Hartrigg Oaks Continuing Care Retirement complex

Client: Joseph Rowntree Trust
Architect: Crease Edmunds and Strickland of York
Roofing contractor: Astro Roofing of Pontefract
Type of works: supply of clay and concrete roof tiles

Hartrigg Oaks, the UK's first Continuing Care Retirement Complex was developed by the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust. The Trust, closely linked to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, is the UK's largest independent social policy and research charity, formed almost 100 years ago.

Sandtoft roof tiles were specified for this prestigious project by architects Crease Edmunds and Strickland of York. The tiles selected were two of Sandtoft's most popular profiles from its clay and concrete ranges, the County Pantile and the Double Pantile.

Sandtoft's County Pantile was chosen for the Oaks Centre. The Centre comprises 41 bed-sitting rooms and a range of communal facilities, including a restaurant, coffee shop, library, craft room, hair salon, spa pool, Jacuzzi and fitness centre. A total of 30,000 County Pantile roof tiles were used.

Also on the Hartrigg Oaks site are 96 two-bedroom bungalows and 56 one-bedroom bungalows. Designed to Lifetime Homes Quality Standards, these bungalows were roofed with more than 240,000 Sandtoft Double Pantiles in Terracotta Red.

A spokesman for the Joseph Rowntree Trust described Hartrigg Oaks as a great success. Sandtoft's two roof tiles have proved, he said, to be the perfect finishing touch to a carefully-conceived well-designed and expertly-constructed project.