Client: Swan Hill
Contractor: The Warings Group
Type of works: development and installation of a series of wire mesh enclosures for additional storage facilities.

Troax (UK) Limited has developed a convenient additional storage facility for residents at the new Paramount apartment development in the centre of Swindon. The company has designed and installed a series of wire mesh enclosures providing apartment owners with secure yet easily accessible storage for larger personal belongings such as bikes, furniture, sports and other equipment, conveniently located in the building’s basement.

There are 199 apartments within the sophisticated, art deco-style Paramount building which has been converted from a former office block by award-winning house builder Swan Hill.

Troax used its Caelum wire mesh partitioning to construct a series of storage units, which are available in a range of sizes from 2 x 3m to 3 x 15m. Each unit is padlockable, giving owners complete security for their belongings while the mesh has a galvanised finish to ensure durability in the cool basement environment. The project was carried out through one of the main building contractors for the Paramount development, The Warings Group.

This type of centrally located, secure storage unit is becoming increasingly popular in modern apartment blocks as David Teulon, managing director of Troax (UK) Limited, explains: “Creating additional secure storage facilities in communal areas such as basements can be a real selling point in new housing developments, offering apartment owners convenience and a useful added benefit.”

“It’s not a new idea – apartment owners in Scandinavia and Germany have used this type of storage unit since the 1950s, but with apartment living becoming more popular in the UK, the need to provide adequate storage for owners and tenants has become more of an issue for developers and this versatile type of enclosure meets the growing demand for secure, accessible storage.”

Using wire mesh rather than solid partitioning offers a number of advantages: mesh creates a fully visible therefore more secure environment, it improves ventilation and air circulation, improves lighting of the storage area and most importantly, allows smoke and heat to filter through to trigger smoke detection systems and allow the effective penetration of sprinkler systems in the event of a fire.

Troax also designed some innovative and attractive storage enclosures for other parts of the Paramount development. They constructed an exterior bin storage area using their solid steel Broadsword partitioning and an Excalibur fire-rated internal refuse store in a weather-resistant galvanised finish, the external unit has cladding on the 6 x 3m unit with cedar wood timber to create an attractive appearance that blends in with the landscaped gardens.

In addition, they built a galvanised wire mesh fence and handrail as a safety barrier alongside the ramp that leads to the building’s underground car park and finally, also constructed a sturdy wire mesh safety enclosure to prevent unauthorised access to an electricity substation on the site.