Speedy Installation Stuns at Woodberry 1B

Sapphire’s innovative offsite prefinished balcony system enabled all 20 balconies to be delivered and installed rapidly at North London’s Woodberry Down. All balconies were delivered and installed in a single day, leaving onlookers stunned. Berkeley Group themselves were doubtful this could be achieved until it unfolded in front of them.

“I even lost a bet thinking that it wasn’t possible!”

Site Manager – Berkeley Group

Balconies were manufactured offsite in one of Sapphire’s production facility while connections were being completed. With the building prepared the prefinished balcony units, complete with glass balustrades and soffits, were transported to site ready for fixing to the façade using the system’s innovative connectors. Sapphire’s fast-track solution saved the housebuilder time, labour and crane hire charges. Once again, Sapphire’s Glide-On™ system has allowed record-breaking balcony installation speeds. As soon as the installation team got up and running, they were able to unload and install a lorry-load of six balcony units in just under an hour. In addition, Sapphire designed special first-fix bracketry to suit the apartment building’s timber frame construction.

Aimed specifically at the high-rise housebuilding sector, Sapphire’s Glide-On™ balcony system makes balcony installation simpler, faster and more cost-effective. Allowing high quality residential projects like Woodberry Down to have balconies installed rapidly and to excellent factory quality standards. Manufacturing and finishing balconies in its factories allow Sapphire to maintain a high degree of quality control and efficiency. In addition, Sapphire’s offsite solution helps minimise site time and associated costs, such as scaffolding and crane hire, and product quality is kept consistently high compared with completing more of the work on site.

Balconies installed on the apartments at Woodberry Down incorporate Crystal® glazed balustrades. The structural glass panels are combined with a stainless-steel top rail which enhances the minimalist appearance whilst offering high corrosion resistance. Being a frameless balustrade system, Crystal® requires no vertical support posts so residents can enjoy clear views over the capital.

In addition to this phase of Woodberry Down, Sapphire has also manufactured and installed over 150 glide-on balconies for Skyline, the development’s 30-storey residential tower. Once all phases are completed Woodberry Down will deliver around 5,500 new homes, situated alongside reservoirs and open spaces and yet just a short distance from Central London and the City.