Principle Expertise Adds Finishing Touch to Luxury Housing Development

Principle Fire and Security Ltd has lent its singular design and engineering expertise to a major residential new build project in Crewe, Cheshire. Large-scale bespoke conservatories specially engineered and built by the company and featuring Pilkington Activ™ self-cleaning glass are a design highlight of Delves Keep, a stunning development of 3 and 4 bedroom detached luxury homes created by award-winning property developer Countryside Properties plc.

Located in the Wychwood Park estate, Delves Keep boasts magnificent views of the Cheshire countryside and is adjacent to the Wychwood Park championship golf course. Countryside Properties - who won the 2001 What House? Magazine Award for Housebuilder of the Year - prides itself on producing individual homes that enhance quality of life, and their slogan 'Thinking Beyond Today' is reflected in the design of the Delves Keep properties. The company decided at a very early stage of the development that the design of each home should feature a conservatory, but they wanted both the scale and appearance of the conservatory to reflect the style and feel of the main house, so that it felt central to the home rather than an addition.

The large-scale design that Countryside Properties had in mind precluded conventional PVC-u and aluminium conservatory styles and, through installer Wrightstyle, the company made contact with Principle Fire and Security Ltd to pursue an alternative. Principle - an acknowledged specialist in large-scale glazing projects - became involved at the concept stage and, through its in-house workshop, developed a conservatory design that was both practical and compatible.

Each conservatory spans an incredible 6.5 metres from front to back and measures 5.5 metres wide. Steel profile specially developed by Principle is used to house units containing Pilkington Activ(™) self-cleaning glass, a choice that the company deemed essential due to the sheer size of the structure, which would otherwise have required specialist access and cleaning. With the roof of each conservatory supporting 2,900kg - almost three tonnes of weight - structural tolerance was a key concern to Principle's designers. Two timber glulam beams exposed externally are used to bear loads at the front and rear, ensuring that each structure is very well supported.

Steven Davison, Business Development Manager for Principle, feels that the project is a landmark one:

'Property developers such as Countryside are willing to step outside the box and look at alternative designs. This is precisely the type of project that Principle exists for as we can provide bespoke solutions that many other suppliers can't. The conservatories at Delves Keep are incredibly impressive and definitely one of the development's main assets - they really do make them look like dream homes. I'm very proud of the work that we have done there.'

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