Hastings House with Heathland

BMI Redland Heathland plain tiles in Ember delivered performance and style.
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Hastings house Redland Heathland

The Project

Award-winning architect - Des Ewing - chose the BMI Redland Heathland plain tiles in Ember when he designed Hastings House, a substantial property overlooking the Belfast Lough. The BMI Redland Heathland is a concrete plain tile featuring variation in hanging length, irregular sides and subtle surface texturing, finished with randomly applied fine sands.

The result is a tile that combines a natural weathered character with the performance of a machine-made tile in an attractive and cost-effective roofing product. An additional benefit, when compared to its handcrafted counterpart, is that it incorporates a significantly lower level of embodied energy.

Testimonials

The roof as a feature

“The roof is a strong feature of this house, so it was essential that the roofing material chosen blended in with the overall design and all the other finishes that are employed, particularly the brick and render”

Des Ewing

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All in the detail

“This roof tile ticked all the boxes and was also used in decorative details that bind the entire house into a unified whole, rather than discrete elements attached to one another. These details include tiles on the sides and front of dormers, shoulders of the chimneys and a soldier course in the arch above the entrance.”

Des Ewing

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The Challenge

The Challenge

The roof design was very complex and it was important that it blended in with the overall design of the whole property. It was a strong feature of the property and needed to integrate with strong details on the property including brick and render.

The coastal site and the low pitch of the roof at the eaves both increase the risk of wind lift, so the tiles were double-nailed every fourth course – rather than every fifth as they would have been ordinarily – a result of BMI UK & Ireland’s rigorous design approach.

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The Solution

The Solution

The BMI Redland Heathland concrete plain tile offers varying hanging lengths, irregular sides and surface texturing – providing natural weathering with the performance of a machine-made tile.

The tile was perfect for the complex 550m2 roof, that incorporates varying pitches, vertical cladding and unusual details, such as bellcast eaves and bonnet hips. The roof pitch reduces as it slopes, with no straight rafters, while the building itself is in a T-shape at an angle.

The four dormers required vertical cladding and careful detailing where it met the main roof. The roof also incorporated a flat roof, so co-operation was required to ensure correct weathering where the two roofing systems met.

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The Impact

The Impact

The result is a beautifully striking house where the roof is at the heart of the design. BMI’s guarantee will give the homeowner peace of mind and the roof now has protection against the harsh coastal weather conditions. The aesthetics of the building were well preserved with the exquisite use of the BMI Redland Heathland plain tile in Ember.

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Heathland System

Heathland System

A roof containing Heathland tiles with variation in hanging length, irregular sides and subtle surface texturing, finished with randomly applied fine sands combining to create all the visual features of a handmade clay tile

A system designed for mono or duo pitched roofs, using Heathland that is ideal for any new or refurbishment situation. The Heathland provides a practical, durable and cost effective roofing solution for years to come.

Key features and benefits

  • Natural weathered character

  • Varying hanging length

  • Randomly applied fine sand coating

  • Peace of mind with complete system from one trusted supplier

  • Offers practical and economic alternative to handmade clay tiles

  • Performance of a machine-made tile



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