How it all came about is kind of neat story, but that’s not the point of this post.  I really believe that the brand we’ve created has integrity.

Why?

Because we’re committed to creating unique products. And we’re committed to the environment. And we’re not just saying it cause it’s en vogue, we’re living it.

Our products are made with 99% garbage.  I call it garbage because that’s what it is – waste material that has not been processed. Unlike recycled plastic, for example, the materials we use are how they were when they were disposed.  We refurbish them and implement them in ways that we think make sense.  Our objective is to create and deliver a quality offering that provides the best value on the market.

To me, value is relative to the amount of integrity that is implemented into a product.

What does that mean?

If someone really cares about what they’re making, how it’s being made, and what is being used to make it.  And they care about the impact that product will have on the world, then there’s a good chance there’s some integrity and value there.  Because when you care, you take the time to hand-pick the very best materials, you handle them with care and pay attention to the details.  You take pride in your work and it shows.  A product that has value is one that, through the implementation of integrity, exemplifies physical AND ideological beauty. That’s what Reclaim Recycled Products is all about.

Made from completely locally sourced recycled materials right here in Vancouver, the I-Bench is Reclaim’s latest product addition. Using old Ibeam and Fir beams, the I-Bench is one the greenest choices around for site furnishings. It has a nice industrial feel but is simple, practical and stylish- a perfect choice for any park or LEED/green building project.

Please click the link below for the official press release and visit the I-Bench page in our store for more information.

I-Bench Press Release

This post is for our new project, Lion’s Park. We demo’ed an existing structure and rubber tile play area and rebuilt it from the ground up. This included a brand new playground and recycled rubber tile, as well as a natural playground element, an embedded hillside slide with old growth steps. It took us about 10 days to install but we are very pleased with the final product. We patterned the rubber tile to create a more imaginative play for the kids as well.

We also installed 3 of the i-benches mentioned above and were able to recycle the existing tile by giving it away for horse stable use.  The embedded slide idea came from a request to try and incorporate the entire available area for play. We noticed kids running on the hill so we said to ourselves “why not pop a slide in there?” We did, and it looks awesome! It has a very natural playground feel to it and it utilizes some reclaimed old growth cedar that we pulled from the bush. It’s a nice balance with the bright commercial play equipment that we installed.

Please check out all the before and after pictures below. As you can see, it’s quite the improvement and the kids are really excited! Remember to check back soon for the post on our new Reclaim recycled I-bench!

Lion's Park Before

Hillside Before

Lion's Park After

Rubber Tile Layout

Lion's Park After

Hillside Slide

Hillside Slide

New Playground

Read the article here

Emery Barnes Park

Coming soon…. the UG Bench from Reclaim Recycled Products – the coolest, most affordable, greenest, park bench around.

Check out some pictures of the Landscape Architect Superstore below – they link directly to the store.  If anyone has any feedback or ideas on how we can make the store better, please comment.  Thanks for your time.

landscape architect superstore screenshot

A look inside the Landscape Architect Superstore

Product page in the Landscape Architect Superstore

Downloads available at the landscape architect superstore

Check out some progress pics below…

Enjoy!

Publik Series from F&C

I got frustrated a while ago about the lack of contemporary site furnishings available on the market.  To me, it seemed like the most obvious situation of supply not meeting demand.  I’ve met a lot of landscape architects and I’m hard-pressed to name a more design-minded group. Why is the market suffocating these people from breathing unique looks into our cityscapes?  Something needed to be done, and we were the ones to do it.

I agree that there is a time and place for a Victorian-style bench or a classically-designed site amenity, but those times and places are becoming fewer and more far between the further we venture into the 21st century.  The gap between what is being supplied and what I believe designers are looking for is becoming increasingly greater.

Publik Series from F&C

Design has evolved, materials are evolving, amenity-use has evolved, and our collective idea of what is beautiful has evolved.  So let’s make choice toward a site furnishing that better reflects this development.  Yes folks, it is ok to make our cityscapes look cool.  It’s what we all want.  And it’s not hard.

Forms&Concepts is the name for the site furnishings line that we created.  It’s our attempt to provide a unique, progressive, evolved site furnishing option for landscape design professionals.

We have attempted to create further value-add by making our offering completely available online, including CADs for download, customizable options, and the ability to create a quote for yourself, including freight charges, on the spot.

Moreover, when we moved into the position of supplying our own furniture, we acquired a greater ability to create custom designs for our customers.  So if you have a design you’d like made, let us know, we may be able to make it for you.

Finally, we cut out the middle man big time with our site furnishings,  enabling us to offer exceptional value for exceptional prices.  We’re happy to do so.  If you’re interested in learning more about Forms&Concepts, check it out at The Landscape Architect Superstore,  Thanks for reading!

Metro Series from F&C

Metro Series from F&C

Publik Series from F&C

Metro Series from F&C

Based on this feedback we created The Landscape Architect Superstore, which is our attempt at the ultimate resource for landscape architects.  It’s only the first version of the store, with landarchsuperstore 2.0 coming soon, I’m sure.  The store is set up to enable LAs to browse our catalogue of furnishings, create and save a spec to the site or forward info to interested parties, download CADs, warranty, color charts, spec sheets, etc. about our products, and ultimately purchase directly online… wow, that’s a long sentence.  Feedback has been extremely positive, so far.

Ok, so what’s with ‘closing the gap between designers and suppliers’?  … well, we’re the suppliers and you may be the designer.  We want to know what you think and what you want and then it’s our mission to provide that.  Example: the folks over at Eckford and Associates asked us to provide raw materials like cedar logs and boulders in such a way that these materials were easy to spec.  Done.  The next day we added raw cedar (your choice or Red, Yellow, or mixed, 12″ diameter) sold by the lineal ft.  We also added boulders (approximately 24″ diameter) for sale, .  Then Rod Maruyama, from Maruyama and Associates, asked us to add loose aggregates like Bristol Island Flat Rocks, pancake rocks, polished stones, and large boulders to the store – we’re working on it and these items should be available on our online store soon.

Raw Cedar Logs Product Page

How else have we closed the gap?  By offering the ability to produce custom furnishings for our clients.  Jeff Cutler at Space2Place mentioned that he would appreciate the option to customize the elements he incorporates in his design.  Since we manufacture our own furnishings (Forms&Concepts) we are more than capable of doing this, so we added a sidebar on the store that advertises this offering.

The store also offers the ability for the designer to instantly obtain all relevant information regarding store products, including CAD files and the ability to create a quote including freight!!!  Yes folks, you should be able to do everything on the store at your convenience without ever having to make a phone call, wait for specs, or a quote.

If the store is not the best website relating to the supply of landscape elements that you’ve used, I would like to know why.  We want to make it the best resource possible.  Thank you for your feedback!!!

To visit the store click this link:  The Landscape Architect Superstore

Cue the rocks.

Kids love playing on their new playground but as soon as they discover landscaping rocks and logs, they cut a path right to them. Why is this the case? Part of it has to do with the fact that there are no restrictions or interpretations on how to use rocks and logs. On a playground, you climb up this side, run down this ramp in this direction, and then go down the slide. Repeat.

On a rock, you can climb anywhere, you can hang, you can pretend it’s anything you want. Likewise for a log or piece of driftwood. These items have an unlimited life because they can provide both physical and cognitive benefits to a child. Just like a kid opens a present and plays with the box, he or she runs the playground circuit a few times and then heads for the item that they can turn into anything they want with their imagination.

We, at Urban Green, have noticed a real trend in a demand for boulders and raw logs/driftwood for playground areas. Clients are still very interested in playground structures but would like a natural addition to their play area as well. This is usually accomplished through the strategic placement of different shaped boulders and raw logs (debarked and sanded). Not only do these elements provide a more natural feel to the area itself, they add play value. It’s a definite plus, and in my opinion, essential  to balance both imaginative play and physical play.

Logs and boulders also have an application outside of playgrounds and kids in general. Several of our visits to landscape architects around BC have resulted in the same request: where can I get logs and boulders to put in my designs? There is also a real demand for these items just for aesthetic purposes, whether it’s  visual or functional. It might be as simple as placing a large boulder in a building courtyard, or a bit more complex, such as creating a log pathway for several hundred feet.

Regardless of the application, raw logs and boulders are items that are becoming more and more in demand. Because of this, we have added them to our online store and are currently sourcing even more natural elements such as loose aggregates and various stones.