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Situated on the southern banks of the River Liffey overlooking Phoenix Park, Clancy Quay is a luxurious new housing development in Islandbridge, Dublin, from Kennedy Wilson Europe. Irish landscape architecture firm, Mitchell & Associates, was assigned the task of designing the external landscape surrounding the 46 designer apartments and townhouses on site which have replaced the historic Clancy Barracks. With the landscape consisting of vast, spacious gardens and courtyards, the design process was challenging, however, Tobermore helped make the job much easier for Mitchell & Associates with the provision of high quality hard landscaping products.
Axel Hens, Associate at Mitchell & Associates, provided an insight into the project: “The development was primarily residential, providing a mix of adapted, restored buildings and new builds with Cambridge Square at the heart of the project. The site extends to fourteen acres between the River Liffey, St John’s Road and the South Circular Road at Islandbridge. The design placed a high priority on making connections between the core of the scheme and the South Circular Road, as well as linking the existing residential phase to future development areas.”
Axel explained the landscape design concept developed by Mitchell & Associates: “The project design took a sustainable approach to drainage with the introduction of green roofs and a central swale was planted with a view to increasing bio-diversity, linking to permeable paving. Materials reclaimed from Clancy Barracks were also incorporated for re-use within the scheme.
“The landscape design approach concentrated on achieving a balance between creating a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere whilst accommodating the minimum acceptable levels of vehicle circulation, set down and parking.”
In order to meet the design objective, Mitchell & Associates considered a variety of hard landscaping solutions and it was clear that paving was the most suitable material. Axel commented: “We saw that paving offered a lot of flexibility in relation to the different character areas we wanted to create, it could facilitate associated traffic loadings and function as a SuDS solution.
“Quality and finish was a major factor in the decision to specify Tobermore paving products over other paving manufacturers.”
Axel explained the incorporation of Tobermore’s paving products at Clancy Quay: “The existing buildings were set on a ground plane of Tegula and Retro concrete paving which provided a very distinguished and harmonious character alongside the older buildings.”
Tobermore’s Tegula is a traditional product with an aged, antique appearance that adds style and character to any application. Similarly, Retro is a vintage-themed product that evokes timeless style and elegance. The unique, slender product shape of Retro creates a rustic look that is reminiscent of ancient European towns and villages. These two products work beautifully together.
Axel continued: “For the new buildings on site, we selected contemporary paving units – Tobermore’s modern Manhattan and Fusion block paving – which were in perfect balance with the modern style of the new homes at Clancy Quay. This principle was carried through the first phase of the development.”
Tobermore’s Manhattan and Fusion are manufactured with a granite aggregate surface layer that creates a striking modern appearance like that of natural granite. Although similar in surface finish, these products serve different functions.
Manhattan is a plank paving system that offers unique aesthetic appeal, creating the impression of space by producing a lengthening or widening effect to the area in which it is laid. Fusion is a modular paving system that enables the creation of unique mixed patterns to maximise visual impact.
Modern Mayfair Flags from Tobermore were also specified for private pedestrian areas on site and Country Kerb was selected as a kerbing solution. Like the contemporary finishes of Manhattan and Fusion, Mayfair Flags and Country Kerb are also manufactured with granite aggregate surface layer that creates a striking look.
The stunning homes at Clancy Quay are now available and are earning much attention. As well as the decadent interiors and modern facilities within each apartment, the lavish housing project offers exclusive amenities for residents including a state of the art gym, cinema room, business centre, games room and underground parking.
Reflecting on the project, Axel commented: “We are very pleased with the result. Everything ran smoothly during design and construction and there were no major issues encountered.
“We would recommend Tobermore to anyone in the construction industry. The products are of top quality and the service provided was absolutely fantastic.”
