Uniqema was founded January 1, 1999 with the merger of 5 ICI Group businesses to form a global business in specialty chemicals. After the merger, a decision was made to have a new corporate headquarters building constructed in New Castle, Delaware. The Uniqema Plaza was designed by John Hynse, AIA from the firm of Tevebaugh Associates, Architects, Wilmington, Del. The building design called for a multi-story structure with extensive green mirrored glass, pewter colored framing design and detailed cladding with imported French limestone.

Pennoni Associates Inc. from Wilmington, Delaware were retained to design the main entrance and courtyard of the Uniqema Plaza. The design team consisted of myself as Project Designer/Landscape Architect and Project Engineer Doug Barry, P.E. also from Pennoni Associates, Inc. The design challenge was to create the main entrance plaza as well as an adjoining courtyard café that met the image expectations for an international level facility and to provide functional enhancements while meeting a modest design and construction budget.

The design components for the project included 3,500 square feet of paving stones in a multifunctional user space that includes pedestrian bollards, flag poles, an oversized ADA ramp and tree planters. Visitors and employee pedestrian entry is off the main parking lot and drop-off zone.

The structural design for the plaza called for paving stones which would be constructed on an 8 inch base of compacted aggregate base material over a geotextile fabric which separated the base material and the subgrade soil. The paving stones would be a 7 cm (2.75") thickness and set on a 1 inch setting bed of course concrete sand. The paving stone installation was coordinated with site amenities (mainly footings and conduits) including lighted pedestrian bollards, flag poles, flagpole well lights, an oversized ADA ramp, raised tree planters and up lights for the canopy trees.

The new design includes the addition of 3,500 square feet of paving stones in a multifunctional user space that contains pedestrian bollards, flag poles, an oversized ADA ramp and tree planters.

The "hardscape" portion of the project was defined into two components: 1) The Main Entrance Plaza and 2) The Courtyard Café Plaza. "Series 3000 Architectural Paving Stones" from Unilock were selected for both of these areas because of their ability to offer both exquisite colors and unique textures. After evaluating the project colors and design requirements, Unilock created two custom paver matrix/color designs in their "Series 3000 Architectural Paver". The 12x12 pavers were designed with a combination of medium gradation green, black and opal colored aggregates and produced in a pewter colored background, while the 6x6 pavers were designed with a small gradation of black aggregates and produced in a green colored background.

The Entrance Plaza paver design was developed using radial accents bands of 6x6 pavers and the paver "field" was filled with the 12x12 pavers. Paver layout options were developed to minimize cutting while still achieving the "architectural" plan. Eight tree planters were "cut out" of the plaza to provide a "skirt" of green and vertical components to put the entrance plaza in scale with the building. The final detail that really "sold" the owner on the design was the integration of the corporate logo into the Main Entrance Plaza at the front entrance.

The overall geometrical composition of the paver design was a design success. This composition was created by the Main Entrance Plaza juxtaposing "planting fields" with paving fields to complete the design utilizing an asymmetrical balance of "hardscape" and "softscape".

The Courtyard Café Plaza was sized and shaped as not to interfere with the approaching view of the building. It was designed with a masonry wall, which matched the building facade materials and color. The wall was created to provide privacy and protection from service vehicle noise and fumes. The paving stone layout utilized the same matrix/colored "Series 3000 Architectural Pavers" as the Main Entrance Plaza. The design called for the 12x12 pavers to be set at at 45 degrees with a double row lock edge band of 6x6 pavers. A special detail was developed to integrate native brandywine granite boulders within the edge of the paver area to overlap the natural materials and create a unique courtyard look. There were other design and construction elements included in the interior of the courtyard. These aspects included facilitating drainage engineering, along with pedestrian drainage covers and courtyard landscape lighting.

The construction of both plazas by Syrstone Inc. was executed with exacting accuracy and attention to detail. I generated the corporate logo on AutoCAD and provided it in a template form to Syrstone Inc. They utilized the 6x6 paving stones to cut and place the corporate logo within the 12x12 field. Their skills in cutting and placement created the exact look that the Landscape Architect had envisioned throughout the entire project.

The Uniqema Plaza features Series 3000 Architectural Pavers manufactured by Unilock. A special detail was developed for the Courtyard Café Plaza to integrate native brandywine granite boulders within the edge of the paver area to overlap the natural materials. The innovative accent was created to give the area a unique courtyard look.

The project was completed in July 2001 and had it's Grand Opening in September, 2001. After completion, the owners made the decision that the project should have signature engraved paving stones (to celebrate specific individuals) installed within the plaza area. After samples produced by other companies proved to be unacceptable, Unilock took the project to task and produced engraved Slate colored (black granite aggregate and green matrix/color) Unigranite 6x6 saw cut paving stones which were engraved and filled with a pewter gray epoxy to match the pewter gray on the building.

The stones were completed and installed by Syrstone Inc. in time for their grand opening. The success of the project will be enjoyed by visitors to the site for many years to come.