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Mapei Products blooming marvellous at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
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Mapei products have been selected for use in the University of Worcester’s award winning Low Allergen Garden which was showcased at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Mapei’s Mapecem quick drying screed, Nivoplan levelling mortar and Ultracolor Plus grout were all used to build a garden designed by Olivia Kirk of KKE Architects, which was awarded a Silver-Gilt medal by judges at the show.
KKE provided Mapei with a brief to provide products with quick drying or curing characteristics due to the rigid time constraints put on the installation of the garden. Mapecem, with its unique quick-drying characteristics formed the path which allowed stone paving to be laid within three hours and was perfectly dry within 24 hours.
The black solid walls which form the boundaries on two sides of the garden, providing a backdrop designed to set off the planting in front, were planned as seamless but were constructed in sections and built on site. Nivoplan a thin, fast curing render was used to create the seamless finish to the walls.
With 26 colour options available, Ultracolor Plus was the obvious choice for grouting the stone tiles as it provided the perfect colour match to the stone material.
“The technical advice we received from Mapei and the products we used really helped us to get the clean and modern finish we wanted for the design. The quick drying times on both the floor screed and wall render helped enormously on what was a very tight build schedule – just ten days from start to finish, including all the planting! The garden was awarded a Silver-Gilt medal by the RHS judges, just missing out on Gold. As this was my first show garden at Chelsea I was absolutely delighted with the result,” said garden designer, Olivia Kirk from KKE Architects Limited.
Smooth stone pavings step diagonally across the garden between planting towards a timber door set back in the north east wall. The pathway opens out into a wider central area, sheltered by a pergola that is fitted with coloured glass pieces, which casts a rainbow of colours over the polished sandstone strips and reflects in two dark pools of water to create a tranquil space for both students and staff.
The garden will now be re-located to the new National Pollen Research Unit which has its headquarters on the University of Worcester campus. It will be used as a teaching aid to demonstrate how to create low allergen gardens for people suffering from hay fever, asthma and other respiratory complaints.
“We were delighted to provide Mapei products for this project; their fast drying characteristics were perfect to meet the notoriously short installation time,” said Mark Louch, Managing Director of Mapei.
