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Background
The new City Campus East development at Northumbria University is a striking example of sustainable design and has already won several accolades.
Lead landscape architect, SLR Insite was sufficiently impressed with the potential and versatility of SureSet for it to be utilised extensively to help fulfil a brief that read: '…provide an imaginative and contemporary landscape setting that is both flexible and adaptable to respond to the changing needs of the University and to promote its status as an international learning centre’.
Solution
Within the main campus, 4,033m² of 6mm Forest Green/Sterling Silver mix has been laid on a pedestrian pathway as well as an unusual central feature which depicts the left and right sides of the brain. A further 10m² of Sterling Silver has also been used to complete 42 tree pits.
The project also incorporates a new bridge crossing the central motorway. A striking aspect of its design is the utilisation of SureSet to create the words 'Northumbria University' within the footpath. To achieve this, SureSet initially prepared laser cut stencils as templates with metal edging being formed into position to create the letters. These were filled with the 6mm Forest Green, with the background colour of 6mm Sterling Silver inlaid on site.
The third element utilising SureSet is a landscape 'makeover' for Ellison Courtyard, an area within the original City Campus. The courtyard forms part of the walkway linking existing buildings to the new footbridge and continuing onto City Campus East. Here a mix of 6mm Sterling Silver and 6mm Forest Green blends from each end to give a 50/50 mix at its central point with 10mm Sterling being used for tree pits. To quote the University: “the new Ellison Courtyard provides a high quality oasis within the heart of the City Campus to be enjoyed by the whole University, community, visitors and others alike”.
Result
For SLR Insite the choice of materials had to balance the competing demands of sustainability and longevity and to this end SureSet was able to source much of its raw materials locally. SLR Insite Project manager, James Brewer, said: "We were looking for a really hard wearing and bright aggregate finish and SureSet gave us this, and some really crisp edging. I am very proud with the result and students often comment on the unusual Nothumbrian lettering”.
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