Dairygold recently underwent a rebranding and the new logo shape reflected the golden vales of the surrounding countryside. Our brief was to mirror this in our design for the roundabout. We were to deliver a plan that was easy to maintain and supported Dairygold’s traditions of quality, natural produce from the surrounding land. Dairygold very much wanted this roundabout to be aesthetically pleasing, reflected their values and made the community feel proud.
The design and works were carried out by The Pavilion. The project involved a complete excavation of the existing roundabout along with re-profiling the grass areas and creating new berms to contain the 3D buxus lettering. Particular attention had to given to NRA and County Council laws and guidelines on visual lines of sight and signage as well as best practice in road safety matters.
We started by completely excavating the existing roundabout and building up a new profile for the grass areas and raised bedding in the centre. We then created 3 berms to contain the 3D buxus lettering. In each case, this lettering was surrounded by a gravel area in the outline shape of the Dairygold logo. We used a red toned gravel to reflect the corporate colours of Dairygold. When completed it gives the overall impression of a living growing logo just as Dairygold lives and grows with the community it serves.
The planting in the centre area was specifically chosen for its natural benefits to bees and other wildlife. Dairygold very much believes in the natural processes that are behind it’s success and the planting here reflects this.
Cork County Council’s wish was for this roundabout to be an example for others around the county. Tall verbenas, which are long flowering and low maintenance offer just enough cover to encourage motorists to slow down when approaching the junction (the thinking is, if one can see straight through, you are inclined not to slow down as much on approach), and are transparent enough for a motorist to see the lights of oncoming traffic at night.
We installed diamond shaped gravel areas around the official road signs to allow for easy mowing, and set the signs back from the road to the width of a lawnmower to provide easy ongoing maintenance. This also eliminates the need to use chemical controls for the grass edges in keeping with Dairygold’s natural heritage and the council’s vision for future roundabout designs.
The central area contains an oak (Quercus robur) to symbolise the longevity of Dairygold’s history and their long future in the community.
