Aldersgate, London

A high end finish was required for this prestigious project in the City of London.

The client was looking to create a prestigious roof terrace in this office development to take advantage of the spectacular views across London.

The terrace deck, which was built to a suitable fall for drainage, was fully waterproofed and covered with insulation boards.

The TD support pads were laid out across the deck at intervals no further than 600mm apart. The pads were not fixed to the surface beneath as this may have interfered with the waterproofing. This design is a suspended system so any part can be accessed easily with minimum disruption.

A spirit level was used to ensure the headpieces were all aligned and completely flat and straight.

The joist beans were placed on top of the support pads but were not fixed to the heads. The weight of the frame and decking, along with wall fixings where appropriate, were sufficient to hold the system securely in place.

The installers then fitted a framework of joist beams to take the weight of the decking and cross fixed them at regular intervals to achieve a strong, sturdy frame which would not move. This joist framework was completely level throughout and the level could be checked and adjusted as the installers went along by simply turning the adjustment mechanism on the stem of the support pads.

Once the frame had been constructed across the area the installers then started to fix the decking planks. These were made from Asian Balau and achieved an exquisitely stunning finish across the whole area.

As well as being beautiful, the Balau is very hardwearing and will tolerate the British weather over the long term, so the client knew that what was being created would stay looking amazing for years to come.

Upstands were also constructed using the same timber, and with the addition of steel planters and some creative landscaping, a superior outdoor space was created.

Both contractor and client were delighted with the results and they have copied the same design for roof terraces on some of their following schemes.