.jpg)
Global nutrition group, Glanbia, made the decision to have the company headquarters, Glanbia House in Kilkenny, refurbished with a new landscape scheme in 2016 as a method of modernising the commercial office blocks. Digby Brady, also based in Kilkenny, was responsible for sourcing appropriate hard landscaping materials for the site. The choice of materials was very important in complementing the buildings and Glanbia’s fresh brand image. Digby Brady specified Tobermore’s innovative City Pave VS5 and contemporary Fusion block paving to achieve Glanbia’s desired look for the grounds.
Glanbia was formed in 1997 and is a very successful corporation that currently employs over 6,000 people across 32 countries, as well as selling and distributing products in over 130 countries worldwide.
JJ Digby, Landscape Architect at Digby Brady, explained the objectives set out for the external refurbishment works: “The existing hard and soft landscaping at Glanbia House was implemented approximately twenty years ago, therefore, the main objective was to achieve a result that better reflected the corporate headquarters of a leading global firm. This included using a new suite of materials to improve and rationalise the overall layout of the landscape.”
JJ commented on the choice of paving as an appropriate hard landscaping material: “Block paving was chosen for the vehicular and pedestrian areas adjacent to the building due to its potential for a continuous colour palette and general appearance throughout and its practicality.”
Following discussions with Tobermore’s ROI Sales team and the provision of product samples and technical guidance, the landscape architect had no doubt that Tobermore products were the superior product choice. JJ noted: “Tobermore products were specified due to their longevity and durability. The products that had been used previously had not aged well visually or performed well structurally.”
City Pave VS5 and Fusion block paving were the chosen Tobermore products. City Pave VS5 is an interlocking paving system that is manufactured with shift protection on five sides of the block to provide maximum pavement stability. Fusion is a modular paving system that enables the creation of unique mixed patterns to maximise visual impact. Both City Pave VS5 and Fusion are produced with a granite aggregate surface layer that produces a vibrant, contemporary appearance similar to natural granite. The modern aesthetics of the products were a complementary accompaniment for the light-coloured block used on the Glanbia House building.
Digby Brady put creative ideas together to form the landscape design plan. JJ explained: “The concept was to create a contemporary setting for the building which was visually pleasing with improved links between the parking areas and entrances. An entrance plaza was created using Kilkenny limestone. Tobermore block paving was used throughout the scheme with a pattern of City Pave VS5 Mid Grey and Charcoal lines on a Silver background and a similar pattern of Fusion Mid Grey lines with Silver again.”
The works were completed in late 2016 with very impressive results. JJ commented: “We were very pleased. We must give credit to RDC Contracts who did a great job.”
JJ concluded: “We strongly recommend Tobermore products because of their appearance, quality and durability. The price premium is a sound investment in the medium to long-term. In addition, the company was very easy to deal with and the order and delivery service was efficient and reliable.”
