Client: John Grose

Architect: David Clarke & Associates

Installation contractor: S & G Industrial Roofing Ltd

Roofing & Cladding system: Trisomet^® insulated panels, Trimapanel^® insulated panel

Colorcoat® products: Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^® and Colorcoat Prisma^®

High-profile East Anglian car dealership John Grose required a complete transformation of their showroom and workshop in the coastal location of Lowestoft, Suffolk - the most easterly place in the United Kingdom.

Building Systems UK (A Tata Steel Enterprise) and Platinum^® System installer S&G Industrial Roofing Limited provided a comprehensive building envelope refurbishment solution. Featuring a wide range of Building Systems UK products, supported by a coastal Confidex^® Guarantee, and the Platinum^® system guarantee, the building has been turned into a state of the art showroom with the latest service and repair technologies.

The challenge

The Whapload Road, Lowestoft showroom/workshop - a concrete-framed at-cost type structure - was in need of a significant upgrade to its ageing asbestos-clad exterior, with the goal of attaining a high-tech, modern appearance.

Sean Partridge, owner of S&G, explained that the project had some special requirements: “The key initial task was to safely remove the old asbestos cladding. We also had to bear in mind that, as Lowestoft is the most Easterly point in the UK, the dealership was located in a relatively aggressive coastal environment.”

The solution

To cope with the local atmospheric conditions over the long term, S&G recommended the use of Building Systems UK products, backed by their Confidex^® coastal guarantees and Platinum^® System Guarantee. Stainless steel fixings were also used throughout the construction process. 

2300m² of 80mm Trisomet^® insulated panels formed the roof in Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^® in Goosewing Grey finish, and a parapet was created around the pitched roof to give the illusion that the building was a one-height structure.  The existing concrete gutters were lined with a Colorcoat Aquatite^® membrane.

For the walls Sean Partridge explained that a combination of Tata Steel solutions was selected: “We installed 700m² of 90mm Trimapanel architectural wall panels in Colorcoat Prisma^® in Silver Metallic finish, in a horizontal configuration. We also fitted a single-skin layer of the Trisomet® profile in Colorcoat HPS200 Ultra^® to cover up areas of existing brickwork, ensuring a consistent high-tech appearance. We matched the laps of the sheeting to give the appearance of a composite panel.”

Reflecting on the £1.5 million project, Alister Leith, Group Managing Director of John Grose, commented: “The aesthetics and high performance of the Building Systems UK systems on the building, in combination with the high quality installation by S&G, has resulted in a state of the art showroom with the latest service and repair technologies.”