Extensive Use of Cast Stone for New Majestic Wine Retails Unit
Client
E.G Carter & Company Limited
Location of Project
Basingstoke
Project Overview
A new build retail premises for Majestic Wine, which used cast stone walling, quoins and copings, and these to contrast with red brick to create a striking and contemporary piece of architecture. Some of the cast stone products were rebated to create a shadow-gap effect.
Working together, Procter Cast Stone and the architect developed a scheme that achieved the desired distinctive visual appearance alongside brickwork and glass, but with cast stone units that were as economical to manufacture as possible. This enabled the architect to meet the client’s brief while maintaining tight control over budgets.
Procter Cast Stone then prepared manufacturing drawings, incorporating appropriate reinforcement and threaded bosses for lifting eyes. The moulds were made from these drawings by Procter Cast Stone’s in-house team of skilled joiners, enabling the production of the cast stone units to proceed on time.
Deliveries were scheduled to suit site requirements and ensure that the potentially vulnerable cast stone units were not stored on site for any longer than necessary. In addition, a project manager from Procter Cast Stone provided detailed advice on site handling and installation to minimise the risk of the cast stone sustaining any damage. After installation and pointing, any units that showed signs of efflorescence were cleaned in accordance with the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
Project Notes
Procter Cast Stone was awarded the work having been recommended by the architect on the basis of previous experience, cost, quality and Procter’s ability to service a contract of this size. This project demonstrates Procter Cast Stone’s ability to work closely with architects to achieve the desired distinctive appearance in the most cost-effective manner, as well as cast stone’s suitability for use in individual retail units when used in conjunction with other materials such as brick and glass. The cost to use cut and dressed quarried stone would have been prohibitive yet, to the untrained eye, cast stone is indistinguishable from quarried stone.
Client Feedback
“Very pleased with the end result once a few issues with band marks were resolved.”
