A sustainable new building on a residential activity centre is in the running for a regional property award – with its lightweight steel roof supplied by Chippenham firm Metrotile UK contributing to its success.
The accommodation block on PGL’s Liddington Campus near Swindon has been nominated for the South West LABC Building Excellence Awards 2015, which take place next Friday.
The timber frame building, which can accommodate 392 guests across 116 rooms, took just 28 weeks to construct, including a rapid roof installation that used tiles from Metrotile. The firm was also able to supply custom fittings so that a photovoltaic system could be a retrofitted.
In addition, PGL has used Metrotile products at Liddington on two timber-framed staff accommodation blocks which have thermal energy systems to provide hot water to their 108 residents.
Metrotile’s Belgian-made tiles are up to seven times lighter than traditional roof materials such as clay and slate and so help lower building costs and reduce environmental impact.
PGL regional property manager Tomy Thompson said: “We’ve been using lightweight tiles for many years but this was our first use of Metrotile as they offered the best value proposition.
“However we were very impressed with the quality of the product and pleased to discover they offered customer assistance to match.
“For us, the benefits of lightweight steel roofing are the speed of construction but also the lack of forward maintenance. Bearing in mind that this is a leisure facility, because of the way the tiles are installed there is no prospect of damage causing loose tiles or slates.
“It’s a great product and we hope to work with Metrotile UK again in the future. We are pleased that the facility has received due recognition with the award nomination and we hope to be successful.”
The main contractor on the building work was Powys-based SJ Roberts Construction and the Metrotile UK product was installed by specialist independent roofer Dion Black.
Mr Black, who has been working with Metrotile UK products for more than 20 years, said: “Where I come from, in New Zealand, all roofs are made from lightweight tiles such as Metrotile. It’s how I was brought up on roofing.
“The benefits – cost, sustainability, security, durability – are starting to get more widespread recognition in the UK now and it’s great to see.”
Metrotile UK managing director John Cunningham said: “We are delighted that PGL opted to use our products on the new facility at Liddington and we are equally delighted that the results have been recognised with this award nomination.
“We wish PGL the best of luck at the awards and are looking forward to the prospect of working with them on future projects.”
PGL bought the 150-acre Liddington site six years ago. It was previously Swindon financial services giant Allied Dunbar’s residential training centre and was also a hotel.
The regional LABC Building Excellence Awards take place in Plymouth next Friday. Regional winners are automatically shortlisted for the LABC Grand Finals in London in the autumn.
Pictured, from left: John Cunningham of Metrotile UK with Tomy Thompson of PGL, next to the nominated building at Liddington
