Bendigo, Nottingham

The Bendigo Building in Nottingham is being transformed into high-quality student accommodation as part of a major regeneration project in the city centre. Led by GRAHAM, the scheme will deliver over 700 student beds alongside communal amenities and landscaped external spaces, breathing new life into the former office building.

Working alongside TPM Landscape, GRAHAM Construction and M Squared during Stage 4 design, RYNO was engaged to support the terrace and landscape build-up strategy across the development. The project required careful coordination of varying surface finishes, restricted build-up heights and fire compliance considerations, while maintaining the overall landscape vision for the scheme.

The Challenge

The project presented several technical coordination challenges early in the design process:

• Extremely restricted build-up heights, ranging from just 65mm at perimeter zones to 250mm centrally
• Multiple surface finishes across the scheme, including resin bound gravel, paving and artificial grass
• Requirement to transition efficiently between pedestal and rail-supported areas
• Fire compliance considerations surrounding proposed timber planters
• Need to balance practical installation with long-term performance

The varying height constraints meant a traditional one-system approach would not deliver the flexibility required across the development.

Solution & Process

Working collaboratively with the wider design team, we developed a build-up strategy using a combination of pedestal and rail systems to suit the changing site conditions.

Perimeter Zones

Around the terrace edges, the proposal utilised:

• TerraSmart® Pedestal System
• 50mm concrete paving finish

This allowed the project team to work within the lower build-up zones while maintaining a clean and consistent paving finish.

Central Areas

Within the deeper central build-up zones, the proposal transitioned to:

• TerraSmart® Rail System
• Sandstone resin bound gravel finish
• Artificial grass areas

The rail-supported build-up provided greater flexibility across larger open spaces while accommodating the increased depth available centrally.

The inclusion of the TerraSmart Resin Bound System helped create a softer landscape aesthetic while maintaining permeability and durability requirements across the scheme.

The ability to integrate multiple surface finishes within a coordinated build-up strategy enabled the landscape design to evolve without compromising technical performance.

Throughout the design process, RYNO worked closely with the wider project team to review build-up options, support coordination between finishes and assess fire compliance considerations associated with proposed landscape features.

Outcome

• Flexible build-up strategy developed for varying height constraints
• Seamless integration of paving, resin bound and landscape finishes
• Early-stage coordination support provided across multiple stakeholders
• Fire compliance considerations reviewed collaboratively during design development
• Balanced solution achieved between technical performance and landscape intent

Key Benefits

• Hybrid pedestal and rail approach for complex level changes
• Suitable for mixed surface finishes across external spaces
• Low build-up compatibility at perimeter zones
• Collaborative technical support during Stage 4 design
• Flexible system design adaptable to evolving project requirements

Summary

Bendigo highlights the importance of early-stage technical coordination when designing complex external environments with multiple surface finishes and varying build-up constraints.

By combining pedestal and rail systems with Sandstone resin bound surfacing, the project team developed a flexible, integrated solution that supported performance requirements while preserving the wider landscape vision. The project also demonstrates how coordinated terrace and landscape build-ups can help deliver attractive, functional outdoor spaces within modern student accommodation developments.

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