Every project, whether a one-off new dwelling, a full housing development, a new office & retail development or, a huge public realm scheme, they all start as an idea, a vision, and all will have a variety of people and surroundings that will influence how the scheme takes shape, especially the hard landscaping.

If you have ever sold a house, you will have heard the expression kerb appeal, the initial visual impact you get when you see a house for the first time, and this is true in any setting, it is why retailers dress the shop window, to appeal to our visual senses and make us want to step inside. Car manufacturers make us believe we can climb mountains, take on a desert or, even beat Lewis Hamilton in their car… And Hard landscaping is no different, it is the shop window of the project, pretty much the first element people see when arriving at the project and, if we take public realm spaces as an example, it is how we will attract visitors so, the better the environment is to look at, and the better it is to use and navigate, the better it makes you feel, encouraging you to want to spend more time but also, making you want to return in the future, and that has to be good news for retailers in the area.

So, although this is the very stage in the process, when we are developing any scheme, it needs to start on the right track, and be a design that is desirable, practical and, achievable from all aspects. ParCa are on hand to help to develop your vision or concept, whether we are looking at natural stone, mortars & grouts or steel work, both decorative and structural, we will work with you to look at material selection and suitability for the intended use, required loadings and also to the surrounding environment, does it achieve the desired aesthetics and, very importantly, does it fit within the budget. We want you to have the best materials to fit within the budget, and a massive part of that budget will be physically installing the product so, we will advise on the practicalities of installation and long-term benefits and maintenance of all materials.

In this modern era, sustainability is a key part of all developments and, as part of the selection process, we need to take into consideration the credentials of each material and its environmental impact, from the sourcing and processing to the long-term use and benefits. Can it be taken up and reused or fully recycled? We are looking at the whole life cycle, not just our own requirements.

Even if we feel our materials are not right, we are happy to introduce other suppliers we trust and work with, to help support you and the scheme.