Why Porcelain is perfect for roof decks and improves public spaces

When creating community or shared spaces, architects are balancing a raft of overlapping priorities: from place-making, community cohesion and connectivity to sustainability and even public health.

The past two years has brought into focus the question about what civic leaders and property owners want our buildings and public realm to do. Architects and designers need to look at how building and space design must adapt to accommodate a future where people can gather, live, work , and socialise while the building design forms a part of airborne disease control strategy.

The easy answer may be to sacrifice form for function, but with architects challenged to create schemes and homes that can have true longevity they understandably do not want to compromise a reduction in aesthetic finish.

In this environment, the use of porcelain paving can provide building designers with an answer to maintaining quality while ensuring floor space, inside and outside of a property can adapt to many different functions.

Porcelain; a popular choice

Porcelain paving has long been used for high-end garden patios but advances in technology mean that large developments can benefit from the low-maintenance qualities of porcelain paving – inside and out.

Porcelain paving uses the aesthetic of natural stone while adding the benefits of modern paving manufacturing. Using innovative manufacturing techniques, a composite porcelain unit can be made at a thickness of 60mm which makes it suitable for use in areas with very high pedestrian traffic.

Originally an Italian development, porcelain tiles are made by selecting suitable raw materials, such as fine clays, grinding these materials to make them incredibly fine, combined with a suitable mix design and a precisely controlled manufacturing process. This includes finely grading the right type of clays and firing them at an extremely high, controlled temperature in a kiln.

It is increasingly a popular material for large projects due to its stylish finish but also to the lack of water absorbency helps with stain resistance which means that porcelain tiles are easier to clean and maintain. Having a very low porosity, this enhances the frost resistance and provides longevity to the installation.

Porcelain is ideally suited to use outdoors as it is extremely strong, hard-wearing, and low maintenance. 

Using porcelain paving can bring a unique aesthetic with a mixture of light and shade the design of a scheme providing a premium finish which will retain its looks for years to come. It’s versatility in working in an indoor and outdoor setting also provides architects with an elegant way to design large flexible spaces that can adapt to environmental factors.

Reach the heights

For open public spaces and resident areas built at great heights Brett Landscaping has an effective decks and podium system designed for use on roof tops. Our pedestal systems support the use of expansive paving systems over large, roofed areas. By using pedestals, the load weight of the paving is mitigated to ensure the supporting roof structure is not placed under undue strain. Using pedestal systems can allow architects and designers to create spacious, level, safe paved areas in modern building designs, no matter the height or dimensions of the installation.

Paving slabs can be secured to the Brett Fixed Plate Pedestal system which is designed for roof areas where access for maintenance may be required. As the system allows the placement of paving flags with interlocking corners, horizontal movement is eliminated while enabling sufficient water drainage through the open joints of the paving.

Brett Landscaping recommends pairing a pedestal system with porcelain paving products for an elegant and modern aesthetic. Porcelain is very lightweight, and is also resistant to slipping, abrasion, fading, staining, and scratching. 

Greenford Quay Development – Brett worked on a project for Greenford Quay, creating a beautiful roof deck area using GeoCeramica porcelain paving, and pedestal systems. 

Full case study: https://www.brettlandscaping.co.uk/professional/project/greenford-quay-development-london/

Meet your roof top design vision with Brett pedestals. Visit our website to find out about some of our recent projects: https://www.brettlandscaping.co.uk/professional/brettpedestals/

For further information and enquiries, please contact: roofpaving@brett.co.uk