfair Flags and Step Flags provided the ideal finish.

The Challenge Modern paving was required for the entrance plaza of a shopping destination High Street Mall has been transformed into Portadown’s leading retail and parking hub. The £6m regeneration project required a new shopping centre layout, enhanced parking, greater town centre access and a new pedestrianised central plaza with modern landscaping. Over 2000m2 of modern paving material was required for the entrance to the retail hub. Due to the expansive nature of the area, laying patterns would need to be used to ‘zone’ and break up areas into smaller pockets of space. The plaza needed to be designed in a way that people could use it as a place to gather and socialise. The client wanted the retail project to have a public realm feel to it that the community could enjoy. The Solution Tobermore’s Fusion block paving created a plaza with a striking, modern look.  Fusion block paving in Silver, Mid Grey, Sandstone and Noir was chosen for the 2000m2 plaza which created a striking, modern look. The entrance to the new 25,000ft2 Lidl store features a new pedestrianised square complete with seating and planters. Anchor tenants, Lidl, opted for 600m2 of Fusion paving to be laid outside their premises in keeping with the rest of the retail park. The client fully embraced the complimentary hard landscape proposal which was provided by Tobermore. Unique laying patterns were used to ‘zone’ and break up space in the expansively paved area. The paving design provided by Tobermore featured ‘pockets of space’ where coffee docks and pop-up markets could be situated. Fusion in Sandstone and a small proportion of Mid Grey was used to zone ‘public’ areas like the courtyard. The walkways feature Fusion in Silver and Mid Grey with a low percentage of Sandstone in the blend. These design choices were made to distinguish each area while still giving subtle reference to each other. Bands of Fusion in Noir were used as buffer strips to create a clear distinction of where people can walk into and out of the Lidl store.  The retail project certainly has a public realm feel to it as it is fully pedestrianised. The plaza was designed in a way that the local community could use it as a place to gather and socialise. There are seated areas with soft landscaping that creates a calming atmosphere for people to relax.  

Re-form Landscape Architecture were tasked with sourcing sustainable hard landscaping for The Sarah Swift Building, University of Lincoln.The public realm setting of the building links Brayford Wharf through to the historic Wigford Yard. Ultimately the space extends through to Lincolns’ High Street – thus uniting the University campus with the city centre. As such, a paving solution was required that would adequately define the areas and complement the modern facade of the University building.Tobermore’s Fusion block paving in Silver and Graphite was chosen as the hard landscaping of choice, complemented by the addition of Fusion Kerb.

Tobermore supplied a variety of products for the refurbished landscape at Telford College of Arts and Technology, a further educational college in Shropshire. The laying pattern of the Sienna product colours used were chosen to reflect an artistic ‘paint splatter’ design concept from Pinnegar Hayward Design.

A variety of Tobermore paving and step products were specified as an aesthetic and functional hard landscaping solution for the grounds at this £25 million regeneration project. The retail site was opened by HRH, The Duchess of Gloucester, in an official ceremony in September 2015.

When PDP Associates was seeking a “high quality” hard landscaping product for David Wilson Homes’ lavish development Grey Towers Village in Nunthorpe, the vintage style and charm of Tobermore’s Tegula and Retro block paving proved to be the perfect solution

Tobermore provided a beautiful hard landscaping solution at West Mill, a stunning Westpoint Homes in Edinburgh. The project was awarded ‘Apartment Development of the Year’ at the 2015 Scottish Home Awards and ‘Best Show Home’ at the 2015 Glasgow Property Herald Awards.

Granite-look Paving was required for a large city-centre public realm scheme. Braemar, Tobermore’s premium concrete paving with the aesthetic appeal of natural granite provided the perfect solution.The £20m+ public realm regeneration has transformed Leeds City Centre into a World-Class Gateway to the city for bus users, pedestrians and cyclists. The contractor was delighted that Braemar was readily available in large quantities and short lead times.

The £100 million housing project replaced the former Manor & Kingsway hospital in Derby. Tobermore supplied a vast expanse of attractive paving products for the trafficked and pedestrian areas on site that met functional and SuDS requirements.

Tobermore provided a beautiful hard landscaping solution at West Mill, a stunning Westpoint Homes in Edinburgh. The project was awarded ‘Apartment Development of the Year’ at the 2015 Scottish Home Awards and ‘Best Show Home’ at the 2015 Glasgow Property Herald Awards.

Southern Green, a landscape architecture firm based in Gateshead, was appointed to design the landscape at Northshore Innovation Centre, a project that is part of a wider regeneration masterplan in Stockton-on-Tees, which has been referred to as one of the most exciting regeneration developments in the north of England in recent years. Tobermore provided Southern Green with a variety of hard landscaping products that offered modern aesthetics to complement the new building whilst protecting against pavement shifting.

Officially opened in September 2023, Allscott Meads Primary School is primed to become a community hub for the residents of the Telford area.Built on the former Sugar Beet factory site, the new school has capacity for 150 students aged 3-11 and comprises 6 classrooms, a sports hall, kitchen, staff room, storage rooms, offices for 1-1 teaching support and interviews. The grounds of the school also contain an impressive 1.1 acre sports field and hard-surfaced sports court, as well as 40 bike spaces and car parking for staff and visitors. Tegula and Tegula Duo Block Paving were used to create a warm, inviting feel to the external landscaping on this project.  The ChallengeAesthetically pleasing paving options were required to establish a welcoming entrance to the Telford community hub.Following the deterioration of the Sugar Beet Factory that once stood on the site, the vision for Allscott Meads was to create a modern school in a beautiful setting, that would become a hub at the heart of the community. To reach a wide demographic, creating an inviting space was imperative and the use of warm tones were requested for the paving. A retaining wall solution for a small area to one side of the building was necessary to optimise space for parking in a manner that would elevate aesthetic appeal.The SolutionHydropave Tegula Cedar and Bracken were used to compliment the modern building. To create a space where students could flourish and thrive, it was important for the area to feel modern but welcoming. Hydropave Tegula 240 and Hydropave Tegula Duo Block Paving in the homely colours of Cedar and Bracken were ideal products to realise a traditional, warm feel.To reduce flooding and remove harmful pollutants, a sustainable drainage system was implemented through use of Tobermore’s Hydropave products. All walkways and car parking areas were paved, with delineation added so that specific areas were clearly visible. Secura Grand facilitated a seamless, tiered retaining wall solution that enabled additional parking to be added to the grounds, simultaneously increasing aesthetic appeal.

Pavement Shifting Protection for Roads in SouthwarkIn recent years, Southwark Council encountered problems creating and maintaining attractively paved surfaces in busy carriageways.David Farnham, Highways Design Quality Manager at Southwark Council, explained: “Southwark boasts some of central London’s great destinations – from the tourist sites around London Bridge, Tower Bridge and Bankside, to vibrant neighbourhood centres like Peckham, Camberwell and Dulwich. The quality of our streets is a big part of the appeal, and residents and visitors expect them to be attractively landscaped and well maintained.“Installing paved areas in roads at crossings and junctions helps provide that quality of place whilst also having a calming effect on traffic. This is something we support as part of a tool-kit of shared space design measures. However, it poses some real design and maintenance challenges.”David Farnham, Highways Design Quality Manager at Southwark CouncilWhilst the trend in central London over recent years had been to install natural stone sett surfaces within a rigid construction system, Southwark Council found this to be too costly for most locations and difficult to reinstate. Meanwhile, complex detailing was needed if all too common defects were to be avoided, even under moderate traffic. The Council identified concrete block surfacing, used within a flexible construction system, as a potentially simpler and cheaper alternative – provided certain requirements could be met.David Farnham commented, “We wanted to replicate the appearance of modern natural stone surfaces as faithfully as possible. In order to look the part, any concrete blocks had to be capable of being laid in stretcher bond on busy roads. That’s difficult with a flexible system as a herringbone bond is typically needed to increase surface interlock and prevent individual blocks from shifting. If not avoided that can lead blocks to work lose and the surface to rut. Also, in order to have a traffic calming effect we needed blocks to be quite large and to have varied finishes so approaching drivers would notice them. Traditional 200×100 concrete blocks weren’t compatible with these needs.”Tobermore introduced Southwark to their solution – the City Pave VS5 block paving system. The innovative product incorporates shift protection on five sides of each block via interlocking nibs and a specially profiled bottom surface that claws sand beds. These innovations provide continuous protection against shifting from horizontal and vertical loads, all within a traditional rectangular shaped block. The system even outperforms other interlocking blocks often used in goods yards and other heavy load areas. It gives designers the freedom to use flexible construction systems with confidence – even when laying blocks in stretcher bond on busy roads.City Pave VS5 also offers a hard wearing granite aggregate surface layer that produces a striking finish, similar to the appearance of natural granite. As well as the aesthetic appeal, the hard wearing surface layer improves the strength and durability of the product.Southwark Council specified the product in a mix of Silver, Mid Grey and Graphite colours to mimic the natural variability of stone. The combination of the three product colours and the larger element 300x150x100mm size of the City Pave VS5 block was used to create the desired ‘traffic-calming’ effect.City Pave VS5 was installed on streets across the borough, including Camberwell Green, Borough High Street and Blanchedown Road – typically as part of raised table features at junctions and crossings.David Farnham said, “Overall, the City Pave VS5 system helped to substantially reduce construction costs compared with rigid stone sett construction systems. Visually, the stretcher bond, mix of top finishes and large module sizes has been very successful.”

The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde district board faced challenges in seeking a modern, sustainable landscape for the new £842 million Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Tobermore came up with the successful solution. The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital has replaced the previous Southern General Hospital, and amalgamates it with the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, the Western and Victoria Infirmaries and the Mansionhouse Unit. The facility, which extends to 28.6 hectares, forms one of the largest acute hospitals in the UK.

The NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde district board faced challenges in seeking a modern, sustainable landscape for the new £842 million Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Tobermore came up with the successful solution. The Queen Elizabeth University Hospital has replaced the previous Southern General Hospital, and amalgamates it with the Royal Hospital for Sick Children at Yorkhill, the Western and Victoria Infirmaries and the Mansionhouse Unit. The facility, which extends to 28.6 hectares, forms one of the largest acute hospitals in the UK.

Ebbw Vale Railway Station was introduced to serve the town of Ebbw Vale and extend links to surrounding areas. Tobermore’s contemporary Mayfair Flags were specified by Blaenau Gwent County Council as an attractive and functional hard landscaping solution for the railway platforms.

The ChallengeModern paving was required to complement state-of-the-art offices Scott Brownrigg’s design aim was to attract the world’s most high-tech companies to the Science Park. The architecture, design and landscaping of Buildings 1 and 2 was key to setting the tone for the tech hotspot. Buildings 1 and 2 form a new gateway to the dedicated technology estate while collectively making up 210,000ft2 of commercial office space.  The two-building design spans four storeys tall and showcases a striking colonnade. The cladded feature columns provide an impressive new entrance to the park, while echoing the curve of the spine road. Buildings 1 and 2 offer a dedicated pedestrian and cycle area. The public realm space between the two buildings required extensive paving which complemented the state-of-the-art buildings. The client’s primary objective was to remove existing, dated buildings and replace them with state-of-the-art facilities for the scientific community. The master plan has sustainability and efficiency at the core of its design.The SolutionTobermore’s high quality granite aggregate paving accentuates the contemporary office scheme Tobermore supplied paving of exceptional quality to complement the state-of-the-art office hub. The public realm space between the two buildings features Tobermore’s granite aggregate paving in contemporary grey tones. The dedicated pedestrian and cycle area are paved with Braemar, Fusion and Hydropave Fusion which all feature a striking granite aggregate surface which adds to the ultra-modern scheme. Braemar offers a premium concrete paving product with aesthetic appeal of natural granite. It boasts a striking, contemporary look while being a more cost-effective and sustainable alternative to natural stone.  Fusion made a modern striking entrance to the Science Park. The area required a combination of permeable and impermeable paving. It would take a keen eye to spot where the standard block paving ends and permeable paving starts. Hydropave Fusion and Fusion was applied in permeable and non-permeable format which added continuity to the streetscape.  The new buildings achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating. The facilities provide a much-needed innovation hub for scientists and graduates, and successfully generated income for Trinity College. 

Barronsfield Grange

Bausch + Lomb is a world leader in eye health manufacturing contact lenses and pharmaceuticals at their Waterford site. The Bausch + Lomb Ireland Campus extends over 55,000m2 where over 1,400 staff produce market-leading contact lenses.

Montalto is an enchanting estate set in magnificent, natural surroundings in Ballynahinch, County Down. The visitor offering includes captivating trails and gardens, a unique eating environment and a distinctive retail element.A stunning new visitor centre, shop and café was built at the prestigious Montalto Estate. The privately owned Estate opened to the public in 2018 and has developed into a flagship tourist destination. The project was a finalist in the Tourism and Leisure category of the RICS Awards Northern Ireland.

The Challenge To install an attractive retaining wall solution that complements the beautiful landscaping. Richmond Care Village in Evesham comprises of a 60-bed care home for nursing and dementia care, 46 assisted living suites and 61 independent living apartments. The development is designed within the Richmond Care Villages model of luxury retirement accommodation and includes facilities such as a bar, restaurants, library, wellness spa with pool and gym all set in beautifully landscaped grounds. This luxury retirement village needed a retaining wall with considerable aesthetic appeal. The landscape design was carefully formulated to make a major commitment to the restoration and conservation of the landscape on the original Wood Norton estate. Groundworker R O’Donaghey was tasked with proposing a retention solution that could facilitate curves, corners, stepping down and railings. The project team had considered Gabion Baskets but decided that they would detract from the beautiful surrounding landscaping.

The University of Gloucestershire’s strategic commitment to be “centred on students” was integral to the scheme. The striking courtyard required a combination of permeable and impermeable paving. The area of permeable paving is centred within the area of standard paving which necessitated complementary products. Ireland Albrecht Landscape Architects sought paving that was similar in style and format for both permeable and impermeable areas.

This housing development required a retaining wall solution but presented challenges in terms of limited space and existing services. Two retaining walls were required at the sides of the entrance to Nicholls Lane housing development. While a Geogrid Reinforced Backfill method was appropriate for the Secura Grand retaining wall on the righthand side of the development, the retaining wall on the left was met with the challenges of limited space and existing services. The highway boundary limited the amount of space available to construct the retaining wall on the left- hand side. The existing services present within the retained soil caused further complexities. On this occasion minimising excavation was crucial due to the services within the retained soil. Efficient use of land was vital as the Secura wall didn’t have the room at the back for geogrid or for no-fines concrete backfill. It was desirable that both walls at the sides of the entrance looked the same despite their different conditions.

The upmarket development was built on a sloping site which required an attractive retaining wall.A large retaining wall was required but space was limited. The retaining wall needed to incorporate corners, curves and steps, as well as supporting an elevated car park above it.The existing site conditions were far from ideal and required significant remediation works.Peter Leonard, Quantity Surveyor at Carpenterbuild Ltd commented: “Having no prior awareness of alternative retention methods, we were going to use a Gabion Basket system. We had previous experience using Gabions on other schemes.”

A retaining wall was the perfect solution at Meadowbank Sports Arena for resisting pressures from the heightened land beside the running track as well as creating a safe boundary area for the outdoor facilities on site.

MNM Developments carefully crafted the 55 apartments at award-winning Harbour Green in Portobello to complement the aesthetics of the coastal suburb. Placing as much importance on the exterior of the landmark development located on the seafront at Portobello Promenade, the developer was looking for a paving product that would look as good as the Harbour Green interior.

The Aeronautical Engineering Training Centre in Ayr College was designed with a modern edge and this style was reflected in the hard landscape which was created with an eye-catching Sienna mixed colour pattern.