Sapphire steps up to the challenge at Allen Court

Sapphire’s balcony design and manufacturing expertise has addressed the technical challenges posed by the renovation of a London housing estate by Linden Homes and Notting Hill Genesis.

The transformation of homes at Allen Court in Greenford included an intricate perforated leaf pattern in the balconies’ balustrade panels. The project also required Sapphire to manufacture as much as possible offsite to overcome restricted access through the narrow residential streets around the building. The hilltop location also meant ground levels varied across the site and the building had various steps in the slab, requiring adjoining balconies to be staggered to different areas.

Balconies were cast in concrete and balustrades and privacy screens manufactured from galvanised and powder coated mild steel frames. For cost-efficiency, Sapphire optimised the bespoke leaf pattern to make it as repeatable as possible, whilst complying with Part K and BS6180 which requires balcony balustrades to be ‘not easily climbed’.

Balconies were  manufactured offsite to exact site surveys and the perforated aluminium panels were then riveted to the frame. Privacy screen posts flow from the top of the balcony stacks to the bottom and serve both sides, eliminating the need for, and the additional cost, of a separate balcony framework on each balcony.

For more information please visit www.sapphire.eu.com