I've always loved working with stone. It's an honest material, rugged, strong and not manufactured in a laboratory or factory. It comes from the earth, and we only have to re-position it, not reconstitute it. It deserves to be seen, and demands to be appreciated.
The main focus of our project here, the IT building itself, is constructed from steel and concrete. These materials are necessary, as we're in the centre of regular seismic activity, and must build to withstand mighty earthquakes. Our engineering specifications go way beyond what is normal for similarly sized structures in most other parts of the world. I often think that if a cataclysmic earthquake were to strike this area, ours would be the last building left standing.
But this project covers 5 acres of land, and around the building, apart from the sweeping tree-studded lawns and general softscape, will be internal roads, paths, external staircases, retaining walls and a magnificent huge water feature that runs the full width of the building's entrance....30 metres! All great opportunities to incorporate stonework.
This is where the water feature will go, between the pine tree and the building...
So let's dig a hole and start it!
Give it a bit of shape...
Find some suitable rocks...
And let the work begin!
And while the water feature construction continues, we have another team working on a curved entrance road around it, which also acts as a retaining wall for the road above...
And also the staircase coming down from the top car park, through and under the security room...
This soil will be replaced with better quality stuff, then levelled and planted with grass and a few flowering Japanese Cherry Blossom trees and small magnolias...
But not to forget the water feature, where work continues....
The actual fountain will be in the centre one third of the structure (10 metres wide), and there will be a 10 metre garden on either side of it. These will be grassed and have native clematis planted at the edges, to overhang the stone walls. I'll be planting specimen trees in there too, but haven't decided which ones yet...
These concrete Hume pipes (an Aussie invention!), will encase the incoming fibre-optic data cables, the arteries to the heart of any IT Park!
And finally, this is where we're up to today...still plenty of work to do, but it'll be worth the effort when it's completed!
Update to a few months later...
The main focus of our project here, the IT building itself, is constructed from steel and concrete. These materials are necessary, as we're in the centre of regular seismic activity, and must build to withstand mighty earthquakes. Our engineering specifications go way beyond what is normal for similarly sized structures in most other parts of the world. I often think that if a cataclysmic earthquake were to strike this area, ours would be the last building left standing.
But this project covers 5 acres of land, and around the building, apart from the sweeping tree-studded lawns and general softscape, will be internal roads, paths, external staircases, retaining walls and a magnificent huge water feature that runs the full width of the building's entrance....30 metres! All great opportunities to incorporate stonework.
This is where the water feature will go, between the pine tree and the building...
So let's dig a hole and start it!
Give it a bit of shape...
Find some suitable rocks...
And let the work begin!
And while the water feature construction continues, we have another team working on a curved entrance road around it, which also acts as a retaining wall for the road above...
And also the staircase coming down from the top car park, through and under the security room...
This soil will be replaced with better quality stuff, then levelled and planted with grass and a few flowering Japanese Cherry Blossom trees and small magnolias...
But not to forget the water feature, where work continues....
The actual fountain will be in the centre one third of the structure (10 metres wide), and there will be a 10 metre garden on either side of it. These will be grassed and have native clematis planted at the edges, to overhang the stone walls. I'll be planting specimen trees in there too, but haven't decided which ones yet...
These concrete Hume pipes (an Aussie invention!), will encase the incoming fibre-optic data cables, the arteries to the heart of any IT Park!
And finally, this is where we're up to today...still plenty of work to do, but it'll be worth the effort when it's completed!
Update to a few months later...
Water falls would be beautiful! Great relaxation to workers when they get tensed with their work! It'd be lovely!!!
ReplyDeleteHope to see that water falls soon Shaxy...