Rivendale fibre cement slates from Marley Eternit have been specified by the owners of the Mercia Marina regeneration project as a cost effective alternative to natural slate for the new Boardwalk development.
The œ1.7 million project features a promenade of six boutique retail outlets with offices above, all centred around a two storey bar and restaurant. The owners worked closely with Repton-based Bi Design Architecture to select a palette of local stone, timber cladding and glazing for the building and fibre cement slate on the roof.
Robert Neff, general manager and partner of Mercia Marina, said:
“The design was inspired by our waterside setting, so the two ends of the building mimic prows of a boat. We have added character to the centre building and roof line by creating a flying roof, which also minimises the impact of the height, as all the other buildings on site are single storey.
“Originally the architectural technicians wanted us to use natural slate. However, we decided against this in favour of fibre cement at the cost engineering stage, as it offered real cost-savings in terms of purchase price and the roof loadings. Marley Eternit was chosen for value for money, reputation and appearance. We knew the roof was going to be a feature and so we chose the Rivendale because it has a riven surface with chamfered edges.”
Luke Gittens, practice associate from Bi Design, added:
“The large fibre cement slate roof gives the Boardwalk a striking aesthetic which also complements both the natural surroundings and other building materials. We also needed a low roof pitch, down to just 23ø, which was a major factor in the client’s choice of Marley Eternit Rivendale fibre cement slates. It was also a cost effective way of getting the preferred slate aesthetic.”
Marley Eternit says the combination of a riven surface and dressed edge offers the benefit of modern slate technology with the look of natural slate, making the Rivendale fibre cement roof slate ideal for use on projects where a natural look is sought after. As part of Marley Eternit’s fibre cement range, Rivendale also boasts industry leading sustainability credentials, including a low carbon footprint of just 13 CO2e /m2 (based on 600 x 300 slate at 100mm lap), certification to the BES 6001 standard for Responsible Sourcing and the ability to achieve an A+ environmental rating in the BRE Green Guide.
Charlotte Hughes, product manager at Marley Eternit, said:
“We’re pleased that our fibre cement slates have been used on a prestigious local regeneration project with such great effect. We are experiencing a strong growth in demand for fibre cement slates at the moment and increasingly we are seeing specifiers and contractors turning to our range when they are looking for a low pitch solution. Over the last year, we have been able to introduce two fibre cement slates to the range that can be used on roof pitches as low as 15ø.”
