Background

The award-winning new Vijay Patel building is the bold centrepiece of DMU’s £136million campus transformation project. The tower houses the university’s art and design faculties under one roof. So it’s only fitting that the surrounding landscaping should reflect the creative nature of the students using it.

The project comprised three main areas with multiple uses – the Arts Tower development, the Design Wing and the Food Court. Other changes include opening the parkland along Mill Lane, which leads to the edge of the River Soar, and creating a new gateway connecting the city’s West End to the city centre. One of the main advantages of the new campus is that it brings all the different areas under one roof, making it a lot more accessible and convenient for the students.

Approach

Designer Plincke Manchester blended a range of Marshalls paving products to create different landscape textures, which help delineate multi-use spaces.

Different sizes of the new Modal X paving, a concrete paving product that evolved from the internationally recognised La Linia range, have been juxtaposed, with long flag units used to complement the lines of the central tower and smaller Conservation X Setts to designate walkways.

Outcome

Among the landscape products that Marshalls supplied, Conservation X Priora was selected to manage surface water responsibly. The large number of green-planted spaces provides a great space for students to relax outside when the weather allows.

The project's design has helped to encourage collaboration and blur boundaries within the public space, making it ideal for the growing population and satisfying the