Member Article

Designs that hit the right pitch

A multi-million pound regeneration and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) scheme in Derby which features Russell Roof Tiles products, has now reached completion.

Russell Roof Tiles is a leading independent manufacturer of tiles and fittings who this year celebrates 50 years in Lockerbie and next year will have been in Burton-on-Trent for 25 years.

Thomas Vale delivered the scheme in 12 months, creating 104 new build homes, designed by architects Bower Mattin, for Housing Association Riverside on behalf of Derby City Council. There are also an additional 66 properties which require refurbishment, including internal and external upgrades.

The £13.5 million project provides much needed homes in the Spondon, Alvaston and Chaddesden areas of Derby. The new properties show that social housing needn’t lack creative ambition with its innovative juxtaposition of modern design and traditional materials, using slate-like tiles on an unusual mono-pitch roofing design.

Russell Roof Tiles worked closely with roofing contractors Reed Roofing/ Avonside and RS Miller on the scheme, for which the local planning authority wanted a tile with a natural slate appearance. There was a significant reduction in cost by using RRT’s Moray and Galloway tiles. Moray is a lightweight interlocking roof tile with a traditional riven appearance of natural slate and a Galloway is a thin leading edge flat interlocking roof tile which has the appearance of a slate when laid broken bonded.

Russell Roof Tiles supplied its Moray and Galloway tiles on a total of 104 units. The job was one of the largest single local contracts all manufactured at Russell Roof Tiles’ Burton-on-Trent plant.

Andrew Hayward, Managing Director at Russell Roof Tiles comments; “The use of Galloway and Moray shows a growing trend in the use of our slate-type products that have both the sustainable credentials and aesthetics of modern manufactured tiles.

“Concrete roof tiles are a long-life, durable product and require minimal maintenance once installed. The versatility of concrete allows for an authentic slate or clay effect roof tile with the benefits of offering greater strength. Concrete tiles allow for a straight forward quick installation especially interlocking tiles and thereafter require little or no maintenance.

“The innovative mono-pitch design of some of the homes built on the Riverside scheme goes further to highlight the versatility and flexibility of our products.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Kathryn Greenwood .