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Loft Living gets a Contemporary Feel with Hamiltons
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Hamilton Litestat?s Hartland wiring accessory plate is featured at the City Lofts Roberts Wharf development in Leeds. This major regeneration and new build project, cleverly combines residential use with commercial space to create 198 one and two bed apartments with 11,700 sq ft of office area, forming a living and working community and a more sustainable approach to the development. The scheme provides high quality residential and office accommodation in a prime waterfront location, which enhances and complements the existing mill buildings and local architecture.
These high quality accessory plates were chosen by the electrical contractors, Longcross Engineering, which was employed by the main site contractors Gleeson Building, as they were able to satisfy the developer?s requirements in terms of design, aesthetics and quality. ?In design and build projects the client is always looking for a Rolls Royce product? said Richard Arthurs of Longcross Engineering. ?With Hamilton?s product we have given them the type of product that they are looking for, at a competitive price. This not only meets their specification requirements but also provides all the switches, sockets and general accessories that we needed to address the installation demands of this application.?
Featured in a brushed stainless steel finish, to complement the contemporary feel of the development, these products were supplied through Leeds based electrical wholesaler WF. According to WF?s Christie Bate, Internal Sales, ?We offered the client the Hartland plate due to its high quality and contemporary feel. The combination of the satin chrome and the white insert looked stunning and created just the right sort of feel for this project.
?The client loved the product and so it was specified throughout this residential development. These products are of a very good quality and so there have been very few returns despite the large numbers supplied. Deliveries from Hamiltons have also been good, so the job has been able to run smoothly.?
The scheme, which has been designed by DLA Architecture, comprises the refurbishment of the Grade II Listed Roberts Mart ?Banks Mill? and the construction of two new residential blocks. Located overlooking the River Aire, the mill buildings have been sensitively transformed incorporating the existing brick vaulted ceilings, cast iron structure and timber roof trusses to create spectacular open plan living spaces. Elements of the new build blocks echo the rhythm and form of the existing mill, whilst offering a contemporary aesthetic utilising lightweight rainscreen cladding and glazing. The new build blocks are linked back to the existing fabric by lightweight glazed extensions, offering minimal interventions onto the existing elevations, whilst creating a coherent whole.
Since 1997 City Lofts has become a leading developer of urban mixed-use property schemes, mainly outside London, with a primary focus on residential apartments, usually involving the regeneration of brownfield sites in or close to city centres. Their marketing focus is on developing high quality apartments with strong brand recognition enhanced by the company?s close association with Conran & Partners (the architectural design service for Sir Terence Conran). This concept is creating well-designed residential and mixed schemes for a price conscious and discerning owner occupier or investor. The popularity of city centre living is growing and there is strong demographic and lifestyle evidence to support the view that this will continue.
?Due to the Hartland?s slimline plate and system versatility it is ideal for this type of development,? said Alison Hamilton, Director of the Hamilton Litestat Group. ?Unlike other ranges, this plate can be featured as box fit, or grid fix and has the option of secret screw fixings all of which are available in a whole range of finishes to create the ?look? that the developer requires. As grid fix is available we are able to manufacture special plates to suit the developer?s exact requirements. These plates can include power centres that feature switches and fuses for various pieces of kitchen equipment including dishwashers, microwaves, washing machines, fridge freezers etc., as well as media plates for Satellite TV installations.
?The availability of a suite of products that enables the cover plates to be matched across a whole scheme allows the specifier to choose less expensive box fix items in low profile areas and screwless plates in the more prominent areas. This type of wiring solution also enables the contractor to satisfy the developer?s requirements for the latest hi-tech devices, particularly as these plates can feature Eurodata outlet sockets which can be used for sound distribution and lighting control systems.
?All in all we believe the Hartland plate is well placed to address most of a developer?s requirements not just because of its extensive range, but also because of its good looks which addresses both the contemporary and traditional market sectors. We believe that its growing popularity in the market place does indeed justify this conclusion.?
