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Flag Single Ply for Grand Designs Winner

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A recently completed self-build project in Suffolk has, quite literally, rolled back the barriers of roof design and product specification. Dubbed ‘The Sliding House’, it has just received the Grand Designs ‘Best Home’ and ‘Best New Build’ awards. Key criteria for the judges were use of innovative thinking and inventive use of materials, so the combination of sliding design and use of Flag Soprema’s red Flagon SV Single Ply Membrane really stood out. The project showed that single ply membranes provide flexibility way beyond waterproofing flat roofs and the occasional waveform and barrel vault profiles. Flag Soprema’s Sales and Marketing Director Steve Greaves commented, “This shows how single ply can be used to combine aesthetics and sustainability. It is very rewarding to see our membrane featured in such a high profile award”

The 50 tonne sliding roof/wall design rolls back some 16 metres to enclose a courtyard space and uncover a double height greenhouse-style conservatory. The Flagon SV membrane in red, despite being underneath the larch cladding, is an important architectural element of the build, having been selected to colour match other aspects of the scheme. It is visible beneath the timber and has been used to dramatic effect at reveals such as windows and doors. When the roof is rolled forward to cover the conservatory and patio, the full extent of the single ply installation on the main body of the house can really be appreciated, with the red membrane in full view.

The roof takes approximately six minutes to roll back, the 104ft long ‘railway’ moving at 0.2 mph.

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