SUNSQUARE ROOFLIGHTS GET TOP GRADES
FROM ESTEEMED OXFORD COLLEGE
St John’s College, a prestigious constituent college of the University of
Oxford, has transformed a unique area of disused garden space into a
brightly-lit semi-subterranean building by featuring a range of made-
to-measure skylights from flat-roof skylight specialist, Sunsquare.
The installation was part of a redevelopment of the college’s grounds
located within the Grade II listed gardens, which saw dilapidated
greenhouses and storage sheds transformed into a functional new
60 sqm building – a space for gardening staff to use as an office and
break room, as well as a greenhouse area for growing college plants.
Oxford-based architects Jessop and Cook were set the task of designing
a building that would sit in a small horseshoe-shaped space, set
within three listed walls inside the college’s tranquil gardens. Not only
did it need to be completely unobtrusive – remaining unnoticed by
passers-by – it also had to be aesthetically pleasing for any buildings
that overlook it. This includes on-site student accommodation and the
new St. John’s College library study centre, which completed in 2019.
Because the area was completely enclosed by neighbouring walls,
bringing in natural light was another core part of the design.
Martin Shaw, Associate at Jessop and Cook Architects, explains: “The
brief from the St. John’s works team was to create a much-needed
space for the college’s gardeners to use, but there were several
question marks around the viability of the site. The former greenhouse
and storage space was very small and almost completely enclosed, so
we ran the risk that any new facilities would feel cramped and poorly
lit.
“To combat this, we needed to find a skylight large enough to cover
the majority of the roof space – opening it up and allowing in plenty
of natural light, whilst also fitting with the building’s design and
creating the right growing conditions for the greenhouse area. We
were already familiar with the Sunsquare range, and we opted for
a purpose-designed part-fixed, part-opening rooflight because it
matched perfectly with the building’s low pitch, but still ticked our
boxes when it came to thermal performance, safety and functionality.
It was efficient enough to keep the gardeners warm in the winter, with
an opening mechanism to provide much-needed ventilation in the
summer.”
Jessop and Cook’s drawings for the upgraded gardeners’ area featured
a new entrance at one end, with toilets, a shower, a breakroom and
an office inside, as well as a central greenhouse section. They also
included plans to excavate and lower the ground level by 800mm, to
create a comfortable floor to ceiling height internally (but not enough
to be seen over the college’s external wall). Here the team specified
a 2620mm x 4250mm Sunsquare part-fixed, part-opening rooflight,
positioned above the greenhouse area to provide the majority of
the building’s natural light. Jessop and Cook also opted for two
smaller 1400mm x 2000mm Sunsquare Aero Vent skylights over the
breakroom.
Each Aero Vent was fitted with an easy-to-control electric opening and
closing mechanism, for immediate and convenient access to fresh air.
Martin Shaw continues: “One of the main challenges we faced was
that the new facilities had to be completely unobtrusive and invisible
from outside the garden walls. The brief was to ensure the building
was completely hidden from views of the listed garden! As flat-roof
skylight specialists, we believed Sunsquare had the experience to
create a skylight with a pitch low enough that it would match the pitch
of the roof with a minimal upstand, allowing the building to remain
unseen from outside the grounds and eliminating the risk of water
pooling. This, combined with the option to customise each rooflight
to meet the space’s exact needs, made Sunsquare the most suitable
choice.”
Mark Lambert, Sales Director at Sunsquare, comments: “We’re very
proud to have been involved in such a forward-thinking project –
working closely with architects Jessop and Cook to create custom-
made flat-roof skylights that help get the best out of St. John’s
College’s new space. Not only do they provide an abundance of
natural light for rooms that need it most (especially in the greenhouse
area where solar gains are so important), they also deliver the safety
and thermal performance that’s needed for this unique build.
For more information about Sunsquare’s market-leading range of
BSI-Kitemarked flat-roof skylights, please visit www.sunsquare.
co.uk or call 01284 723377.