Defining outdoor space has become an essential part of any commercial architecture in the 21st century. As walls are to rooms so, too, are privacy boxwood hedges, artificial plants and concrete half walls. When considering exterior improvements, the boxwood hedge and green walls have raised aesthetic appeal in not only savvy modernization plans. They have additional advantage in boosting the bottom line for businesses looking to cut costs which live foliage maintenance requires. What’s more, faux plants like the boxwood hedge and artificial plants in general hold color infinitely longer than their live counterparts. It was for these reasons and more that Marriott Irvine’s design firm, Leo A Daly, recommended Artificial Plants Unlimited to help modernize the hotel’s Floe Lounge outdoor hospitality space. 

SHOP OUTDOOR ARTIFICIAL HEDGES

Privacy Hedges: Dressed to Impress 

Marriott Irvine’s challenge was to refurbish a 151-foot custom poured concrete planter and railing system that had previously been filled in with loose rock and gravel. The system’s original design served as a barrier for Floe Lounge’s roof deck terrace separating it from the pool area below. Over time, areas of the railing had begun deteriorating due to continuous exposure to water and soil. Artificial Plants Unlimited’s Brandon McCormick initially proposed installing a hedge system that would fill in the gaps on either side of the railing. 

After doing an onsite consultation, however, Marriott Irvine opted to bring the hedge all the way over the top of the railing upon McCormick’s suggestion, making it fully green. By using robust artificial plant material to conceal the entire railing system, it would create the soft, lush appearance the client was looking to achieve. 

Boxwood Hedges 

Since Artificial Plants Unlimited offers a variety of hedging material, the client was presented with options. After having viewed boxwood, ivy, azalea, they chose the boxwood hedge “due to both price and appearance,” said McCormick, adding, “Any of the options would have been very durable,” lasting for years. The boxwood hedge material is rich-looking, providing loads of color and texture. Besides vibrant color, Artificial Plants Unlimited hedging material is UV resistant, fire retardant, and built for longevity. In Marriott Irvine’s case, the boxwood hedge installed is projected to extend the life of the railing system by 10 to 15 years. 

In addition, the boxwood hedge’s subtle two-shaded green leaf structure is quite dense, creating an environmentally warm and inviting decorative function as well as providing exceptional privacy. It was just such appeal that led Marriott Irvine to choose its style along with its cost-efficiency. By using artificial plants material in general, the energy savings are tremendous, eliminating routine maintenance and watering. What’s more, the color will remain consistent throughout the 151′ hedge length. Plus, without watering an added benefit reduces risk of customers slipping on water puddles often created by irrigation. 

Process and Materials that Make the Difference 

With a poured concrete planter and railing system as extensive as Marriott Irvine’s, the advantages of choosing Artificial Plants Unlimited to design and manufacture the custom made boxwood hedge were substantial. “We engineered a solution for them,” says McCormick. “We built the hedge in 22 individual linked pieces to the exact size, fitting into the 151-foot planter down to a 1/4 inch.” This detailed process further facilitated adjustments for inconsistencies. “We manufacture customized powder covered iron cage material as the base” to which hedging material is attached. “Most competitors don’t offer that and use plywood instead which is not as strong, can rot, warp, and become bug-infested,” McCormick adds. 

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Once the original specifications were completed for the Marriott’s hedge, it only took 4 weeks to construct the hedge pieces. Upon installation, each boxwood section was then bolted into the concrete on either side of the planter in addition to having hose clamps attached to the top of the railing. All of this made for a stable as well as attractive privacy hedge the client was looking for. Plus, the hedge can now hides pipes, wiring, and speakers in addition to providing privacy from the pool area below. 

Completing the Picture 

Besides the boxwood hedge, Leo A Daly’s designer had another goal: to enhance what had been a plain solid-colored opposing wall that would tie elements of the overall hospitality space together. To do this, he created backlit white sail panels. McCormick recommended incorporating green walls using the same boxwood material as the hedge, strategically placing them in random fashion to the sail panels. 

End Result 

In the end, not only was the client exceedingly happy with the design, cost, and quality of the work performed, “for our part it was a lot of fun to do,” said McCormick. By using the richness and denseness of boxwood hedge material, the hotel’s hospitality space is now modern, inviting, and colorful while being functional and cost efficient at the same time. In fact, the client was so happy “they recently asked us to create another solution for them in the adjacent entry area,” says McCormick. It just doesn’t get much better than that. 

Now that you’ve seen the remarkable transformation we achieved with the Marriott, don’t delay – contact us today to get your project started! 

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