Thought & Made 2023

The addition of a weather-protected, covered outdoor area was contemplated when this first-class garden center (ekaflor) was given a major overhaul in 2018. The positive way in which the business has developed now means this construction phase can be completed. A Venlo greenhouse, identical in structure, has been added to the existing building. The area can be closed with rolling partition walls and is kept free of frost by fans built into the partition wall between the cold and warm sections. This created a high-quality extension to the sales area.

The 900 m² extension to the existing nursery offers plenty of space for a new florist area with refrigeration, spacious checkout zones, an ingenious logistics area, as well as common rooms for the comfort of the team. The new “Café Ginkgo” also provides every creature comfort. The high glass façade facing the street on the north side allows for a view inside and brings light into the building.

The Bachleitner family has been successfully producing ornamental plants and garden designs for over 60 years. In 2022, an upgrade of the façade as well as a 600 m² extension of the garden center were on the agenda. The striking timber formwork allows the new building to visually merge with the existing building. The use of the natural material in the façade conveys a sense of regionality and sustainability.

The company has developed, not least through its collaboration with the Sagaflor “grün erleben” Group, from a retail operation to a modern garden center in recent years. This made it necessary to also adapt the infrastructure to the new requirements. In 2021, the entrance was relocated with a view to providing coherent customer guidance. The demolition of the existing production greenhouses offered up an area of approx. 2,200 m² for use as a cold section, a seasonal section and a new delivery and storage arrangement. It was possible to fully integrate the existing building into the sales area as a warm section.

Following the completion of a new façade in 2017, the modernization of the Flover garden center entered the second phase. The new greenhouse, covering around 800 m², is the cornerstone for placing the merchandise to optimum effect. The garden furniture, decorative items and festive product ranges are now placed under a non-transparent roof with skylights. Enormous overhead folding doors made of glass skilfully join the boutique area to the cold section. The transparent elements convey the feeling that the walls are literally disappearing. This is how the interior and exterior are functionally united with serene continuity.

The turnkey new building, covering an area of 1,700 m², was planned and completed in two construction phases during ongoing operation. The warehouse and market area boast an expressive and striking wooden support structure. The central position of the market area demanded the highest precision and dynamics in the construction of the greenhouse. The special highlight is a heat pump with cooling function for the market area.

The north of Italy has been one attraction richer since the beginning of March 2022. With a covered sales area of over 7,300 m2 and a total footprint of 43,500 m2, the new Viridea garden center is set apart by its tried and proven product range. The communication concept is new. The various sales sections were given specific accents to provide customers with intuitive orientation for their shopping experience. Optimal quality of perception is ensured by the selected arrangement and choice of materials. The balanced combination of wood and glass also places the goods in a natural setting.

The renowned perennial nursery Frikarti is now also producing at its Brittnau site protected from the elements. The long-awaited expansion by an approx. 2,150 m² cabrio greenhouse for weather-protected perennial production has now been built in the second of three planned construction phases. This long-standing trusting collaboration has been strengthened by another project. Because the greenhouse is unheated, the full snow load pursuant to the SIA standard was applied for the structural calculation. The 100 m long connecting structure built in the first construction phase joins the old complex to the new building to create an ideal logistical axis.