les jardins de gally – france

Category: Artificial Green

Leclerc Les Oudairies is a retail place, based in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, in the West of France. There, the countryside is called ‘Le bocage vendéen’. This indeed alternates small irregular-shaped fields separated by hedges. The commercial center is the property of an independent retailer, who made an extension of the building (6650m²).

First, we had a strong conviction, shared with the whole design team: integrate the building as much as possible in this preserved environment. Secondly, the “customer experience” purpose: “make people feel like home”. The pandemic has shown the owner that the commercial center was not only a place to buy food but, as one of the only places still open to public during thelockdowns, an important place to maintain social link. Thirdly, the building designed by the architects is large and high and we had to give the interior landscaping project a sufficient scale.

The project starts outdoor, with perennials, shrubs and multi-trunk trees, all produced in France, with educational signs to explain surrounding biodiversity. As a continuum, indoor, large scale trees of the Collection Sylver®, made up with naturally dried trunks and branches and artificial leaves imitate the same varieties as those planted in the parking (Oak trees). These are totally hand made by Gally in our Nantes’ workshop, with co-products (unused cut branches and trunks) from sustainably managed forests. This unique process combines design and responsibility. Trunks are irregular, reinforcing the impression of naturality. With this process, exterior trees can be planted inside. Plants in pots are artificial (Monstera, Nephrolepsis, Ficus lyrate), as much as natural (Sanseveria, Scindapsus, Strelitzia), depending on the species and the place where they are located.

Home sweet home theme is developed thanks to pots in natural aspect materials (wood, stone) and islands of different species and size of plants. Organic lines “rest islands”, with rounded benches, enable customers to take a rest. Librairies, with we designed and built with a French metal workshop, decorated with artificial pot plants, reinforce the home feeling.

Le Bureau d’Etudes de Gally designed the whole project, both outdoor and indoor. Our team worked with Saguez & Partners, a French design office well known for branding and retail projects. There, Saguez was the head of the whole design of the building and its branding. To note: Saguez’s own offices, called “Manufacture du design”, are a green oasis in the heart of Paris suburbs, designed by… Le Bureau d’Etudes de Gally!

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