Bituchem’s specialist hard landscaping material has been applied to provide a new landscape for Hertfordshire University’s College Lane Campus.
As part of a major redevelopment project of the university’s existing campus, Bituchem supplied around 3000m² of its bestselling Natratex Gravel to provide maintenance-free footpaths across the campus.
The project, headed by Bouygues UK, brings new and exciting facilities to the university that creates an inclusive living and learning environment on one campus.
The overall scheme comprises both new building and refurbishment works that will bring over 2500 new student bedrooms, social spaces, sports pitches and a campus gym.
The scheme is being developed over three phases which are set to be completed by September 2016, following three academic years of construction and refurbishments. 
Included in these development works is the surfacing of existing and new footpaths, for which Bituchem’s Natratex Gravel was used. The material presents a surface that contrasts with the surrounding black tarmac to form aesthetically pleasing pathways to match the modern surroundings of the university campus.
The Natratex Gravel footpaths are just one part of the attractive landscape created by The Landmark Practice (www.thelandmarkpractice.com), which felt that it was the right product to create the desired landscape for the university grounds. Andy Spargo, Principal Landscape Architect at The Landmark Practice commented, “We are very pleased with the aesthetics of the landscape created using Bituchem’s Natratex Gravel and for this reason we would definitely consider it for future projects.”
Natratex Gravel is one of Bituchem’s many products that is based on tried and tested asphalt technology to offer a high performance, hardwearing surface. The specialist material uses a clear binder system with decorative buff coloured aggregates, with the appearance of natural stone, to create a durable surface for pedestrian and light vehicular use.
Natratex Gravel offers a fully compacted finish compared to real gravel, making it safer for pedestrian use and is virtually maintenance free once applied. The strong resin binder gives the surface a seamless finish that is resistant to deterioration, such as cracks or potholes, to prevent the likelihood of trips and falls whilst offering a soft, smooth surface to reduce injury. These particular qualities have encouraged the use of Bituchem’s Natratex products to be used in applications in schools and universities across the UK as part of producing a safer environment for students.
Suitable for use on new construction, overlays or regeneration projects, Natratex Gravel offers architects and specifiers the ability to create an attractive, long-lasting landscape that is eye catching compared to standard black tarmac. The Natratex colour palette offers a range of natural stone colours which can be used to complement or contrast with the surrounding landscape, and is particularly effective in reflecting the character of heritage buildings or modern schemes using Cotswold stone.
Natratex Gravel is also very environmentally friendly with a fast and simple application making it an easy specification for both private and public sector projects. The material can be specified in a range of colours to meet the individual requirements of each contract, with the Bituchem design team available to find the right aggregate type and colour to suit the specification.
Further information is available from Bituchem on 01594 826768 or 07584 311266, by emailing: [email protected] or by visiting the company’s website at www.bituchem.com