Beautiful glass balustrades from Sapphire are adding ‘wow-factor’ styling to a new multi-million pound development on Dorset’s idyllic Sandbanks peninsular. Bespoke balustrades were manufactured and installed by Sapphire for internal and external applications in nine exclusive properties, designed and built to an exacting specification by experienced local contractor, Spetisbury Construction.

Having worked successfully with Sapphire before, they were the obvious choice for the prestigious project says Spetisbury’s Contracts Manager. “We knew Sapphire could deliver the superior design and quality of finish we were looking for and we weren’t disappointed,” he comments. “The team’s attention to detail and personal service are second to none and the finished balustrades really enhance the buyer appeal of these luxury homes, the largest of which are valued at £4 million.”

Recessed, integrated balconies to selected properties in the new residential development feature glazed balustrades from Sapphire’s Crystal frameless, structural glass system with hidden base fixing details. The glass balustrades’ seamless appearance, with no vertical posts to impede residents’ views of Poole harbour, enhances the contemporary, uncluttered effect of the facades and the use of toughened laminate glass enabled the balustrade to be used without a handrail to match this seamless appearance, whilst ensuring a safe and BS compliant frameless glass solution. Sapphire’s balcony balustrade solutions for the project also included pre-etched glass screens between balconies for privacy purposes. For the properties which weren’t directly overlooking the harbour, Juliette (or Juliet) balconies were manufactured from Crystal structural glass balustrades.

The elegant lines of Sapphire’s glass balustrades are continued inside some of the properties, providing an eye-catching design feature to internal stairs and allowing light to flood through the interiors and reflect the value the properties will be marketed for. Infill panels of 15mm clear toughened glass installed to the internal stairs are combined with 50mm diameter American White Oak handrails from Sapphire’s Natura range to complement solid oak stair treads and stringers.

In addition to meeting the project’s aesthetic specification, all internal and external balustrades were designed by Sapphire to comply with relevant regulations and British Standards for structural performance and design loads. Additionally, balustrades had to satisfy specific safety regulations relating to residential applications, such as 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.