An historic building in the town of Matlock in Derbyshire has enjoyed a roof refurbishment which has enabled its staff to see the light – quite literally.

County Hall in Matlock, built in 1853, forms part of the offices for Derbyshire County Council and its roof was in dire need of refurbishment to aid heat retention, light penetration, minimise reflection and return the building to a watertight state. The Grade II listed building required a sympathetic roof restoration and Xtralite was commissioned to provide a series of rooflights including a bespoke 18 metre glazed rooflight system that was subject to strict planning requirements to ensure the heritage of the building was preserved.

Rooflights were chosen due to the thermal values offered, the lack of light reflection experienced in the office space below negating the needs for blinds, and the ability to mirror exactly what had been originally installed. The bespoke rooflight required conservation approval between design and installation and a series of additional rooflights from the Lumira range were incorporated into the scheme to ensure a sympathetic restoration of the building was carried out whilst taking into account the need for light weight rooflights due to the existing structure of the building.

Lumira is a range of products which offers a structural glazing package for bespoke installations. Architects are given the freedom to design schemes that encompass a wide spectrum of technical requirements and the range is ideally suited to conservation projects.

Designers can choose from a range of interchangeable profiles which create an unlimited shapes and sizes of rooflight structures. All designs incorporate such features as ‘Cascade’ internal water management system, Custom engineered connections, Bespoke closures, Custom-designed flashings and a 20 year warranty – all of which supported the conservation of this important building within the fabric of Matlock town.