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| Oasis of calm |
| This small courtyard was redesigned to minimise the din of passing traffic. |
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The plan for this small, overgrown courtyard was two-fold. The owners wanted a low-maintenance garden and they also wanted to reduce traffic noise. Using a technique called "white noise" Botanics Landscaping redesigned the area and installed a water feature - a fountain - in the courtyard. The purpose of the fountain is to act as a distracting device, drawing your attention away from the distant traffic sounds towards the more pleasant sounds of the fountain.
First, brick retaining walls for the two garden beds as well as the structural walls for the water feature were built. They were then bagged with the leftover mortar and painted. Once that was done, the pond was lined with wire mesh, providing a frame for the concrete.
The next step was the installation of the fountain. Using an angle grinder, four lines were cut into the existing courtyard walls, allowing the copper water pipes to be hidden from view. The spouts were placed at various heights and copper platforms were positioned underneath two of the spouts. Having a number of different spouts at different levels helps to create a variety of sounds further distracting you from the outside noise.
Concrete was then poured to line the pond surface. The pond sits below ground level, making it deeper, and therefore increasing the base sound of the water hitting the surface.
The courtyard was then levelled and paved. The first step was to put down a layer of compacted road base. This was followed by a layer of bedding sand. Next, the courtyard was paved with Urbanstone's Donnybrook Sawcut Pavers. These pavers have a texture similar to limestone. Bullnosed pavers were laid on top of the retaining walls. Once the pavers were down, a pump, which circulates the water from the pond through the fountain, was connected to the copper pipes of the water feature.
Finally, the garden was replanted to create an appealing courtyard area.
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More Info
Botanics Landscape & Tree Care, 801/85 Macleay St, Potts Point, NSW, 2011. Contact: George Palmer, mobile: 0411 193 366 or Anthony O'Reilly, ph: (02) 6372 6044, mobile: 0412 529 356.
Paving installation by: Idyllic Surrounds Landscape & Paving
Contact: Martin Guest, ph: 9580 2415, mobile: 0419 461 855.
Pavers by Urbanstone
NSW: Shop 1 / 830 Pittwater Rd, Dee Why, 2099, ph: (02) 9981 7117. Contact: Bern Martland. Or, 2-6 Pennant Hills Rd, Nth Parramatta, 2151, ph: (02) 9630 3277. Contact: Alex Alfan.
VIC: 284 Bay Rd, Cheltenham, 3192, ph: (03) 9583 7377. Contact: Michael Foster
WA: Urbanstone Head Office, Lot 50 Jandakot Rd, Jandakot, 6164, ph: (08) 9417 2444. Contact: Craig Ellis.
QLD: Contact: Andrew Thompson, ph: 0417 186 802.
Any other enquiries phone Richard McHarg on 0417 954 443.
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Disclaimer
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