On 8th December, Hardscape welcomed over 20 delegates to its Long Marston facility to explore ‘Possibilities in Paving’ as part of a free CPD event. The event, which was delivered in partnership with the Landscape Institute, was designed to give attendees an insight into the range of natural and man-made material types that can be manipulated to create visionary public realm and regeneration projects and the processes used to create the finished effect.
Attendees were also introduced to Artscape – which combines refined fabrication techniques and technical expertise to enable designers and clients to bring their vision to life, regardless of design detail or material type.
Hardscape Managing Director Mathew Haslam gave an in-depth presentation outlining the variety of cutting-edge machinery available to hep designers and clients to bring their vision to life including the 5 Axis CNC machine, waterjet cutting, stonemasonry and etching. Mathew also presented a range of stunning examples of projects where Artscape techniques had been used including Eberle Street in Liverpool, Elk Mill in Oldham and Goose Green in Altrincham. As part of the Q&A session there were some interesting discussions around the importance of creating paving schemes that offer longevity and practicality while also acknowledging the importance an attractive, stand-out design has to play.
Attendees were then given a behind the scenes tour of the facility and a chance to see the machinery in action. This included the CNC laser which is used for customised etching and engraving of text, logos and graphics onto hard landscaping materials. Hardscape is currently the only company to have this state-of-the-art equipment, demonstrating their commitment to investing in the latest technologies for the Artscape process.
After a networking lunch, the day was finished off with an inspiring insight into the stunning Cunard bench project in Liverpool. Hardscape had been tasked to craft an epic 50-metre granite stone seat outside the iconic Cunard Building. The process behind the creation of the stunning bench was described in detail including how the bronze inlays were inset into the granite using waterjet technology.
Hardscape Managing Director Mathew Haslam said, “The event offered an excellent opportunity for landscape architects to discover what goes on behind the scenes at Hardscape in bringing iconic hard landscaping projects to life. We hope that we have inspired attendees to think about ways they can introduce Artscape to future projects and enhance their understanding of the capabilities of the technologies and materials that we offer. We are committed to supporting the training of current and future generations of landscape architects and look forward to delivering future events as a corporate partner of the Landscape Institute.”
Hardscape is proud to be a certified member of the Construction CPD Certification Service and will be running further CPD events in 2017. To register your interest in future events please email enq@hardscape.co.uk.
