PORTFOLIO
“Cultura worked collaboratively with us, the landscape architects and the client and we, as a team, successfully delivered the client’s vision on this demanding scheme.” Soft landscaping A soft landscaping scheme, expertly designed by Nigel Dunnett and Untitled Practice, to improve biodiversity and air quality and reduce pollution, was installed. Included in this naturalistic scheme were 150 new trees – cherries, elms and maples diversified the range of existing tree species to develop the sense of parkland – 313,000 bulbs including snow drops, English bluebells, crocus and wild daffodils, and 30,000 perennials. This provides a major new planting feature called the ‘River of Flowers’ to give a long season, high level of interest and enhance the potential for wildlife, particularly pollinators. The River of Flowers runs for 650m along the entire eastern length of Valley Gardens. The intricacies of the planting combinations were fully realised by Cultura’s highly expert horticulture team who interpreted the vision of the specialist planting lead without a planting plan for guidance.12,000m2 of highperformance lawns were laid using RTF (Rye Tall Fescue) turf, chosen for its hardwearing, deep rooting and drought tolerant attributes. These were sited throughout the central zones of Valley Gardens and will give access to areas for play, informal gatherings and relaxation. The scheme was finished with 1,250m² of wildflower turf mats along the western margins of all three parks to form species rich meadows for improved biodiversity. Challenges Major road infrastructure works associated with the project ran alongside the landscaping of the green environment. Cultura worked closely with the client, Brighton and Hove City Council, their planning department and main contractor, Dyer & Butler attending face to face meetings and many onsite project walks to ensure the dovetailing of the two disciplines. Perhaps the most unexpected challenge was when works came to a halt, when an unexploded World War II mortar bomb was discovered on site. Police were called and the surrounding roads shut off, as the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit detonated the device in a controlled explosion.
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