Milos Restaurant Movable Barrier Planters

The Challenge

To fully develop the detail design and manufacture 8 large bespoke movable barrier planters, which were conceptually designed by Ludwig Tewksbury (Public Realm Specialist) for The Crown Estate in partnership with Westminster City Council and Atkins (an SNC Lavin company).
The project scope included the detailed design and manufacture, delivery and offloading, positioning and installation. The location is a very busy and high profile street in central London – Regent Street St James’s. The movable planters were designed with retractable wheels and ‘dead man’ breaks for safety, and were constructed with very complex fabrications in stainless steel and patinated phosphor bronze cladding.

The Solution

As with all of our projects, our approach to this contract was to set up a dedicated team to manage the project. This included design engineers, structural engineers (to carry out finite element analysis), project managers and a fully qualified installation team.
Initial general arrangement drawings were created and issued to our client, together with sample materials and finishes. This enabled the client to approve our interpretation of the concept and ensured that the manufactured products were manufactured to an agreed specification. Once approval was received we progressed the development of the design, including FEA analysis for overturning and wind loading, while conducting routinely documented design reviews that included the client where necessary.
Once the final designs were fully signed off, our project management and supply chain manager organised production in-line with an agreed programme of works. Utilising our large specialist supply chain and robust supply chain management processes (in accordance with ISO9001:2015), materials were procured for inspection and final assembly at our 6000 square foot manufacturing facility. These planters were accompanied with a fully detailed operation and maintenance manual for the end user, this document included specifications of the materials and finishes used and details of the general operation, routine maintenance, manufacturing / assembly drawings, handling requirements and installation procedures.

The Outcome

Creactive designed a bespoke solution for the movable planter which included a geared mechanism for lowering the wheel system with braked wheels for safe operation. The planter assembly included irrigation tanks for care of the soft landscaping.
Once completed and installed on site it was clear that our objectives were met and the client was delighted with the final product.