The Continuing Positive Development of Sensory Environments

Sensory environments are becoming more available and widely appreciated for the huge features and benefits that they provide. In a recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, sensory gardens have been proven to give a positive effect on people who suffer from dementia. Apollo Creative has worked on numerous projects installing sensory products such as bubble tubes into gardens for a relaxing, peaceful experience.  

Sensory products can also be utilised in the retail sector, showcasing products and creating eye catching displays, it is a simple way to entice customers and get excited about a product. Retailers are starting to see the benefits of utilising all five senses of their customers to sell not just a product, but an experience.

A sensory room is one of the most popular ways of using the products that Apollo Creative provide. Utilising a space to install bubble tubes, fibre optic lights, projection screens or bubble walls creates the ultimate sensory environment. A simple web-search highlights the positive effects they have on people from children to the elderly. Sensory environments really are developing to become essential in the therapeutic treatment of patients with mental illness.

Sensory environments are helping us to bring calm to the fast-paced world we live in. Being able to provide a relaxing, therapeutic and exciting experience really is at the heart of our business. We can't wait to see how use of sensory products benefits your life.

  

What is a Bubble Tube and how can you use it?

A bubble tube is a sensory piece of equipment used to provide a relaxing, colourful and joyful experience. First conceived by Ad Verheul and Jan Hulsegg in Holland in 1974 as they were creating 'snoezelens' (Sensory Rooms). A bubble tube uses different coloured led lights that can be controlled by an interactive controller to determine your perfect relaxation point. There are many ways in which our technology can control your bubble tube anything from being touch sensitive to using your voice to change the colour!

People with autism can focus their attention and interact with the eye catching bubble tube. This provides a very relaxed environment for them, the beautiful colours highlight the marvellous bubbles that feature as a centrepiece in any sensory room.

The bubble tube is perfect for educating children, they can learn about different colours and recognise certain feelings they get when seeing, for example, a blue colour to mean cold.

Let's not forget they can be used to showcase products in retail and for any other interactive exhibitions just check out our recent project that was finished in the new CBeebies Land at Alton Towers Resort.

If you use a bubble tube we would love to see it and how you use it, just tweet us your photos to our Twitter page.

Bubble tubes light up Nina's at Alton Towers

Technology designed and created in Knaresborough will form part of a top new attraction at the UK’s most popular theme park.

Apollo Creative has supplied four bubble tubes – colour changing bubbling columns of water – to Alton Towers Resort for the new CBeebies Land, which opened on May 24.

Ben Johnson, a product specialist at Apollo Creative, said: “We were first contacted by Alton Towers Resort in mid-January when they were looking to source some bespoke bubble tubes for the Nina’s Science Lab area, both inside and out.

“Being a UK manufacturer, we were able to deliver exactly what they were after, well before the launch.”

Although Apollo Creative has extensive experience in creating bubble tubes, they are traditionally used in environments such as sensory rooms. Recently, there has been increasing demand for them to create exciting and enticing displays.

Ben added: “We’re seeing a growing interest from retail display and exhibition markets as companies look to draw more attention to their products and company by standing out from the crowd.

“One of our recent projects was to create an interesting display for Clarins to use on its display in Selfridges on Oxford Street in London. This work with Alton Towers Resort reinforces that there are many new and exciting ways the technology can be used – whatever our customers imagine, we can find a way to create.”

The contract with Alton Towers Resort allowed Ben and his team to further develop the technology for outdoor use, such as making them waterproof and including much brighter LEDs.

Dave Reynolds, entertainments assistant technical manager at Alton Towers Resort, said: “It has been great working with Apollo Creative – we were kept informed of their progress throughout the order.

“This meant that when our order arrived we were confident that there would be no surprises. We were also able to connect it to our existing lighting system, meaning we could control the colours to match all our other lights.

“We’re very happy with the finished product and love how the display looks”. 

News: London calls for Apollo Creative team

A set of bespoke bubble tubes designed and built at a Knaresborough technology park have been on display in one of the world’s most famous department stores.

They were created by the team of just three specialists at Apollo Creative, based on Manse Lane in Knaresborough, for the launch of a new Clarins product at Selfridges on Oxford Street in London.

Ben Johnson, product specialist at Apollo, said: “The bubble tubes are generally for sensory rooms, but we have also worked with shops and exhibition installations in the past.

“It was great to be invited to work with a prestigious brand like Clarins, especially in such an iconic department store.”

Apollo Creative was approached by design4retail on behalf of Clarins at the end of 2012, when the project was being planned. The design of the display area meant the bubble tubes needed to be twice as large as the standard design made by Apollo Creative and the related equipment, such as the lighting and the air pump, also had to be adapted to work properly with a larger installation.

“By the time the order came through, we only had about ten days to get everything ready to go,” said Ben. “Luckily, they had given us some of the fittings from the display so we could see how the tubes and all the related equipment could go together and make sure everything was perfect before it was sent down to London.”

The Clarins display has just been taken down after being in place for seven weeks, which Ben said was an unusually long time for a promotional installation. He hopes the work being on show in such a high-profile position for a long period will lead to similar projects in the future for the small but ambitious team at Apollo Creative.

Bespoke bubble tubes used for retail display in London

Bubble tubes used as a podium for product launch

Earlier this year, retail design specialists design4retail approached Apollo Creative hoping to incorporate extra wide bubble tubes for a retail display in Selfridges, London. The 400mm diameter bubble tubes were over twice as large as standard bubble tubes so certain modifications were needed, such as brighter LEDs and a more powerful air pump.

We worked closely with their design team, providing drawings and modifying the bubble tubes to accommodate the wishes of their client. The bubble tubes were used as a display podium, and a sticker was placed around the outside of the tube to fit the branding of the products.

News: Bubble stream bursts onto gym scene

Yorkshire’s newest sport and fitness centre could be setting a trend when the state-of-the-art premises open next week.

Bubble tubes supplied by Knaresborough-based Apollo Creative have been incorporated into the cycling area at the £9m York Sport Village, designed by The Ideas Group of York, called in to develop innovative concepts inside the new building.

An artist's impression of the cycling area

The company has already used Apollo Creative’s interactive water features in other projects around the UK, including retail environments and exhibitions.

However, the floor-to-ceiling bubble tubes in the new sport village are thought to be a first in the region’s gyms, giving users of the cycling machines something inspiring to look at as they try to emulate the feats of Britain’s world-beating cycling greats.

“We thought bubble tubes would work well in this case – and we will be developing the idea further by connecting them to technology which will reward users of the cycling machines by changing the bubbles’ behaviour to reflect their level of effort,” said The Ideas Group MD, Nick Townend.

“If that works well, who knows; we could be onto a concept which other fitness centres would like to consider.”

Apollo Creative’s Mark Hildred added: “Bubble tubes are mainly seen in sensory settings, but they always prove a popular attraction to people of all ages.

“We were really excited when Nick first approached us about the Sports Village concept, especially as I've spent many an hour pedalling away on a bike in the gym. I can see this being a popular feature and can't wait to work on developing it further."

The York Sport Village has been developed in partnership between the University of York, Sport England and the City of York Council with the stated aim of inspiring everyone to embrace active lifestyles and encourage exercise and participation in sport at every level by providing first-class facilities, services and development programmes designed to aid improvement.

Corner of the World wins Silver!

I'm just back from RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, where Corner of the World won a Silver Medal. Congratulations to Nick, Clare and all the rest of the team.

News: Apollo Mission Inspires Gardening Gurus

Thousands of visitors at one of the nation’s best-known flower shows will be able to enjoy innovative products made by a Knaresborough firm – although not in their usual environment.

Apollo Creative designs and manufactures equipment for use by organisations which work with youngsters with special educational needs – and bubble tubes are often used for mental and visual stimulation.

However, from July 3, some of the company’s products will be an integral part of one of the garden designs on show at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show.

A Corner of the World

The display - A Corner of the World - has been designed with the needs of an autistic child in mind and incorporates ten Apollo bubble tubes.

“Our garden design is primarily aimed for use by autistic children, providing them with an escape from the outside world or a quiet corner where they can take the time out they need,” said gold-medal-winning co-designer of the garden, Nick Buss.

“The key elements include a hollow oak tree, bubble tubes and other sensory equipment, while plants in the garden have been chosen for their subtle colours and scents.”

He added: “With stimulation at the forefront of our design aims, we really wanted to find some bubble tubes for outdoor use but they were proving so difficult to source – until we spoke to another designer who’d been helped by Apollo Creative.

“Apollo’s bubble tubes helped us achieve the garden we wanted to make. We really couldn’t have done it without them.”

Apollo Creative designs and manufactures a range of bubble tubes for use in a wide variety of environments, from traditional areas such as sensory rooms through to point-of-sale (POS) applications and exhibitions, providing a unique focal point.

All the company’s tubes are based on high-brightness, low-maintenance LEDs. Pumps are designed to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week so they can be used for displays as well as in sensory environments.

Tubes are built to order at the company’s Knaresborough base so custom sizes and specifications are available on request.

Lindsay's garden at Malvern

And it’s not the first time Apollo has found its products used for garden design. In 2011, graduate landscape designer Lindsay Warwick used bubble tubes to represent test tubes in her design Chemistry – All That Matters to celebrate the UNESCO Year of Chemistry, which won bronze at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show.

Managing director, Mark Hildred said: “We're always looking for new ways to develop our products and couldn't resist the fantastic design put forward by Nick for the garden at RHS Hampton Court.

“Following on from the Bronze Award garden by Lindsay Warwick at last years RHS Malvern, this year we're hoping for a gold!”

“The sensory garden can stimulate so many different senses and we hope it will have a life after the show as inspiration for a new generation of outdoor spaces.”

Update from Corner of the World at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

We've just had an update from Clare and Nick, creators of the "Corner of the World" garden for RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show next week.

I think it's coming along nicely!

Corner of the World at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

Yesterday I went down to Hampton Court Palace to meet Clare Olof and Nick Buss, designers of the garden, "Corner of the World". This garden has primarily been designed for autistic children, providing an escape from the outside world. The relaxing garden will have subtle colours, bubble tubes, and a stream emerging from a hollow oak tree.

Apollo Creative is helping sponsor the garden, which features ten bubble tubes including a desktop sized one which will sit inside the oak tree.

The Flower Show starts on 3rd July, if you're heading down be sure to check out their garden!

Student wins big!

Earlier I told you about a student from King James's School in Knaresborough who designed a triangular bubble wall as a tabletop show-piece. Well since then he has gone on to win several awards for his design.

Charlie visited Apollo Creative many times during the design and construction of his piece in order to use our knowledge of building and customising bubble walls.

His first award came at the Engineering Inspirations event held at Yorkshire Air Museum where he won the Product Design award for Key Stage 5.

Yesterday he also won twice at the Big Bang Fair held at York Minster. As a result of winning here he gets to travel down to London to compete in the National finals. Good luck!

A triangular bubble wall?

Earlier this year we worked with a student from King James's School to help design a triangular bubble wall as a concept and also build a working prototype.

The product was designed to fit on a table top as a corporate showpiece. It includes the air pump and the lights in a small compartment and was seen as a smaller, more affordable bubble wall.

Various changes were made to the original design (top right) as issues were encountered, such as the removal of one triangle to save space, but the final product looks great. The movement of the air bubbles was interesting, something which we hadn't expected!

News: "All that matters..." is gardening!

The Malvern Spring Gardening Show opened today, with a Show Garden designed by Lindsay Warwick featuring Apollo Creative bubble tubes.

Lindsay is a graduate landscape designer who was shortlisted for the Chris Beardshaw Scholarship. 'Atom' is the theme for this years scholarship gardens, celebrating the UNESCO year of Chemistry. 'Chemistry ... all that matters' is Lindsay's interpretation of this theme, as she explains in her brief for the design:

"Chemistry ... all that matters showcases some of the elements we might associate with science. A blend of art and education, the garden pays tribute to the test tube rack and dusty chalk boards that were features of chemistry lessons for so many of us."

"An iconic atom sculpture stands adjacent to a circular pond. Rivers of meandering electrons flow, winding their way through space and weaving around the base of the test tube feature that bubbles proudly away at the back of the garden."

Lyndsay received an RHS Bronze Award for her efforts, as well as having a great deal of public interest in her design.

You can read about the preparation for the event on the Apollo Projects Blog.

Chemistry ... all that matters is complete!

The Malvern Spring Gardening Show opened today and we travelled down to have a look at Lindsay's finished garden. The results were great, with food dye the bubble tubes really turned into test tubes. Lindsay won a bronze medal from the Royal Horticultural Society and attracted a lot of attention from the public, especially after encouraging people to write their own messages on the reverse of the blackboards.

The show is on until Sunday, be sure to get down if you can.

Behind the scenes at Chemistry ... all that matters

We've just received a behind the scenes picture from Lindsay which shows the garden taking place with the 5 bubble tubes at the back. Food dye was put into the water in the tubes so that they have a brilliant colour, even outside in bright sunlight when LEDs wouldn't be very effective.

You can start to imagine them as test tubes already!

Behind the scenes: Test tubes for Chemistry ... all that matters

For Lindsay Warwick's show garden we've adapted our existing bubble tube design to allow them to be used outdoors. They now have more bubbles, and all 5 tubes run from a single pump!

The test tubes are taking shape!

Chemistry ... all that matters

We have been approached by Lindsay Warwick, a graduate landscape designer who, as part of being shortlisted for the Chris Beardshaw Scholarship, has been asked to design and build a show garden at the Malvern Spring Gardening Show 2011.

'Atom' is the theme for this years scholarship gardens, celebrating the UNESCO year of Chemistry, and 'Chemistry ... all that matters' will be Lindsay's show garden.

Chemistry ... all that matters showcases some of the elements we might associate with science. A blend of art and education, the garden pays tribute to the test tube rack and dusty chalk boards that were features of chemistry lessons for so many of us.

An iconic atom sculpture stands adjacent to a circular pond. Rivers of meandering electrons flow, winding their way through space and weaving around the base of the test tube feature that bubbles proudly away at the back of the garden.

We will be donating five bubble tubes which will resemble the test tubes at the back of the garden. We'll also post some interesting behind the scenes pictures as the garden takes shape.

The Malvern Spring Gardening Show takes place at The Showground in Malvern, just outside of Worcester, on 12-15th May 2011.

Bubble tube at LGI

It was great to receive a letter and card from the Children's Oncology Ward at Leeds General Infirmary, to whom we donated a bubble tube before Christmas.

The tube forms part of a play room, helping children and their siblings who are undergoing treatment.

60 Minute Makeover in Stockport

Apollo was pleased to help out 60 Minute Makeover again by supplying an interactive bubble tube for a programme in Stockport.

The show, broadcast on the 26th April 2010, focuses on transforming the home of Michelle and Ian whose son Jake has cerebral palsy.

A 1.5m Interactive Bubble Tube was fitted by the designers as one of the features.

You can find a full list of suppliers for the programme here: http://www.itv.com/lifestyle/60minutemakeover/series7suppliers200910/stockport/default.html

60 Minute Makeover

An Apollo Creative bubble tube features as part of a bedroom redeisgn on ITV's 60 Minute Makeover to be transmitted on the 22nd January.

A bubble tube was donated for use in the makeover for a jungle themed bedroom. The passive tube slowly rotates through colours creating an exciting feature point for the room.

You can find out more about other suppliers on the program on the ITV site or contact us to find your nearest distributor.