Leading Italian render manufacturer Fassa Bortolo has recently worked on a project at Fitzwillliam College, Cambridge.
One of the 31 colleges of Cambridge University, this prestigious establishment is steeped in over 150 years of history.
The Fassa team were briefed to specify a suitable render to help redecorate the façade of the college’s Master’s Lodge, a period building with a Victorian tower, ornate cast iron balustrades and brick quoining.
Unlike most projects which see render used to deliver a crisp, clean finish, the Fassa team were asked to recreate a texture to match the previous finish by specifying a system which would allow seashells to be embedded within the render.
A porous, lime rich render was needed to make the building breathable with Fassacouche in colour ‘Rognes’ recommended to give the applicator a slightly longer setting time to embed the seashells. Whilst the drying time is around 24 hours, the render is mouldable for up to four hours which makes it the ideal solution for any project that requires a longer setting window.
The system was applied by hand by the applicator from CTC Plastering, Suffolk. After careful consideration of the final look, the master’s lodge now has a fresh new look, combining its period features with a creative render solution.
Rob Clements of CTC Plastering adds: “Our Fassa area sales manager recommended Fassacouche as it came with all the features we required, in particular a longer setting time to allow us plenty of time to cast the cockle shells into the render. This was a great project to work on, and we’re very pleased with the excellent results.”