Vesta Street Phase 2, Manchester

Vesta Street is a location steeped in British and Mancunian history. It was once the home of Willian Fairbairn, a prominent engineer in the mid-19th century who helped make Manchester the epicentre of the British industrial age. The industrial age transformed life in Britain and beyond and is woven into Manchester’s heritage.

This modern development’s 169 sleek apartments bring a new lease of life to this historic location delivering views over the Ashton Canal and city-centre living.

Challenge

There were a few challenges at Vesta Street the first being the stage of the project when we came on board. When we became involved with the project the Schoeck anchors had already been cast in meaning the balconies needed to accommodate the existing placement.

The unique design on the façade meant there was a 20mm reveal either side of the balconies requiring extremely precise tolerances to ensure a successful install.

The location of the project was also a challenge for the install process. One side of the building has balconies projecting over the Ashton Canal leaving minimal space for vehicles. While this provides spectacular views for residents it required a blind lift over the building as there was no other means of access.

Solution

The balconies were specially designed to accommodate the existing spacing of the Schoeck anchors while ensuring they met our high standards for rigidity as outlined in our Brand Promise.
The project included a very detailed interface with a 20mm reveal either side of the balconies which may have been a problem for other balcony types. Our high standards of quality control and precise offsite manufacture meant the balconies were produced to exacting specification and able to slide easily onto the pre-installed support arms without any need for onsite adjustments.
The unique design of our Glide-On™ Cassette® balconies meant that even with a blind lift carried out with a mobile crane over the building, using the Sapphire counterbalance the balconies could simply slide on to their arms and be quickly secured.

The balconies also arrived at site prefinished, negating the need for onsite labour to install elements like soffits which saved programme time and avoided the need for multiple trades passing through the apartments.

Installation Process

Step 1: Schoeck anchors were cast into the slab before Sapphire came on board.
Step 2: Cassette® balconies were designed for the specific placement of the existing anchors then preassembled offsite, including the balustrades, decking & soffits.
Step 3: Cassette® balconies were transported with balconies ‘nested’ onto each pallet making transport both cost effective & safe. Balconies were pre-slung offsite ready for installation upon arrival.
Step 4: Once lifted into position, the Cassettes® simply Glide-On™ to the pre-erected support arms, before completing the simple mechanical fixings.