Systems from Smart Architectural Aluminium’s high quality window and door ranges have been installed in a barn refurbishment, bringing a new lease of life to the stunning building and echoing the outstanding quality of the design and material specification of the home’s interior and exterior.
Owned by Sally Bigg OBE and her husband Jonathan, the barn is situated in West Sussex, with the 72 year-old building sitting in two acres of land. Sally is perhaps better known by her maiden name, Gunnell, and was winner of the 1992 Olympic gold medal in the 400 metre hurdles. A former world and still the British record holder, Sally is the only female British athlete to have won Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles.
With such a distinguished client, the pressure was on Smart and the fabrication and installation team of Everglade Windows and Shaws respectively, to deliver a world class solution to meet the performance and aesthetic needs of the project. Sally had previously owned the property and moved away, but bought it back in 2019 with a view to completely refurbishing it and moving her family back in.
Around the barn, 5 sets of Smart’s Visoglide lift and slide doors have been installed to create a light and airy environment throughout, as well as to provide a link between the internal and external living spaces when the doors are open.
Echoing the slim lines of the Visoglide doors, are the 16 Alitherm 300 casement windows and 3 EcoFutural tilt and turn windows which deliver outstanding thermal performance as well as contributing to the sleek and elegant aesthetic of the barn.
Continuing the design theme, at the rear of the property, an Alitherm Plus residential door has been installed, while a Sherbourne front door from Smart’s statement Designer Door range completes the scheme. With all the windows and doors finished in a textured black, polyester powder coat paint finish, the building will maintain its stylish good looks for many years to come, with only minimal maintenance required.
Commenting on the scheme, Sally said: “We were thrilled to have the opportunity to buy back this beautiful building and to make it into our dream family home. We took a long time to decide on the windows and doors as they are so important not only to the overall look of the property but also to the way we live and work in it. Integrating the indoor and outdoor spaces was really important and we are all absolutely delighted with the end result. The process from design right through to installation has been an enjoyable experience and we’ve worked with a really professional, dedicated and friendly team. It’s so rewarding to see the end result of all that work.”
Eddie Robinson, Smart’s Managing Director, said: “We were delighted to work with Shaws and Everglade Windows on such a prestigious project and for such a high-profile client. As with every project that we work on, we aim to deliver high-quality products and service and it’s great to hear that the Bigg family are delighted with the end result.”
Jay Patel, Director of Everglade Windows, said: “We have worked with Shaws for over 15 years, during which time we have developed a close partnership and outstanding working relationship. As a manufacturer of aluminium windows and doors with over 40 years’ experience, we are proud of the reputation that we have established for the quality of our service and despite the challenges of the pandemic, we were pleased to deliver on time to meet the needs of Shaws and the client.”
Robbie Claxton, Senior Surveyor and Lee Claxton Company Director/Surveyor of Shaws Installations said: “This was a great project to be involved in, and thanks to great partnership working between everyone involved I think we’ve delivered an outstanding finish for Sally and her family. The windows and doors provide a perfect complement to the refurbished barn building, the textured black finish setting the scheme off perfectly.”
For more details, visit www.smartsystems.co.uk or call 01934 876 100.
