Sapphire sets the scene with innovative balconies for Greenwich Peninsula
Sapphire is setting the scene for an ambitious new masterplan for London’s Greenwich Peninsula with a stylish collection of bespoke balustrades for residential balconies, roof terraces and walkways. Delivery of this unique district of homes, shops, restaurants and entertainment ‘wrapped’ by the River Thames is well underway and properties are now starting to be occupied in what has been the largest planning application ever processed by a London borough.
Sapphire’s versatile balcony and balustrade systems along with the company’s manufacturing expertise provided the perfect solution for the project’s diverse design requirements and balcony structures. Around 400 properties have been completed so far arranged in 10 multi-occupancy buildings. A variety of Sapphire’s balcony and balustrade solutions were specified to suit the style and size of individual dwellings, from the Crystal® system, which uses structural glass to create a seamless feel, to vertical bar infills in smart, durable aluminium. Sapphire’s comprehensive package included offsite manufactured balcony solutions, which also incorporated powder-coated fascias and soffits pre-installed to the balconies, together with complementary balustrades to roof terraces and divider screens on larger balconies. With its glide-on balcony Cassette® system enabling balconies to be installed beneath others, Sapphire was able to give the customer the flexibility to deliver balconies at higher levels, leaving surrounding areas for installation at later dates once other trades have finished.
Sapphire was also able to apply its ‘intelligent engineering’ to design and install complete balconies for a number of non-standard balcony structures which enhance the development’s striking architectural façade. These included parallelogram-shaped balconies with unequal sides, as well as corner balconies. In addition to balconies and terraces, Sapphire supplied a continuous terrace balcony with glazed balustrades for a fourth floor walkway, extending 20 metres between two of the residential buildings.
All the balustrades and balconies for Greenwich Peninsula were designed by Sapphire to comply with relevant regulations, industry standards and British Standards for thermal, rainwater, structural performance and design loads, as well as specific safety regulations relating to residential applications. This included suitability for children, where BS6180 requires balustrades not to be easily climbable and to have no gaps of more than 100mm, to prevent a small child falling through.
Sapphire Balustrades has extensive experience and expertise in supplying high quality balustrades and balconies to multi-occupancy residential projects like Greenwich Peninsula. The company offers architects and developers a market-leading combination of versatile systems and personal service, from concept, design and procurement through to production and on-site and post-project support.
According to Nick Haughton, Sapphire’s Marketing Manager, balconies for Greenwich Peninsula have created a fundamental ‘wow’ factor to what is otherwise a simplistic building design, adding sales appeal and definition to the entire development. He comments: “The striking engineered feel of the balconies takes the aesthetic finishes to far more than the average balcony. This effect is further enhanced by the use of complementing colours cleverly integrated into the building design.” Balconies for Greenwich Peninsula apartments developed by Knight Dragon have needed this flexibility to create a mix of styles from one plot to another across the peninsula.
Cassette® and Crystal® are registered trade marks of Sapphire Balustrades Ltd
