Westerland and Moorland, BBA certified fibre cement slates from Cembrit, have helped achieve a Code for Sustainable Homes and a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rating for a newly built £30 million retirement village in Oxfordshire.
Built on a four hectare site, Coral Springs is a newly built retirement village in Witney, Oxfordshire. Comprising of one and two-bedroom homes, special suites, and a 60-bed care home, the village specialises in nursing and dementia care. Built by BAM Construct UK and due for completion in December 2016, the project is built in an attractive, traditional style which is complemented by Cembrit’s Westerland and Moorland slates.
Named after a natural spring at the centre of the site, Coral Springs includes a wellness spa with swimming pool and gym, hair and beauty salon, a library, IT room, terrace café, a restaurant all set within landscaped grounds. Based in Hertfordshire, BAM Construct UK worked with roofing specialist Attleys Roofing Ltd on the project. Approximately 64,000 each of Westerland and Moorland slates were installed by Attleys with both Westerland and Moorland slates being chosen for their distinctive and contrasting textures as well as their BBA certified A/A+ rating.
“The roof was an interesting challenge,” commented Alex Attley, of Attleys Roofing. “It included a variety of roof elevations, unique gables, and in-space dormers complete with a 50° steep angled pitch. We chose Westerland and Moorland for their ease of installation as well as the authentic dressed edges which give a beautiful, traditional appearance that fits perfectly with the aesthetic of the site. The A/A+ rating also contributed to the environmentally-friendly construction goals that were a key target for the project.”
The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes which has the aim of reducing carbon emissions. Alongside their environmentally friendly manufacturing process, Cembrit’s Westerland and Moorland slates have a surface texture and dressed edge similar to that of natural slate. However, unlike natural slate they do not need grading and sorting prior to installation, so save valuable time on site. They are easy to work with as they can be cut with hand tools so no special equipment is required. The slates are finished with a semi-matt acrylic coloured coating to the top face and edges, as well as a tinted high performance binder to the back face.
