Background

Dunelm, the UK’s leading soft furnishings retailer, recently moved to a new 55,000ft2 Head Office and Store Support Centre at Watermead Business Park in Leicester, creating spacious new facilities for the business and all Dunelm Group head office staff, complete with generous onsite car parking.

Challenge

The new Dunelm building has been designed to provide excellent working conditions for its staff. Materials used in construction are very crisp, simple and pared down, consisting of glass and precast concrete cladding contrasting with a lush landscaped setting. Hard landscaping around this prestigious office development and in the car park needed to reflect this approach, using texture and contrast to complement the concept and lines of the development. In addition, the need for safe surface water removal had to be taken into consideration.

Solution

To enhance the clean and elegant frontage of the building, Mistral textured granite sett paving was selected to create the appropriate visual effects to frame this modern development and contemporary space. Mistral offers a stunning yet practical solution, suitable for use in any loading Client: Dunelm Group PLC Contractor: Bowmer & Kirkland Ltd Products Used: Conservation Paving, Conservation Kerb, Mistral Block Paving, Mistral Priora Block Paving and Edging application across civil, retail and commercial projects. In addition, around the perimeter of the building, Mistral paving with Conservation edging was used to create a clear demarcation between building and soft landscaping. In the car parking areas, Mistral Priora was specified in two contrasting colours on paths and roadways to delineate pedestrian and vehicular space. The exposed granite aggregates of Mistral Priora made it the first choice SuDS solution for this clean and contemporary public space. Conservation Textured Kerb was also used around planted areas to protect the soft landscaping. Conservation Kerb is also enhanced by granite aggregate and features a wider and squarer profile, ideal for use in areas where a more attractive kerb unit is required.

Benefit

Alongside the aesthetic benefits, this scheme successfully combined practicality and safety with a source-control SuDS solution, mitigating flood risk, removing surface water and improving water quality, eliminating the need for additional linear drainage systems.