Adding
floors to buildings can be a complicated process, particularly as far as the
foundations are concerned, but lightweight cladding systems can help to
simplify the process.
Eurobrick
has been leading the brick slip cladding sector for nearly 30 years and has
seen an increase in upward extension projects, which are a great solution where
space is limited.
Director
Richard Haines outlines the challenges faced on some recent projects that chose
to build upwards: “Recently, our systems have been used in two challenging
upward extension projects that have given older properties a new lease of life
as residential apartments.
"One
of those projects was on Norwood Road in South East London and involved the
redevelopment of an existing commercial building. The original building
included a large ground floor retail unit with snooker club and offices above.
The proposal was to demolish the upper floors and build nine new residential
apartments over the retail unit.
"This project
was particularly challenging because the retailer had to continue trading
throughout the build. And although they wanted to add two floors above the
retail unit, the existing foundations and structure of the building could not
be altered. A lightweight solution was required so Eurobrick’s P-Clad system
was specified.
"The new parts
of the building were constructed with an insulated timber frame with an
exterior sheathing. This is a faster construction technique than traditional
building methods and was important for minimising disruption to the retailer
and its customers. The project was finished externally with brick and render.
Our P-Clad system was used with a special order brick slip alongside render
panels to create a distinctive mixed finish to the building."
Pechiney
House was the second ambitious project, involving the conversion and
redevelopment of a 2-storey office building into residential apartments by
adding a 4-storey upward extension to the existing building. This time
Eurobrick’s X-Clad system was the lightweight solution that helped to simplify
the process. It was attached to a ply panel on the lightweight steel frame
construction, reducing the overall weight of the upward extension considerably.
The
resulting redevelopment of 42 new residential units, including studios and 1
& 2 bed apartments, was completed at the end of last year. The mixed
palette of finishes, using both bricks and timber, created a contemporary look
that was sympathetic to the original building.
Eurobrick
provide flexible brick cladding solutions for all types of projects offering a
quick, easy and robust solution.
Brick
slip cladding is durable and will weather and age in the same way as
conventional brickwork, requiring little to no maintenance. Eurobrick’s systems
are BBA certified and they also offer a 25 year product guarantee.
