African project
Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital landscaping – South Africa
Implementation of certain hard
and soft landscapes at hospital
Ida-Marie Strydom of Life Landscapes who was the contract manager for the
landscaping at The Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital spoke about the need to
keep the internal landscaping as lightweight as possible on the ground floor level
and about the laying of the rubberised surface for the play areas. The construction
of the metal clad leaf-shaped ponds was explained by landscape architect
Annamari Comrie.
The plant growth at the hospital has been exceptional because of the good rains
Gauteng has experienced this season but this prolific growth has also been
ascribed to the excellent quality lightweight soil mix supplied by Varing Nursery.
Strydom described the soil medium as containing plenty of bark and having good
drainage capacity. (The more water the mix absorbs, the heaver the soil will be.) To
further ensure that the weight above the lower ground facilities was not more than
safety measures required, layers of high density polystyrene blocks were utilised
as ‘void formers’ under the raised areas of the ground floor courtyards: under
floor surfaces, steps and ramps, for example. The main contractor, Group 5, was
responsible for all the waterproofing of the planted courtyards.
The highly colourful rubberised floor surfaces, installed to increase the safety of
children at play or occupied with physical therapy, were laid by the sub-contractor
Seamless Flooring. The mix comprises coloured granules and a bonding material
which is poured onto the concrete screed of the floor area and smoothed over
with a trowel. Strydom explained that to separate colours so as to create very clear
definition, flexible steel edging was placed along the margin of one colour and the
mix allowed to dry, before the edging was removed and the next band or circle of
colour was placed. This enabled shapes such as the ‘monster’ in the Family Garden
to be created for the pleasure of the children. Water from the rubberised floor
surfaces drains into the planters and then into the drainage channels around the
periphery of the courtyards which were installed by the main building contractor.
Comrie said that Truestyle Hard Landscaping Solutions had custom-made the
leaf shaped metal ponds in the Healing and Quiet Gardens, which provide a
green refuge for family members and staff. She said that designing, installing
and maintaining these metal vessels had been a learning curve for all involved,
commenting that the maintenance had become easier since the ecological system
in the ponds had stabilised somewhat.
The metal inside the ponds was sealed, while the outside of the vessels was acid
washed to encourage rusting, which provided the more natural look that Comrie
required. She explained that there was a large volume of water in the deep ponds
which helped to keep the water cool, while as the tree canopies thickened with
maturity, the water temperature would drop further. Aquatic plants, including
the lovely pale blue of the indigenous Nymphaea nouchali (Blue Waterlily), make
a splendid showing above the base of pebbles in the ponds. A gravel layer on a
metal grid under the pebbles halfway into the volume of water provides filtration,
while a pump circulates the water for aeration purposes.
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