Landscape Newsletters - Landscape Articles - Landscaping Hints and Tips

RACV Club – How Granite Helped to Commemorate the Bush Fire Tragedy

Oct
4
2010

by KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions

KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions was honored to supply the Granite for a very special art piece located at the RACV Club in Healesville.

The monument, designed by PTA Landscapes and Tract Architects , was commissioned to reflect and acknowledge the role that the RACV Club played in assisting the local community during this tragic event.

The piece is a blue tree rising up from the black landscape signifying the renewal of life. It also reflects the trees in built environment and the linear form of architecture in this building.

The Granite supplied by KHD was manufactured to specific specifications and its solid black colour and pearl polished finish provide a clear reflection.

The RACV Club at Healesville played an important part in assisting the local community during the fires both as an operations centre for the Country Fire Authority and as a sanctuary for those who lost their homes.

This project was also recently featured on the Selector.com blog.

If you would like further information about this job or how Granite could assist with your next project, drop us a line here.

Retrofitted Green Roof Launched at 131 Queen Street, Melbourne

Aug
18
2010

by KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions

It seems that everyone in the design community wants to know more about Green Roofs.

Clients are asking about Green Roofs, the press is getting involved, so when KHD were invited by Green Roof Technologies to become involved in the Growing Up project, it was an offer simply too good to refuse.

The rooftops of Melbourne’s CBD buildings represent a concrete jungle. To start the process change, the Melbourne City Council Committee for Melbourne supported the establishment of the Growing Up project, which was launched to retrofit a green roof to a Melbourne CBD Building.

A design competition was established which Bent Architecture won.

Building owners in the CBD were contacted and asked to nominate buildings for consideration. In the end, 131 Queen Street Melbourne was chosen and, amongst other things, was the furthest nominated building from any green space in the CBD.

Want to know more about how to include a retrofitted Green Roof on your next projects? KHD is now working with Green Roof Technologies to provide an end-to-end design, construction and maintenance service for Green Roofs.

The rooftop of 131 Queen Street is now an inviting recreation space in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD.
If you have any projects that you would like to discuss, why not drop Ken Hitchcock a line here
or call on 0419 579 437.

Turf Pave – Smart Paver Support System

May
11
2010

by KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions

Do you have clients who have small blocks of land and require the lawned area to be a car parking space as well as a family lawn/play area? If so, then TurfPave is here to help.

TurfPave is a lightweight, high strength interlocking plastic grass paver system designed for grassed areas subject to high pedestrian and vehicular traffic. TurfPave has a porous structure allowing rainwater to infiltrate into the ground. It’s high load-bearing qualities protects grass roots against compaction and effectively supports loads imposed by large vehicles.

Other features include -

More than 90% unrestricted root base area
Secure snap-on joining ensuring modules remain in place after installation
Ability to peg the sub-base on slopes and curves
Vertical webs that direct roots downward minimising girdling
High compressive strength (unfilled > 200 t/m²)
Flexible connecting grids ensuring modules conform to uneven surfaces
Nesting design that halves storage and transport costs

In this video, KHD demonstrate how easy TurfPave is to install and overviews its features and benefits.

Looking for a Smart Drainage System?

Mar
25
2010

by KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions

VersiFlex

VersiFlex is an interlocking drainage cell system ideal for use in planter boxes, roof top gardens and retaining walls. What makes VersiFlex unique is its ability to conform and fit to uneven surfaces such as curved walls and slopes.

If you are designing a project with a retailing wall, rather than using gravel as the drainage system, we recommend specifying VersiFlex, which can reduce the hydrostatic pressure on the wall.

VersiFlex is stackable and its nestable design reduces onsite storage space and transport costs.

VersiCell

VersiCell is a sub surface drainage system ideal for retaining walls, sports fields, under pavers and for underground infiltration and water storage tanks.

The key feature of this system is its strength, which means that VersiCell can be used in traffic areas as opposed to dimpled, or cuspated sheet systems. Bobcats can drive on it with a minimum of 300mm of soil covering the geotextile. This makes it ideal for large landscaped areas.

Australian Bluestone Leads The Way

Dec
15
2009

by KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions

When KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions were commissioned to become involved in this high-end residential project in Red Hill on the out skirts of Melbourne, the magnificent surroundings called for the best natural resources.

Sensing the organic feel of the property and landscape, the new design and layout called for the use of natural materials where possible.

Answering to this brief, KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions selected Australian Bluestone with the view to creating a harmonious and leading interplay between the other elements of the project. The pictures speak for themselves.

Bluestone project feature

One of the main features of this design is a water fountain that flows seamlessly out behind the backdrop of Bluestone pavers. Also, the Bluestone crazy paving, which surrounds the pool, will grey and blend in more over time through the exposure to the natural environment.

This project provides an entire outdoor entertaining space that enables the maximum enjoyment out of the natural landscape. The smooth interaction between all the unique natural features makes this pool an outstanding additional to this Red Hill home.

Tasmanian Sandstone Continues to Grow in Popularity

Jul
1
2009

by KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions

KHD Landscape Engineering Solutions are pleased to report that in the Landscape Architecture industry, the use of stone in projects continues to grow and Tasmanian Sandstone is as popular as ever.

We truly believe, and our partners tell us, that the beauty of Tasmanian Sandstone is that it can blend seamlessly into both traditional classic architecture and modern contemporary projects. The project applications shown here confirm this.

The stone is only lightly veined and therefore doesn’t interrupt the ability of the eye to enjoy the core design elements of a project.

Due to its capacity to last many generations, Tasmanian Sandstone is often featured in robust outdoor applications. It can be easily incorporated into garden features, high traffic paved areas, feature walling and building stone.

Using high quality stone in projects ensure that your work is enjoyed and looks good for generations to come.

To view other project applications, please visit our website here.