Guttercrest fascia and coping chosen for Cardiff self-build
A stunning new self-build in Cardiff uses Guttercrest’s aluminium fascia and coping to create a spectacular modern look.
Ty Oriel, translated as ‘Gallery House’, is a flexible, low energy, contemporary house on a plot of land which was previously the garden of an adjoining house.
Nic Downs and Carolyn Merrifield, owners of Downs Merrifield architects designed and project managed the home for their own use. Designed around their current and future needs, the property incorporates open plan living, a work live office, an art studio and a family kitchen dining area which opens directly onto the the garden.
The building materials used were chosen to blend in with the surroundings – a limited palette of natural slate, lime render, zinc and timber.
Constructed with timber frame and components, the property is built to near Passiv Haus standards, with airtight, breathable walls, high levels of insulation, triple glazing to all but the south elevations, no cold bridges and a whole-house ventilation system.
The aluminium chisel point fascia, designed by the couple and manufactured at Guttercrest’s Shropshire factory unit is a key piece of the architecture, used as a continuation of the striking lines of the building and to blend the timber soffit to the vertical and horizontal cladding as well as doing the practical job of completing the waterproofing to the roof coverings.
Around 100 linear metres of the bespoke profile was fitted to the sloping surface, vertically and horizontally, coming together with specially-made compound corners which join the profiles together at the change of direction. Pressed from heavy-gauge aluminium, the 625mm width coping was seven-times bent and the finished profile helped the couple to achieve their concept vision.
Carolyn Merrifield comments: “Nic and I, both architects, had obviously wanted to build our own home for a long time and we project managed the build using directly employed labour. The design as well as the sustainability credentials were very important to us and we spent some time making sure we had got these right.
“The concept of the folded roof plane, accentuated by the strong timber soffit and sharp aluminium edge was a key part of the design. We went to Guttercrest following a recommendation from a colleague and they provided a quick consistent quality of product, and delivery of product to site, during the build.”
Guttercrest’s aluminium fascia and coping can be polyester powder coated in a wide variety of RAL colours and textures, including stone effect finishes, ensuring their low maintenance and long life.
All Guttercrest aluminium rainwater products are manufactured to order and delivered to sites across the UK.
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