This project was about creating a vibrant working environment for all the staff relocating to a new building from an old and tired one. The whole process from start to finish lasted more than a year and a half to reach completion. This was a large-scale project working with strict construction build restrictions, structural engineering, bespoke and design-built planters, changing designs that required weekly meetings for over a year to ensure all was running to plan.

The Oak tree installed

Looking down on the completed Mezzanine level

This completed project shows what can be achieved when different organisations and people collaborate together to create something very striking which impacts employees in their workplace on a daily basis.

Project Norwood was a new build office development. The proposal comprised approximately 125,000 sq ft of office over ground and 5 floors with a terrace and function space at roof level. This is a Category B tenant fit-out design with interior planting integral to the overall completed finish. The Biophilia Contractor is required to provide an overall planting design strategy and maintenance strategy including real and faux plants, liaising with Zurich.

This was a very challenging project, over a long period of time, from working with extremely strict construction rules requiring amongst many things: FORS vehicles to having doorways with only a 5mm tolerance for real olive one-ton tree trunks being hoisted into the building on a specialist crane system to different floor levels; load bearing restrictions to lifts too small for specialist items; construction delays; procuring the right kind of oak and olive trunks as well as managing the installs around other trades on site.

This was a collaborative piece with the Client, Flora-tec and our Operations team working to ensure the vision was realised. The Client was over the moon with the finished result, blown away by the large trees and had the official building opening around the Olive tree.

Flor-Tec continues to care, look after and nurture the planting on site.

Main achievements
The installation of an Olive Tree trunk with steel tree stand designed to withstand over 1 ton of tree weight plus wrap around seating and planting; a similar installation of a bespoke Oak Tree plus steel stand and seating and lighting to withstand wind/draughts in front of the main doors.

Supplier: Livingreen Design

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