High
levels of natural light and ventilation are the hallmarks of Tree Top Village
in Newcastle, a retirement village with an inspirational design that achieves
its goal through extensive use of VELUX Modular Skylights.
The
award-winning ‘village’, designed by Architects ID Partnership, is the first of
its kind in the UK and is focussed on delaying the onset of dementia.
High
levels of daylight are achieved by a central four-storey atrium with a row of
60 VELUX ridgelights. Complementing this are 10 VELUX longlights that provide
additional illumination in areas away from the atrium. All of which were
installed by Glazing Systems & Installations Limited, one of our key
partners.
In
combination, the ridglelights and longlights help this exemplar mixed-use
retirement village, managed by Your Homes Newcastle (YHN), make extensive use
of natural light, which recent research shows has beneficial effects on the
well-being and recovery rate of patients.
The design
was influenced by Dr. Hans Becker, a leading expert in the retirement industry.
Meeting Dr Hans Marcel Becker’s philosophy involved designing the atrium
and rooflights to create a ‘contemporary hotel-feel’, encouraging residents to
actively engage and participate and ensuring each apartment overlooks the main
thoroughfare, reinforcing the community feel.
The VELUX
Modular Skylights team worked with Wates Construction to value engineer the
original curtain walling design envisaged for the rooflights. VELUX presented
the benefits of its self-supporting ridgelights for the central atrium, which
comprised two rows of skylights that add natural light, ventilation and
openness to the areas below.
Being
self-supporting meant that the ridgelights eliminated the need for the steel
sub-frame support system. The VELUX rooflight solution also achieved the
European standard for smoke and heat exhaust ventilators EN 12101-2.
Following
an evaluation of the proposal, the project partners felt that VELUX ridgelights
offered a superior aesthetic outcome compared to the curtain walling. This was
because the parallel lines of the ridgelights that run along the orientation of
the central atrium create a sense of symmetry. Aside from that, avoiding the
need for a steel sub frame proved to be a more cost-effective solution and sped
up installation.
Working
with the design team at VELUX Modular Skylights, Wates contractors selected a
combination of VELUX rooflights, comprising:
- Ridgelight
- 43no. W = 1000 x H = 2000mm
fixed
- 17no. W = 1000 x H = 2000mm
smoke vents
- The VELUX ridgelight are
suitable for configurations with a pitch of 25-40°
- Stepped wall mounted longlights
- 5no. W = 1000 x H = 1800mm
fixed
- 5no. W = 1000 x H = 1800mm
smoke vents
- VELUX Longlights are suitable
for configurations with a pitch of between 5° and 40.
They are
mounted against a vertical wall and this provided new design possibilities
because it meant their position was not limited to traditional rooflight
locations. At Tree Top Village, it enabled them to be strategically positioned
to maximise daylight in all areas of the facility, not just the central atrium.
VELUX
ridgelights and longlights offer all the offsite benefits of being fully
prefabricated in a factory controlled environment. This ensures that they fit
right, first time on site - and can be up to three times faster than a
traditional installation.
The
modules simply click into place in minutes, minimising time spent on the roof
and ensuring a watertight seal is achieved quicker. Superior sightlines
including slim frames and maximum glazed area continue the modern design theme
throughout the development.
