It is a well-known fact that building and making the most of a sloping block is far from easy, it is no surprise that most business owners would rather avoid building on a sloping block.
Little do most of us know that a sloping site opens up a world of opportunity for us to create a fantastic building with efficient spaces and beautiful landscape.
Today, we will look into a few ways commercial landowners can make the most of their sloping blocks. The design demands of sloping blocks usually lead landowners to devise innovative ideas and outstanding designs.
Table of Contents
Improved Access
Accessibility is an integral part of your building’s design process; if you have a significant slant leading up to your building, you should consider installing steps with levelled off plinths that improve access to your building.
Always keep the position and location of your building in mind when installing steps on slopes, do they increase accessibility and is there an alternative for individuals with special needs?
If you have a significant slope in a straight line, you can install a ramp for wheelchairs to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of your business.
Furniture
The idea of utilising the topography of your blocks landscape to create common areas is a very effective and practical one.
You can turn the steps leading to your building into a social space where people can hang out, spend their breaks and enjoy the environment around them. Stepped sites naturally create sitting within their slope, and you can have huge staircases or incorporate park benches into the slopes.
By turning your slope into furniture, your business and building instantly look more welcoming as furniture signifies that you want people there. This is especially important for companies that deal with a lot of customer traffic.
Sunken Outdoor Space
The workplace, as we know it is changing daily, outdoor workspaces and meeting areas, have really become popular in commercial buildings.
A sunken space covered with a shed and equipped with seats and tables provides you with the area to have meetings, host guests and perform team bonding activities outdoors while also being protected from the sun.
You can create usable spaces out of the different levels of your slope, your newly created outdoor space can be used by employees during their lunch breaks and by anyone who wants to take a break from being inside all day.
Retaining Wall
Retaining walls are useful for more than just their aesthetics, they are efficient and are designed to be exposed and freestanding on one end and hold soil on the other side.
Before installing a retaining wall, it is essential to have it designed by a structural engineer and a ground stabilisation systems expert should be contacted to assess any issues with the stability of your sloping block.
There is little in the way of restrictions as to what materials you can use to create your retaining wall. Brick, concrete, timber sleepers and the likes are all acceptable. The material you use will depend on drainage, structural as well as aesthetical requirements of your wall.
Water Fountain
You can make the most of your blocks topography by installing a water fountain that will run down the entirety of a structure and among scattered commercial planter boxes on your sloping block.
Alternatively, you can install a drainage system that will direct water downhill through a path if you live in a flood-prone area.
Water travelling down the slopes of your block will not only make your building more tranquil but also control moisture levels and soil erosion.
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