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Getting planning permission was extremely difficult for this Barratt housing development next to the sea at The Knap, near Barry in South Wales. Because it was a sensitive site in a conservation area, the planners threw out three earlier proposals by developers; and each was scrutinised by residents and conservation organisations. The locals had fond memories of a former pub and nightclub on the same spot, so the architect Capita Property Services decided to avoid any compromising nostalgic references to the earlier building.

The architect started with a clean sheet, and the end result is this development of five attractive, Continental-style blocks, each containing four apartments. The architect has made the most of the location with floor-to-ceiling windows to give the building more presence than more common in two-storey housing.

Because it is next to the sea, durability was a key consideration, so high-quality materials have been used. The roofs are clad with a product called rheinzink, an alloy of zinc, copper and titanium. This was chosen because it allowed a lower roof pitch than slate; this ensured the roofline was kept to a minimum to maintain views for residents behind the development. Rheinzink is very easy to work and has many advantages over lead: it is less susceptible to creep, it does not contaminate water run-off and needs fewer joints to cope with thermal expansion.

Windows
Vellacine Windows
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 319

Roof covering
Rheinzink
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 320

External lights
First Light
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 321

Render
K-Rend
www.building.co.uk/enquiries 322