Residential podium garden, Edgbaston

Stratum planter walling
Street Design was specified to manufacture and supply raised planter walling and seating for a new residential development in Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Working with Winvic, the contractor, and Fira, the project landscape architects, Street Design developed the manufacture details for the aluminium raised planter walling.
Podium raised planter walling
A first floor podium formed the main part of the project with 3 large, shaped, raised planting areas with porcelain paving and aluminium deck areas between the planters.
The podium build up consisted of: a plastic egg crate drainage layer with a geotextile membrane on top, allowing the planter walling panels to be assembled, creating the raised planting areas. Aluminium ground plates and cross brace straps ensured the walling remained vertical during the build and fill procedures. The planter walling was manufactured in sections and bolted together on site.
As part of the landscape design, the raised planting areas included rounded corners and changing wall heights. The radius corners were manufactured with an external radius of 1500mm, and the heights varied from 351 up to 771mm, above the drainage layer level. The paving and decking areas were laid on an aluminium framework with riser supports.
Street Design worked closely with Deckbuilders Limited, who was appointed to install the podium garden area and a smaller roof garden on level 8. The installation of the raised walling quickly formed the raised areas and created the flooring spaces for the paving, decking and grass zones. The scheme included seating, lighting and steps leading up to the raised grass sections.
Two types of seating were included: low-level, timber-slatted, linear, informal seating that defined the steps and grass areas; and more formal, recessed timber slatted benches, set into the raised walling. The FSC-certified seating slats were manufactured from 95 x 45mm section, pressure-treated redwood.
The planter walling sections were manufactured from 4mm- thick aluminium sheet and polyester powder coated RAL 8014. The sections included end and intermediate slotted flanges that allowed the panels to be bolted together and be strengthened with the ground plates and cross brace straps.
When fully assembled the raised areas were filled with sub-soil and an additional layer of topsoil. When the area was completed, the soft landscaping was planted with shrub planting and specimen trees.
The project included lighting in the form of uplighters, recessed side lighting to the raised planter walling, and perimeter LED strip plinth lighting at the bottom of the planter.
Roof garden raised planter walling
The project also included a roof garden on the 8th floor and comprised of a much smaller area of raised planter walling. This area was included to provide easy access to an outdoor garden space for the residents, living in that part of the development.
The roof garden build up consisted of the same plastic egg crate drainage layer with a geotextile membrane on top, allowing the planter walling panels to be assembled, creating the raised planting area.
The roof garden landscape design incorporated raised planting areas included rounded corners and changing wall heights. The paving and decking areas were laid on an aluminium framework with riser supports. The garden featured an artificial grass area.
The roof garden included lighting in the form of uplighters, recessed side lighting to the raised planter walling and perimeter LED strip plinth lighting at the bottom of the planter.