About the Project:
Client: E. Smith & Son
Our client, E. Smith & Son, is a local family business, started in 1959, when Edwin rented a patch of land in Statham and began to grow bedding plants. A couple of years later he bought two acres of green field on Booths Lane, their present site, and set about building glasshouses, a home for his family and growing his plants. Over 60 years on, the nursery has doubled in size.
This project involved the replacement of glass roof to existing glasshouse. The brief was to create a robust, weather-resistant roofing system that would increase usable space, maximise natural light and enhance the current building. Using high-quality materials and bespoke components designed and manufactured in-house, the project was carefully planned and delivered to meet the client’s operational needs, while allowing for future flexibility.
The Process:
Commercial Glasshouse Contracts Ltd attended the premises to carry out a the work, delivering a fully integrated and purpose built solution.
The project brief was:
- To remove the existing glass roof above the retail area and replace it with 40mm Kingspan composite roof panels, incorporating a compatible ridge adaptation system.
- Install roof lights at a rate of one per section, covering three sections across six bays.
- Clad the gable ends down to gutter level at the polytunnel end, ensuring a neat junction with the existing glass structure at the glasshouse end with 40mm Quadcore in ‘Goosewing Grey’.
We also:
- Fitted a galvanised box section to polytunnel gable end.
- Fitted composite tin panels including 4 roof lights to create a lean-to to existing structure
The Result:
The completed project has transformed the existing glasshouse into a far more robust, practical, and visually enhanced space. The replacement of the original glass roof with 40mm Kingspan composite panels has created a highly durable, weather-resistant structure, significantly improving thermal performance while increasing the overall usability of the retail area.
The integration of our own bespoke ridge adaptation system ensured a seamless transition between materials, while strategically positioned roof lights to allow for an excellent level of natural light without compromising the strength of the new roofing system. The use of 40mm Quadcore cladding in Goosewing Grey to the gable ends provides a clean, modern finish, creating a neat and cohesive junction between the polytunnel and existing glasshouse structure.
Additional structural improvements, including the installation of a galvanised box section to the polytunnel gable end, have further strengthened the build. The addition of a lean-to extension, formed using composite panels and incorporating four roof lights, has created valuable extra covered space while maintaining a consistent and high-quality finish throughout.
Overall, the project delivers a well-balanced solution that enhances durability, maximises natural light, and improves functionality, while also allowing flexibility for future use and development.
Gallery
Before…
After…
