Flora-tec Case Studies

Flora-tec case study: Roche, Welwyn Garden City. August 05

Design Brief
Roche headquarters was a brand new building with extensive external and internal landscaping required.

Solution
Flora-tec designed an innovative, contemporary scheme using character specimens in the reception and Directors’ areas and a mix of specimens throughout the open-plan office areas. Large Ficus Longifolia trees were installed at both ends of the main ground floor building and two five-metre Ficus trees at lower ground floor level.

Single specimen Dracaena Compacta Variegata in metallic column containers, at varying heights, create a subtle screen between the open-plan office area and the central atrium area.

In the summer, the glass wall to the cafe seating area slides back to enable staff to sit outside in the courtyard area - thus linking the inside with the outside.

Taking advantage of the transparent nature of the glass building, internal planting was designed to reflect the external landscaping. The cafe seating area features Ball Top Ficus trees that mirror the shape of the Pleached Fagus trees outside.

Planting at the entrance to the building was designed for maximum visual impact. Two ancient Mediterranean olives frame the building’s main entrance, and the largest revolving doors in Europe. Inside, a 4.5 metre Ficus Longifolia is positioned on the right-hand side of reception, and is mirrored by a matching specimen at the far end of the building.

Red Anthurium in 75cm tall brushed aluminium towers complement the restaurant area’s white furniture and red walls, with Sansieveria Laurentii completing the planting in this space together with simple single stem red bud vases as table centres.

The Director's corridors have lower light, so character Dracaena specimens were used.

The bright open plan aspect of the general office areas is conducive to most tropical plant species, and Flora-tec has used a variety of specimens ranging from trim upright Sansieveria to wide-spreading Anthurium Jungle King, to climbing Scindapsus in tower planters.

Six-metre Ficus Exotica trees were chosen for the atrium spaces so that people could sit under their huge canopy.

Maintenance
All planting and trees have grown and thrived since installation, and this can be attributed to both the suitability of the planting for its environment and the professional maintenance regime in place.

This site benefits from a weekly maintenance regime undertaken by one of our most experienced technicians. Every second week an additional technician works on the site to ensure that all plants and trees are checked for health issues and pests. The technicians are passionate about their site and ensure that everything is maintained to the highest standard.

Customer care is paramount to the company culture therefore a quarterly management visit takes place to ensure the site remains in a pristine condition and the client is kept fully informed of all activities on site.

The site has a Site Log Book in which all company records are kept including Health & Safety policy, Risk assessments, Method Statements, Insurance details, Company Orgonagram, COSHH, Waste management and all work sheets for each site visit and Quality Assurance checks.

We have had several commendations from the client about the professionalism of our staff on site and the standard of maintenance provided.