Key to the renovation of Belvelly Castle in Ireland was a bespoke sliding rooflight from Glazing Vision, which has breathed new life into the property and helped bring natural daylight and ventilation into this historic building.
The castle, in Cobh Co Cork, dates to the 13th Century and stands in a prominent position guarding the crossing between The Great Island of Cobh and the mainland of Ireland. The original Castle was restored by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1581 but was abandoned sometime in the c. 17th and fell into dereliction.
Left in ruins with ivy covered walls, the first stage was to repair the stonework prior to the conversion works. Three years of non-stop labour later, with 15-20 people working tirelessly, the renovation was completed to a magnificent standard, now boasting a 6-bedroom contemporary family home.
Working alongside architecture:ab, the couple involved have been able to not only completely restore this once derelict building, but also extend to add a completely new and unique element to the roof of the castle.
As the Castle is a Scheduled Monument, the works to the fabric were very limited. The rooftop extension provided the opportunity to create a much more modern space that could be flooded with natural light – a distinct contrast with the existing space.
Large bi-fold doors were included to the extension upstairs, however in the exposed location, it was often too windy to open up the doors.
Therefore, architecture:ab specified a Glazing Vision Sliding over Roof rooflight, which not only provided frameless views from within, but opened up the room to the outdoors and created the required connection with the outdoors through natural ventilation.
Alongside the Sliding over Roof rooflight, was a minimalistic fixed Flushglaze rooflight which provided a view from the inside of the sky and also the roof mounted sculptures.
Andrew Burningham, of architecture:ab, explains that ‘externally, the minimal form of the rooflights, reduced the visual impact from long distance views of the castle’.
The Glazing Vision Sliding Over Roof unit, measuring 2080mm x 1480mm, does exactly what you’d expect; the entire section of glazing retracts out onto your roof space, leaving you with open, unimpeded views of the sky above. Perfect for such a property, where the owners can take advantage of unrivalled views.
One of the largest challenges within the project and involving the rooflights was the access available within the castle. The largest opening was 600mm wide with the stone staircases also narrowing down, with numerous twists and turns.
Careful planning and organisation ensured that everything went smoothly on site and that the project was able to move forward promptly.
As well as plenty of blood, sweat and tears this project has totalled €5 million but everyone involved is overwhelmed with the finished result.
Andrew Burningham added: “I’m so proud of the finished project – it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and simply awesome. I’ve given a number of tours and no one expects to see such a comfortable modern home within what had been a ruin nearing collapse.”
Contact:
Glazing Vision Ltd,
Sawmills Road,
Diss,
IP22 4RG
01379 658 300
Visit the Glazing Vision website
Geberit has announced a new partnership with Claygate Distribution, a Kent-based distributor of bathroom and plumbing products with over 4000 retailers across England and Wales.
Posted in Articles, Bathrooms & Toilets, Bathrooms, Bedrooms & Washrooms, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Facility Management & Building Services, Innovations & New Products, Interiors, Pipes, Pipes & Fittings, Plumbing, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & RenovationInsight Data, the UK’s leading construction industry data specialists, has announced a significant milestone in its email marketing operations, successfully delivering five million emails to recipients in 2024 – its highest-ever annual total.
Posted in Articles, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Information TechnologyStrand Hardware’s FP600 offers robust finger protection for high-traffic environments – read the article to find out more…
Posted in Access Control & Door Entry Systems, Architectural Ironmongery, Articles, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Regulations & Accreditations, Building Services, Doors, Facility Management & Building Services, Health & Safety, Posts, Restoration & Refurbishment, Retrofit & Renovation, Security and Fire ProtectionVericon Systems will be exhibiting at HOMES UK 2024 to showcase its full suite of smart, remote technologies for monitoring, managing and controlling essential building services that create greater efficiencies and cost savings for social housing providers.
Posted in Articles, Building Industry Events, Building Industry News, Building Products & Structures, Building Services, Exhibitions and Conferences, Facility Management & Building Services, Heating Systems, Controls and Management, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning - HVAC, Information Technology, Innovations & New Products, Lighting, Pipes, Pipes & Fittings, Plumbing, Posts, Retrofit & Renovation, Security and Fire Protection, Sustainability & Energy Efficiency