Allen Court in Greenford was one of the many London housing estates being renovated and transformed into comfortable homes. The site is located on the top of a hill surround by green space and a number of beautiful, mature oak trees.

To reflect the greenery of the location, the architects designed an intricate leaf pattern in the perforated balustrade panels. Given that the ground levels across the site vary because of the hill, the building has various steps in the slab which also means adjoining balconies are staggered to different areas.

Not only is the access to the site limited by tight access through narrow residential streets, but it also has an underground line (albeit above ground at this point) which boarders across the back of the site.

Linden Homes (part of Galliford Try Construction) looked to Sapphire to address both the technical challenges of creating a cost effective yet detailed and exacting leaf pattern design in the perforated balustrade panels but also to manufacture as much as possible offsite to make logistics easier.

To make the balconies perforated pattern as cost effect as possible Sapphire took the designs and optimised them to make them as repeatable as possible, whilst still keeping the design non-climbable (Part K and BS6180 both require balustrades on balconies to be ‘not easily climbed’) and aesthetically flowing. These were manufactured from Aluminium sheet, perforated and then powder coated to a green RAL colour.

The balconies were cast in concrete and the balustrades and privacy screens were made from galvanised and powder coated mild steel frames. The balconies were manufactured offsite and then the perforated balustrade panels were rivetted on to the frame. Privacy screen posts flowed from the top of the balcony stacks to the bottom and served both sides to keep the cost down by eliminating the need for a separate balcony framework on each balcony.

Step 1 – Framed balustrade posts and perforated balustrade panels were manufactured offsite to exact site surveys.

Step 2 – Balcony balustrading and privacy posts were delivered and fitted to the balconies.

Step 3 – Perforated balcony balustrade and privacy screen panels were installed.

Step 4 - Once installed, scaffolding was struck and decking pedestals and boards were fitted by other trades.