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Nestled within a native bush setting on Kohi Point Lookout Road, this residential project set out to create a natural, low-impact vehicle accessway for a new hillside home in Whakatāne. With the 1,078m² site positioned between numbers 18 and 20, the design required cutting a driveway through steep, densely vegetated terrain. A key goal was to ensure the resulting earthworks were stabilised in a way that respected the site’s ecological context and aesthetic values. Our client, Michelle, sought a solution that blended seamlessly into the surrounding environment while providing long-term structural performance.
Forming the driveway access involved excavating into a narrow and sloped section, resulting in steep earth banks of up to 1.9 metres in height and approximately 20 metres in length on either side. The site’s natural contours, irregular shape, and sensitive vegetation presented several challenges:
To address both engineering and environmental requirements, the project team selected the Flex MSE Vegetated Wall System, supplied by Advance Landscape Systems and installed by Top-Notch Contracting. Designed to follow the natural flow of the driveway, the vegetated wall was built with a curved alignment that softened the visual impact and allowed for direct planting into its geotextile face.
To ensure structural integrity on the variable terrain, ACEGrid GG40 geogrid reinforcement was installed at every third course, providing long-term stability in accordance with the structural design by EDC (Whakatāne).
The Flex MSE system offered the ideal balance between engineering performance, aesthetic sensitivity, and environmental stewardship, making it the perfect solution for this tight, sloping residential site.
The planting design, developed by Changing Spaces with support from Advance Landscape Systems, focused on native species suited to the site’s microclimate and visual character:
Together, these species established a dense vegetated cover, reinforcing the “living wall” effect from day one.
Learn more about Flex MSE Vegetated Wall System
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