Nestle Factory, Block D Case Study

Hayes Village is a vast redevelopment on the site of the old Nestle factory, featuring Art Deco architectural features and unique balcony designs. Designed by Makower Architects and delivered by Barratt Homes, Hayes Village remains true to the history of the area by preserving key features of the Nestle Factory, from the original façade to subtle details throughout the design. We supplied 124 Glide-On balconies for Nestle Factory, Block D.

The historic site is being transformed into a new neighbourhood comprising of 1,386 homes and over 7 acres of green space. After being inaccessible to the public for over a century the development will bring a new lease of life with more than 3 hectares of public space, opening up 300m of the canal and provide at least 500 permanent jobs.

In commemoration of the site’s heritage, the iconic Art Deco entrance will be retained, alongside the original staircase and south façade of the main factory building. In homage to this, the balconies on block D featured some unique balustrade detailing giving the external envelope a fittingly unique character.

Challenge

A key challenge at Nestle Factory Block D was ensuring the balcony design fit with the wider aesthetic of the scheme, while remaining within budget and keeping on site labour to a minimum.

As a further point of design complexity, the balconies also featured a continuous handrail along all three types of balustrades for a seamless finish. These unique design features made an exceptional level of QA essential, aided by our offsite manufacturing and Passport® app.

Solution

The balconies at Nestle Factory Block D featured a combination of laminate glass, solid panel and vertical bar balustrades giving each apartment a unique feel. The laminate glass balustrades included patterned designs intended to compliment the art deco design of the factory building. Some of the glass balconies featured a chevron pattern while others combined solid panels with patterned glass with an overlapping circular design. Further, some balconies included three different panels for the balustrades, one solid panel, one clear laminate glass and another with vertical bars.

Not only did these varied balustrade designs highlight the character of the project, they also provide residents with exceptional privacy and shelter from the elements.

These intricacies were made possible by our exceptional levels of quality control and offsite production. Each balcony was manufactured and prefinished offsite, before being placed into secure storage ready to be called, when needed, for installation on site.

The future residents have been carefully considered throughout the design process at Nestle Factory, from electric vehicle charging points to 2000 cycle spaces and extensive communal landscaping. Other amenities include a gym, community space, coffee shop and canteen.

Installation Process at Nestle Factory, Block D

Step 1: Cast in anchors were cast into the slab & incorporated thermal break connections offering superior rigidity to the balconies.

Step 2: Cassette® balconies were preassembled offsite, including the balustrades, decking & soffits meaning the precise specification could be assured at every step of manufacturing.

Step 3: Cassette® balconies were transported with balconies ‘nested’ onto each pallet making transport both cost effective & safe. Balconies were pre-slung offsite ready for installation upon arrival.

Step 4: Once lifted into position, the Cassettes® simply Glide-On™ to the pre-erected support arms, before completing the simple mechanical fixings.