Good landscaping can define a project. From a single home up to a huge multi-use commercial project, it can be the difference which transforms an uninspired space into a beautiful environment.
Want to know what’s possible? We have curated 10 paving designs to inspire you on your next project.
South Gardens is a 360-home community in Lendlease’s larger Elephant Park masterplan in Southwark. It is designed to be one of London’s greenest living spaces and is centred around communal courtyards and flourishing green spaces. In this context, the landscaping is all-important to the overall build, requiring a top quality paving design to allow residents to make best use of the family-friendly urban sanctuary.
A mix of soft and hard landscaping was required and led to Wienerberger’s Rosa Waterstruck WF, Siena WF and Nero WF pavers being selected to create the pathways through the courtyard and blend in with the natural habitat. The three types of Dutch-style clay pavers were laid in an eye-catching herringbone pattern to replicate the appeal of a traditional cottage garden, inspire movement and enhance wellbeing.
The project received top honours at the Landscape Institute Awards 2018, receiving the President’s Award and the Small-Scale Development category award.
Nottingham Trent’s £13m Pavilion scheme aimed to transform an outdated 1960s teaching building into a modern, cohesive space which utilised contemporary materials to build a new social heart for the campus. The marriage between old and new created an interesting design challenge to provide an inclusive space that would inspire and engage a new generation of students.
Flanked by signature buildings and an attention-grabbing colonnade, the triangular Plaza used Wienerberger Rosa Waterstruck clay pavers to create attractive geometric banding within its paving. The pavers match the material palette used in the buildings’ architecture to complement the landscaping – an innovative approach in the sector. Covering more than 4,100 sqm, the plaza has received multiple architectural awards and shows the impact the right paving design can have on a project.
Southwater One was the first phase of a £250m development in Telford situated on riverside greenbelt land in the town. The location represented a major aesthetic challenge for the developer, Morgan Sindall, and made the selection of building materials an issue of enormous importance.
A big part of the challenge was the requirement for paving which provided Southwater One with a physical and symbolic link between the modernist exterior of the development and its natural surroundings. Wienerberger’s Siena paver met that specification thanks to its warm, sandy tones which blended perfectly with the natural landscape. The Mastiek and Auraton pavers were then blended with the Siena and used to provide a truly unique waterfront patina, satisfying the brief in style.
The clay pavers also satisfy the practical concerns on a development that is expected to become a high-footfall commercial space. Their durability provides a reliable solidity, while the stretcher and herringbone laying patterns, combined with the colouration, creates an exciting visual environment.
Stoke-on-Trent’s new central business district, Smithfield, is an important new area of the city and it was proposed that the public realm should have a distinctive character to match the project’s importance.
The architecture is designed to provide a modern spin on Stoke’s proud industrial heritage of pottery manufacture, to reflect that past while making it fit for the 21st century. The city itself also features an attractive combination of green space and hard landscape which needed to be reflected at Smithfield to provide continuity.
With those factors in mind, clay paving was a natural choice for the site, and Wienerberger embraced the heritage of the Potteries to create a bespoke warm colour palette. Our Dutch clay pavers in a blend of Ravenna, Mastiek, Siena and Basalt were selected to provide the desired colour as well as their resistance to wear and tear.
The Dutch town of Zevenbergen has a long history as a port town, but in recent decades the canal was filled in and neglected. The town centre declined with it, but recent years have seen the canal reopened and the port area redesigned. The aim of the project was to revitalise the Old Town area and make it a lively leisure destination.
Clay pavers were the natural choice to breathe new life into the town centre, and to create an authentic connection between the present and the past. The market square was paved in a herringbone pattern with Auraton and Bruno pavers which were used to create red and white diagonal strips across the square and along its edges.
Further red and white strips were created to lead people to the port, where paved landings guide them further on into the marina. On the other side of the canal, single-colour paving areas are used to differentiate between pedestrian and vehicle lanes – an elegant, intuitive landscaping solution. Overall, more than 1.5 million clay pavers were laid to create Zevenbergen’s new market and harbour quays area which today is a popular, vibrant place for people to spend time.
Empire Way is one of London’s most significant and long-running redevelopment areas. It has become a vibrant residential and commercial hub for the city and is only minutes from Wembley Stadium. Billions of pounds have been spent here to create an ideal modern mixed-use neighbourhood.
A big part of any redevelopment is ensuring that the walkways are accessible, attractive and easy to navigate. Empire Way is no different and Wienerberger’s Padova WF and Padova DF Dutch clay pavers were used to provide durable and aesthetically pleasing paving in many areas to meet this brief.
Rijssen has a long history as a trading city in the heart of the Netherlands and this rich heritage can be seen in the Europaplein – or Europe Square – which previously existed as a functional but unexciting forecourt for the Town Hall and Monday markets. The Municipality of Rijssen-Holten specified that the square be revitalised and redeveloped into a place for everyone to use, young or old.
High quality materials were used throughout including Corten steel, beautiful street furniture and Wienerberger’s Auraton DF Dutch clay pavers. These pavers created the attractive patterns, including a dot pattern, and warm colouring which visually define the restoration of Europaplein and emphasise the green planting which plays a major role in making it into the welcoming, lively area it is today.
Healthcare facility projects come with the need to balance cost-efficiency, functionality and longevity which presents an interesting challenge and opportunity to any landscape designer. The Erasmus University Medical Centre was no different and the architects, Juurlink, took this as an opportunity to create a landscape design utilising a unique blend of Wienerberger’s Dutch clay pavers.
The Wienerberger collection allowed for a truly innovative and eye-catching series of patterns which took what could have been an uninteresting area of paving and turned it into something special. Reds, yellows and greys interact in unexpected configurations to create a unique blend and give Erasmus University Medical Building an instant identity from the second you start your approach.
It’s not just public spaces that can be defined by the right paving, homes can benefit just as much. For a demonstration of how impactful the right paving can be in a residential environment, we can turn to the work of Architectenburo Acke and Van Wynsberghe, Assende, Belgium.
The modern garden design emphasises tranquillity and beauty, making it the perfect fit for Wienerberger’s Sycamore Olsburg Multi 52mm pavers. This collection features both bold and subtle colour profiles to create a statement look for any modern garden landscaping design.
Continuing the residential theme, this work in Belgium by HWS Landscaping, Antwerp shows the versatility of paving as a way to transition beautifully from grass to a garden swimming pool. The paving separates the pool from the grass area, allowing it to stand out as a feature in its own right, but doesn’t make it feel out of place. Instead, the pool enhances its surroundings by being part of it – an effect enabled by the paving.
Wienerberger’s Alder Lotis UWF Tumbled pavers are an ideal accompaniment to a swimming pool, whether you are trying to achieve a heritage look or a more contemporary surround. These pavers will give you a visual interest and a softer toned border for your pool.
