Stylish, contemporary and functional, this commercial entranceway, built and landscaped by Utopian Gardens, provides a safe and eye-catching means of access to a local medical centre in Miranda, a suburb south of Sydney.

According to Shane Howson, the founder of Utopian Gardens, “The landscape design brief was to transform an ugly and slippery Pebblecrete slope into a functional landscape that the sick, injured,elderly and disabled could safely navigate and that complied with Australian standards and local regulations.”

The ramps now have a commercial-grade tiled surface with a R11 slip rating and tactiles to help people with mobility problems get in and out of the premises safely. The stainless-steel balustrades, which are a focal point of this modern commercial space, also aid the injured, ill and visually impaired,immeasurably improving access to the medical centre. There is also a timber seat where patients can wait in comfort and enjoy the fresh air.

“To complement this highly functional space, we used easy-to-maintain drought-tolerant planting,” says Shane. “The plants were selected for their robust qualities as this space is drenched in sunlight during summer but bathed in full shade in winter. The plants also needed to be able to thrive with whatever moisture falls from the sky.

“Tuckeroo was chosen to provide patients with shade,” he continues, “and we used an underplanting of Gymea lilies, gazanias, kangaroo paws and a buxus hedge — all bullet-proof plants — to soften the retaining walls which provide structural support to the sloping site.”

All the walls were constructed of Boral’s Connex block, a dry-stacking wall system. This modern-looking walling system complements the contemporary design of the space, credit for which goes to landscape architect Brandon Wallis of Sitedesign Landscape Architects.

Utopian Gardens is not only committed to providing excellent workmanship to ensure the end result exceeds client expectations, they use only the best-quality materials and work with only the most reliable suppliers. For this project, they looked to Rocks On for the paving and NSW Engineering to supply the balustrade.