Street Furniture from Machan Engineering

We were recently commissioned by ACD Landscapes to design, manufacture and supply these fairly ornate-looking, but robust cube seats for their landscape design at Drayton Garden Village (DGV). ACD were delighted with our design and the finished article. All seven are now installed and the project is coming on great-guns!

One of the set of seven Machan ‘wee cube seats’ that we made for Drayton Garden Village.

It’s always great to get involved with clients at the design phase, and DGV was a real departure for us.

At Machan, we are more used to producing standard items, but there is always a design request. For example, we were asked to make robust street seating for the Holy Trinity Homeless Accommodation in Stirling. It was a fairly simple thing to do and we were delighted to supply The Holy Trinity Church (Start-Up) and Stirling Council with hard wearing products. We were also happy to supply the seats in a calming, tranquil colour that fitted in with the renovation of their homeless shelter.

A version of the 072 all-steel seat supplied for Start-Up homeless charity in Stirling in bespoke colour finish

The John Street benches for the Italian Centre in Glasgow were a different challenge. Glasgow City Council needed benches similar to those that had been manufactured and supplied some years before with the addition of one feature; something that would prevent the bending back of the straps on the base of the seat by vandals, but most likely drunk people walking past te benches late at night (sound familiar?) – like the prongs of a fork that had been attacked by Uri Geller.

So, we simply added capped ends to the straps and the benches have survived, vandalism free, since March 2012.

Drawings for the curved, reinforced John Street benches that we made for The Italian Centre, Merchant City, Glasgow

Then you get the larger, industrial projects where lots of different kinds of products have to be supplied, like this one at Queen’s Quay, Belfast where we supplied heavy, robust, 314 grade stainless steel bollards, post and rail, seating, fencing and cycle stands. This was a fantastic project to be involved in where the finish had to withstand the elments – being right next to the sea.

Queens Quay, Belfast redevelopment.

Queens Quay Belfast, the main drag. Showing our bollards in the island

Queens Quay, Belfast, the shore front; showing our bollards, cycle stands and post and rail

So just a selection of the projects that Machan has been involved in of late. So, for more information about Machan Engineering products and services please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to see how we can help you with your project.

Sneinton Market Square regeneration project, Nottingham

This was a fantastic project to be involved for Machan Engineering.

The Sneinton Market & Eastside Gateway Neighbourhood Development Plan, produced by Gehl Architects in July 2008 identified the Sneinton Market Square area as forming the “bridge” between the communities of St Anns and Sneinton to the east, and the City Centre.

Artisits impression based on feasibility design

The vision saw the development of a new square as forming the heart of the area and creating a new sense of place, acting as a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the area.

Working with the City Council, Nottingham Regeneration Ltd. secured funding from the East Midlands Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund to deliver a £6.8million scheme of public realm and connectivity improvements including the creation of a new public square adjoining the new Victoria Leisure Centre. This space will be used for markets and special events and create a new civic space at the heart of Sneinton Market.

The redevelopment of Sneinton Market was to create a fantastic new public space that would be a venue for events, markets, gatherings, performances, festivals and community use. Local residents and visitors alike would be able to enjoy the new square.

Patel Taylor architects developed the design for the new square.

Machan Engineering was contacted to produce bespoke arm rests and backs for granite seats as well as bespoke stainless steel tree grilles and tree guards that would compliment the mainly granite landscape design.

Sneinton Market Square project image taken from pateltaylor.co.uk showing Machan tree protection products in foreground

Sneinton Market Square project image taken from pateltaylor.co.uk showing stainless steel armrests on polished granite seat bases

Part of this regeneration project was a commission called ‘Orchard‘, which opened in December 2011 with the planting of apple trees in the new square. The trees were intended for communal use and celebrated the market’s long history as a centre for food production and distribution.

Working with Nottingham City Council and Patel Taylor architects the Contemporary Art Society appointed Neville Gabie as lead artist on the regeneration of Sneinton Market Square, Nottingham. Gabie donated apple trees of 100 different varieties through his Apple Tree Adoption network to local residents, schools and community organisations of Sneinton and St Ann’s in order to create a diverse urban orchard spanning the east side of the city.

Sneinton Market Square is now a beautiful focal point for the local community and visitors. Machan Engineering is greatful to have been involved in such a prestigious project that has involved local people, artists, traders and local government agencies alike and has seen this former pay and display car park turn into something that citizens of Sneinton can be proud of.

Sneinton Market Square project image taken from pateltaylor.co.uk

For more information about Machan Engineering products and services please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to see how we can help you with your project.

Steel planters for Sainsbury’s Superstore in High Wycombe

In 2009 Machan Engineering was approached by East Midlands Landscaping to manufacture large, round, steel planters; large enough to keep a tree in and including integrated irrigation systems.

The planters were to be placed at the front of the new store and should therefore be attractive while robust and strong enough to contain the trees.

Planters shown on left hand side of image at front of Sainsbury’s Superstore in High Wycombe

Machan Engineering worked with the contractor to finalise the design, which included 316 grade stainless for the sides and 304 grade for the base – cutting costs slightly without jeopardising the quality finish on the planters.

Planters in front of Sainsbury’s Store, High Wycombe

For more information about Machan Engineering products and services please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to see how we can help you with your project.

Large bespoke planters for Alexandra Park, Glasgow

This project was completed in 2009 and was for the design, manufacture and supply of big planters for the entrance to Alexandra Park in Glasgow.

Glasgow City Council required some large robust planters for the entrance to Alexandra Park, Dennistoun, Glasgow. The planters were to replace the existing timber ones, and had to fit in with the design of the existing street furniture, which included a cast iron pergola, benches and bollards. Part of the brief was that planters shouldn’t look out of place in front of the grand entranceway to the park and they were also to include the name as part of the design.

The entrance to Alexandra Park, showing pergola and street furniture

The old planters were haxagonal, so Machan Engineering set about manufacturing a set of planters true to this original design, and incorporated a moulding around the hexagonal shape to mirror the mouldings on the surrounding bollards. The planters were also supplied with plaques that read Alexandra Park, as requested by the client.

Mild steel hexagonal planter, painted and supplied with mouldings to fit in with existing street furniture

In order to offer a bit of height in the design, some of the bespoke planters were manufactured with integrated hanging baskets.

One of the hexagonal mild steel planters with an integrated hanging basket (background)

The planters were manufactured in mild steel to offer a robust product and keep costs down, and were painted black with a gold trim to match the surrounding street furniture.

Close up of the Alexandra Park plaque at the fron of the planter, as requested by the client

For more information about Machan Engineering products and services please visit www.machanengineering.com or give us a call on (+44) 01324 824309 to see how we can help you with your project.