PICS Golden Trowel Awards 2024 Domestic Category Winner
Site Features:
The garden is located on a sloping site, where a mix of flower beds, lawn areas, and a vegetable garden have been thoughtfully incorporated. Access to the garden from a patio is via uneven steps, with the patio itself being semi-shaded for much of the day. A recently installed greenhouse is positioned on the site, but accessibility was challenging due to a narrow and slippery path, which made it difficult to manoeuvre wheelbarrows. The owners are passionate gardeners who were eager to further develop the planting in the garden, while also seeking a space to relax and entertain in the sunniest area of the property.
Project Aims:
The primary aim of the project was to enhance both the aesthetics and usability of the customer’s garden, making it a more functional and enjoyable space.
One key goal is to optimise the layout, creating better access to a new, sunlit patio area. Additionally, the project aims to improve safety by ensuring that all steps have an even tread depth, providing easy access throughout the garden. The customers’ preferences are central to the design process, and they had input at every stage of the project. To extend the garden’s usability into the evening, plans included lighting being installed to illuminate key areas, ensuring safety for activities such as bringing in logs after dark.
The project also seeks to balance quality with cost-effectiveness, delivering a high-end look while maintaining budgetary constraints. A low-maintenance design is a priority, especially with the customers’ dogs in mind, ensuring the space remains easy to care for, with a durable and simple-to-clean patio that allows them to focus on enjoying their garden
Area:
The project covered a total area of 67m², including patios, paths, and steps, with a specific focus on improving accessibility and flow throughout the garden. Additionally, an exposed aggregate surface was laid around the greenhouse, covering 10m², which adds both aesthetic appeal and functionality.
A sleeper wall, constructed from 105 ‘sleepers’ of varying lengths and printed on all sides, was incorporated to define spaces and enhance the garden’s structure.
The project required a total of 567 man-hours to complete, ensuring that every element was up to a high standard and installed to meet the design goals.
Technical:
Two Patios and Pathway
Mats: PICS – Bavarian Castle Stone
Colour Surface Hardener: PICS – Steadman Buff
Release Agent: PICS – Charcoal
Concrete: C350 volumetric concrete with fibres
Sealer: 2 coats of PICS high solid sealer with PICS Rhino Grip in 2nd coat.
Steps
Mats: PICS Reclaimed Timber and home-made endgrain mats.
Colour Surface Hardener: PICS – Biscuit
Release Agent: PICS – Charcoal
Concrete: Mixed on-site in Belle mixers with fibres
Sealer: 2 coats of PICS High Solid Sealer with Rhino Grip in 2nd coat.
Exposed Aggregate (around greenhouse)
Aggregate: 10mm Golden Shingle
Colour: HATCRETE – Stone Buff Adcolour
Concrete: Mixed on-site in Belle mixers with fibres
Retardant: HATCRETE Blue Retarder
Sealer: 2 coats of PICS High Solid Sealer.
Sleeper-effect Wall
Wall: Built-in concrete blocks finished with uneven heights to mimic sleepers.
Render: PICS Wallcrete
Mats: Printed on all sides with vertical PICS Reclaimed Timber mats and with endgrain mats on the tops.
Tint (mixed into Render): Biscuit
Highlight colours: Dark Chocolate & Brown Smith’s Acrylic.
Sealer: 1 coat of PICS Wall Seal & 1 coat of PICS High Solid Sealer.
Lights
Deck lights: 20x 40mm high spec decking lights with choice of lighting colour.
Wiring Loom: Bespoke
Controller & Timer: Bluetooth
Technical Difficulties & Considerations:
The construction of the sleeper wall involved careful attention to detail, particularly with the placement of blocks to ensure that the widths aligned perfectly with the final vertical sleeper sizes, which varied between 10” and 8”.
To allow for easy future maintenance, the wiring loom for the garden’s lighting system was discreetly placed in a gravel drainage trench at the bottom of the wall. Additionally, spare wires were concealed in the render, providing flexibility for adding more lights if desired in the future.
The lights themselves were mounted in a 35mm sleeve, allowing the customer to easily replace them and even reverse the polarity from a white light to a warm glow, providing customizable lighting options.
To enhance convenience, a Bluetooth controller and timer were installed, enabling remote operation of the lighting system for effortless control and ease of use.
Participants:
Contractors: EMT Drives and landscaping
Concrete Supplier: Bromfield Sand and Gravel
Product Supplier/ Manufacturer: PICS