Beneath a Mexican Sky
Chelsea 2017

About the project

Working with designer Manoj Malde and contractor Living Landscapes, we developed and manufactured four large steel frames to form the structural support for the stepping stones within the Beneath a Mexican Sky Garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017.

The largest frame measured approximately 2m x 1.5m. Each was engineered around a concealed cantilevered support system, allowing the completed stepping stones to extend over the central pool with no visible means of support.

A critical requirement was achieving near-zero flexibility across the cantilevered frames. Following fabrication, the frames were finished with micro-cement by the contractor off site, making any movement or deflection during lifting and installation a potential cause of cracking to the finished concrete surfaces. The steel structures therefore had to provide sufficient rigidity while also allowing the completed stepping stones to be craned safely into position.

The Beneath a Mexican Sky Garden was awarded a Silver-Gilt Medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2017.