THE CONCEPT REPORT

ECOLOGY BUILDING SOCIETY

OUTLINE DESIGNS FOR THE LANDSCAPE AROUND THE ECOLOGY BUILDING SOCIETY HEADQUARTERS

Version 2

Mark Fisher, September 2004on behalf of the Permaculture Association

mn.fisher@ukonline.co.uk

DESIGN BRIEF

OVERALL AIM - low maintenance design

•PUBLIC SPACE for use by local residents for dog walking. To be maintained as a meadow.

•FLOWER BORDERS rear of car park and along footpath on Belton Road. Planting schemes.

•TRANSITION BOUNDARY between car park and proposed meeting room. Planting to create separation.

•PRIVATE SPACE for staff use. Close off of this space.

SITE PLAN

Private area

Office

Public area

Car park

PUBLIC AREA

Conifer hedge

Sycamore

Silver birch

Lime

Mound

Plateau

Drop away

Wall

Fence

Bund

Hedging whips

CAR PARK

Coniferhedge

Sycamore

Silver birch

Lime

Narrow border

Elderberry

Fern

Holly

Border

OPEN space

OFFICE

Dead tree

Sycamore

Silver birch

Lime

Narrow border

Nettles

Thistles

Lights

PRIVATE AREA

Thistles

Nettles

Bund

Hedging whips

Lime

Ash

Sycamore

Chestnut

Elderberry

Purple plum

Silver birch

Footpath Bund Meadow

PLANTS ANIMALS STRUCTURES EVENTS

Ecology Building Society 2004 – Mark Fisher

Fragrant plantings: lavender, roses, lilacRoses, companion plantedInsect attracting plants (for honey bees?)Natural drifts, plantingLarge clumps, in scale with buildingNature garden around copseArchitectural plantings near meeting roomBulbs, all season, under treesStonecrop along path bordersHerbsBerried and fruiting shrubsGroundcoverMeadow area near copseNative plantsAvenue of treesLow maintenance plantingYear-round interestBarrier planting where appropriate

HedgehogsButterfliesBird boxes in copseBat boxesBird baths and tablesBees

Seating areas: open views, in copse, under an arch/living arbourPaths, walkways, meandering through whole sitePicnic AreaOutdoor lightingA hideCompost bin/area

Staff social eventsLunchtime eating out (cover?)Quiet, relaxing areaSpill-out from AGM/meetings

PASE

PUBLIC AREA - people movement

• fouling of mown paths• NO long distance walk through site• desire line over bund • gap between bund and wall• access to maintain conifer hedge

Desire line

People movement

Gap

PUBLIC AREA - proposals

Gate

• blackthorn shrubbery to close desire line (remove hawthorns )• close gap with a gate• shrub enclosures for dog bins; shrub line for channeling over mound; island shrubberies break up hedge & fence line • small spinney for accent• supplement bund & mound flowers - plugs and bulbs in drifts

Blackthorn shrubbery

Island shrubbery

Dog bin shrubbery

Accent spinney

Dog bin

Channeling shrub line

CAR PARK

WINDWINDRAIN

Sunny border

RAIN SHADOW

Transition boundary

Free draining, sunny borders

CAR PARK - proposals

Grass verge flower planting

Heather & stonecrop strip planting

• mixed heather (colour & season) with feature stonecrop plantings

• roadside grass verge flower planting

e.g. cranesbill, foxglove, bellflower, chicory & dog rose + maybe ferns, meadowsweet

• island bed of millstone grit guild plants

e.g. silver birch, rowan, willow, heather, gorse, broom, grey willow, bilberry + maybe pine, juniperMillstone

grit island

PRIVATE AREA

Gap

ViewsNOISE

Thistleseed

Nettleseed

Tarn Hill

Brunthwaite Crag

WINDWINDRAIN

Opening

PRIVATE AREA - movement & meadow

Woodland walk

Maintenance access

Meadow walk

Meadowvegetation

poor

mixed

lush

PRIVATE AREA - proposals

Berried shrubs & feature trees

Berried shrubs

Gate

Meadow plantings

Bench

Grassland bulbs

Woodland edgee.g. rowan, broom, wild garlic, honeysuckle, rose

Open birch woodland

Path clearedthru woodland

Hollies

Hedgehog, bat & bird boxes

Herbs & perennial veg.