50 EXTERNAL ENVELOPE
All in all, renovating a period property is a balancing act, and meeting older structures and characterful features with a client’s modern lifestyle is no mean feat
buildings are built has changed enormously over the years. For example, lead flashing is difficult on old roofs, even if they have been restored, and a non-specialist roofer may not have the required knowledge to tackle the challenge. A good tip is to encourage your client to ask their neighbours who they’ve used for their own period refurb projects. All in all, renovating a period property is a balancing act, and meeting older structures and characterful features with a client’s modern lifestyle is no mean feat. Obviously open floor plans, concrete, steel, and smart technology – the cornerstones of the modern home – won’t work in a period property. But modern desires can be accommodated within the constraints, such as natural light. Bi-fold doors might be a contemporary trend that wouldn’t work for a Victorian property, but rooflights certainly would, after all, the Victorians invented them!
Our Conservation Rooflight is modelled after the original Victorian cast-iron skylight that will maintain a period property’s character while meeting the requirements of an Article 4 Direction. The version made by the Victorians had a
vertical split bar to the centre to keep the glass panes in place which is no longer necessary due to developments in fixtures, which now means rooflights not only look great on the outside but also appear frameless on the inside. Installing ‘modern’ features to a period home like rooflights isn’t difficult, it just takes the right person and the right product. Again, the Conservation Officer will have the final say, but the products are out there that will inject modern design into a period home. Working around rafters in the roof of an old building can be a challenge because over the years they may have warped, and were often not built parallel, which can prevent windows from sitting straight. But with experience comes the knowledge to work around these nuances and will result in a stunning finish. Working with period properties certainly takes more time and presents more challenges than renovating, or building, a modern home. However, the payoff for the extra care taken is huge, and the end results will be stunning.
Peter Daniel is product innovation director at The Rooflight Company
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF DECEMBER 2020
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