These one-of-a-kind planters were an unusual project for the team here at Leyton Group – but creating them from scratch was a great opportunity to showcase our extensive fabrication skills for a client with a very clear vision.

We were working on a staircase at a property in Queen Victoria Street, London, when the Project Manager approached us to see if we would be interested in quoting for a set of unique roof top planters. After a quick review of the AI images and drawings issued by the garden designer Phil Allen, we agreed a cost, and went forward with the works.

Facing unique design and access challenges

The design of the planters was different, with each section set at different angles and shapes. We were also very aware that we would not have the luxury of a crane to help us lift the finished article to site, so instead of pre-welding the structures, we would need to develop a kit form for a pre-finished, bolted system that could be transported to the rooftop area via the stairs or passenger lift.

We 3D scanned the installation area to create a millimetre-perfect concept, then traced the form of the planters and created a 3D model of the shapes that were required. Craig, our in-house designer, overlaid the 3D model on to the 3D scan, making adjustments to allow the roof top planters to fit the space provided.

Making smart choices to bring the concept to life

When finalising the design concept, Craig had to take other trades into consideration – for example, the windows had to be aligned to allow each section to fit. Roof top gutters had to be imposed on to the model to allow water clearance, too.

The next issue we faced was supporting the panels to ensure they remained flat once installed. To do this, we came up with a system of bulk heads taken from ship designs and chose to use marine grade aluminium in place of galvanized steel so each panel would retain its levelness.

After a prolonged design phase, we eventually manufactured a small mocked-up planter. It was certainly sturdy; as hard as they tried, the client’s team could not break it, even after physically jumping on it!

Following a simplified installation method

We plasma-cut the base unit and delivered it to site, where our hard-working installers had to carry them up 5 floors to the top of the building. We laid out the base following the drawings, incorporated the front and rear panels, and followed the base plate profile to install the front panels.

Devised from clever engineering techniques, these eye-catching planters meet, and in many cases exceed, the demands of the brief. Let us know if you have a similarly challenging idea for your next structure – we would welcome the opportunity to provide you with a solution.