A slice of tranquillity
A slice of tranquillity: a hidden gem packed with wildlife with a secret tranquil atmosphere.
That’s how the Visit South Devon website describes the village of Newton Ferrers which sits on the banks of the Yealm estuary. It may be a scant ten miles from Plymouth but this lovely village perfectly deserves its place within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Little surprise then that when we were called on to provide our roofing expertise with a new property in Newton Ferrers we found a property which had been designed to blend in with the natural beauty of its surroundings. South West architects Ercle pride themselves in being a design-led practice which enjoys working on difficult or unusual sites; particularly in conservation areas and areas of outstanding natural beauty. Working closely with their client and the local planning officer, they designed a home which met their client’s needs and merged into its surroundings.
We have worked with the lead contractors Doyle & Whitley before and were happy to have been invited back to assist in this build. The main property was constructed using Ndura ICF with a timber frame. Ndura ICF is a construction method using steel-reinforced concrete cores. This results in a strong and well-insulated property, helping in this case to deliver an “air tightness of 1Ach.” The home also benefits from a Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery unit and an air source heat pump.
The design called for a green roof. Not only would this help the property to blend into its natural surroundings, by retaining water the planting would slow down water egress from the roof. Danopol HSF met the specifications. With a high resistance to piercing or tearing, Danopol HSF is a good medium for flat roofs which are to be planted. The product consists of a synthetic PVC plasticized membrane, reinforced with polyester net carrier and a 300gr geotextile fleece backing.
With good UV resistance Danopol HSF on its own is also a good choice for flat roofing in Cornwall, particularly for properties near water which may be subject to increased UV exposure. The product is also versatile and adapts well to any roof shape, even ones which are curved or irregular.
