Bespoke balcony and balustrade solutions by Sapphire have a starring role at Suttons Wharf North, an award-winning development of over 180 high quality private homes in east London. Sapphire provided a full package including design, manufacture and install for inset and projecting balconies to apartments across three residential towers with views over Regent’s Canal. Products included Sapphire’s glide-on balcony system which combines offsite manufactured balcony units or ‘cassettes’ with innovative glide-on connection system for fast track installation on site. Cassettes for Suttons Wharf North were all custom-made by Sapphire using a slim cassette to match the project’s narrow depth of floor slab. Once delivered to site the individual balcony units simply ‘glide’ on to pre-erected brackets. At Suttons Wharf North this pioneering concept enabled rapid installation to be carried out rapidly, minimising both crane time and roadside congestion.
Glide-on balconies for the project were manufactured at Sapphire’s offsite production facility while balcony connections were being completed on site. By taking a ‘modular’ offsite manufacturing approach Sapphire is able to maximise the cost efficiencies and quality control associated with producing standard, repeatable units, whilst still allowing design variations to meet specific project requirements – as demonstrated at Suttons Wharf North. Individual balconies were delivered as pre-assembled units, complete with glass infill panels, powder coated tubular balusters and sub-deck.
In order to prevent a cold bridge forming at connection points Sapphire’s balcony brackets were connected directly to cast-in Schoeck anchors to provide a thermal break. The brackets were then taken from the thermal break within the cavity to outside of the finished façade and then waterproofed. Deliveries to site were optimised using Sapphire’s trailers which have the capacity to transport four pre-assembled balcony units stacked two high.
In addition to 145 glide-on projecting balconies, Sapphire also provided glazed balustrades for 59 inset balconies at Suttons Wharf North. Designed to match the style of the projecting balcony and fixed to an integrated concrete deck, the balustrades provide an attractive and effective guarding solution which blends seamlessly with the building façades.
Built by Hollybrook Limited for Guinness Trust, Suttons Wharf North won the NHBC Pride in the Job award and Seal of Excellence. The development also received a Certificate of Performance Beyond Compliance from the Considerate Constructors Scheme, to which Sapphire Balustrades also subscribes.
