A place that seeks to find the perfect balance between work and play, The Old Vinyl Factory is home to a large, young community and provides them with commercial and leisure facilities, restaurants, shops, cafes and bars.
But this isn’t all. Far above the ground, a series of roof gardens and patios have also been sensitively developed by Blackdown Greenroofs, catering to the large number of young families and working parents in the community.
The four main blocks rise above a central podium area, hiding their private oasis from the general public, making them a haven of calm and tranquillity that extend the idea of living space to the outdoors.
Landscaped to provide opportunities for relaxation as well as play areas for children, small trees and shrubs provide the gardens privacy, while playground apparatus complete the area.
Having a recreational green area is a huge and often rare benefit to urban and city dwellers, who may not have access to nearby public parks or natural areas. Research has shown that those who regularly spend time in a natural environment have improved mental, physical and even emotional health.
The gardens also replace most of the green space that may have otherwise occupied the space where The Old Vinyl Factory buildings sit, encouraging local natural wildlife and aiding biodiversity.
To achieve this, Blackdown Greenroofs installed an intensive green roof with integrated bespoke intensive planters containing a variety of wildflowers, sedums and shrubs, alongside some paved areas, benches and decking. An intensive green roof features a substrate of increased depth, so that planting can be similar to that on the ground: planters, lawns, trees and shrubs all have a healthy home here.
Rob Beswick at B D Landscape Architects, who designed the space, said: “I have been really impressed with the completed development. The podium landscape and roof terraces are well installed and it’s great to see a project where the quality of the soft landscape hasn’t been compromised.”
The children’s play area includes large pebble seats, bears, large 3D resin play models and active play equipment. Permanent irrigation systems are installed to ensure the gardens’ longevity and that this area in particular doesn’t flood.
With providing the utmost health and safety in mind, gates and fencing were also installed, all using specialist fixing methods to ensure the integrity of the waterproofing membrane below the green roof was not compromised.
