Combining clean lines and an unobtrusive low height profile, Marshalls Landscape Protection has launched Verso – a flexible street furniture range that offers both rated and unrated products.
The comprehensive collection of solutions makes it easy to design cost effective and proportionate public protection schemes.
The stylish seating collection, which includes benches, stools and planters in a variety of configurations supports landscape architects, councils and specifiers in protecting public spaces without compromising on design or aesthetics. Crucially, modules within the range are available with two ratings and include unrated options, allowing designers to create cohesive schemes where the protective elements are completely indistinguishable.
The new range, which is Manufactured in Britain uses high-quality precast concrete. As such, the collection is able to deliver a number of important performance benefits, which are relevant to urban planning. For one, Verso delivers an exceptionally long lifespan, with little to no maintenance costs needed over this period.
A number of optional seating additions are available with the range and supplied in either FSC-certified timber, or in a Wood Plastic Composite. Both options help urban planners to design more sustainable public protection schemes. Notably, Wood Plastic Composite systems are manufactured from 95% recycled and sustainably sourced raw materials. What’s more, seating options manufactured from this material are entirely recyclable at the end of their lifecycles and highly resistant to rot and decay.
The company’s FSC-certified Red Grandis timber seating and planter additions also offer similar ‘green’ credentials when designing protective schemes. The global forest certification system recognises timber sourced from well-managed forests and recycled sources. As such, those specifying solutions in this material can be assured they are investing in truly sustainable timber products, which are harvested and replaced naturally. Better still, all Marshalls manufactured products are now produced using 100% renewable energy.
Available in straight and curved segments, Verso’s low height allows it to blend seamlessly with existing surroundings, without disturbing the line of sight. The contemporary concrete solutions are an in keeping with current landscape design trends and offer a discreet alternative to a standard row of bollards. Additionally, as the range offers both protective and non-protective options within the same system, urban planners can maximise budgets and avoid overspecification, by selecting the appropriate level of protection with no visible demarcation between the products.
The precast concrete modules are available in three timeless colour options: City Grey, Silver Grey and Anthracite Grey, to complement any urban design. Optional seating and planter additions manufactured from Wood Plastic Composite are available in five colour options. As mentioned, those planning urban schemes can also specify optional seating additions, such as bench tops, seat tops and arm rests in FSC-certified Red Grandis timber. Marshalls Landscape Protection can also offer further personalisation by powder coating metal elements in a range of RAL colourways, or in the Corten Effect.
Speaking on the launch of the new range, Jaz Vilkhu, Managing Director at Marshalls Landscape Protection commented: “The new collection has been developed to help specifiers seamlessly blend varying levels of protection throughout a space, creating secure and attractive schemes. This helps to deliver maximum value across the project and avoids unnecessary fortification.
“Each seating module from the range can be used as a standalone piece or installed together to create a longer seating block. Similarly, with so many different shapes, seating options and plank materials to choose from, those overseeing the specification process can always ensure that they’re getting the most from their designs and creating spaces that don’t feel oppressively defended.”
Protective solutions from the range have been successfully crash tested to IWA14-1 using either a 1.5 tonne M1 vehicle, or a 7.2 tonne N2A vehicle travelling at 30mph, or both. Non-protective elements, such as planters have not been tested, but can be used to add new levels of flair and design to protective schemes. To this end, the Verso street furniture range has been designed to keep people safe, not scared.
