Axter named Design Champion at Suffolk Design Festival: putting flat roof design at the heart of the built environment
Understanding the building, the requirements of the project and how the roof needs to perform. That is what good flat roof design is all about.
It means considering falls, drainage, insulation, wind loading, interfaces, access, detailing and, increasingly, how the roof can contribute to the wider performance and use of a building.
That is why Axter is proud to be supporting this year's Suffolk Design Festival as a Design Champion.
Why design matters in flat roofing
Flat roofs have become increasingly important to the way buildings are designed and used. They can accommodate solar PV, green and biodiverse roofs, blue roof systems, terraces, plant and other building services, while also playing a critical role in thermal performance, drainage and long-term protection of the building.
This ultimately creates a more complex design process. At Axter, our approach is to work with the project team to understand those requirements and develop the roof design around them. Our service covers the process from concept design through to specification, installation and handover.
That means our role can begin well before a waterproofing system is selected.
Flat roof design support from Axter
Our in-house Design Team provides project-specific design and technical support, alongside a comprehensive suite of standard details.
Depending on the requirements of the project, this can include:
- Flat roof system design
- Technical and design calculations
- U-value calculations
- Tapered insulation design
- Wind loading calculations
- Rainwater drainage calculations
- Technical drawings
- Bespoke detailing
- NBS specifications
- BIM objects
This is an important distinction in how we work. Our role is to provide the specialist knowledge needed to help develop the design and make sure the chosen system is appropriate for the project.
From flat roof design to specification
Design and specification can often by conflated, but they are not the same thing.
Design is about developing how the roof will work. Specification is about clearly defining what is required to deliver it.
A well-developed flat roof specification needs to reflect the design, performance requirements and practical requirements of the project. Our technical team works with specifiers and other project stakeholders to develop clear, project-specific specifications and details. This can help ensure that the intended roof build-up, materials, performance requirements and detailing are properly understood before work reaches site.
Rather than simply putting a product into a specification, it is an approach that we believe adds value to the design process.
A design service built around the project
One of the things that sets Axter apart is the breadth of support available around a project.
Our approach is deliberately collaborative. A Technical Sales Manager is assigned to the project and works alongside the wider team, including a designer and technical administration and quality assurance support. The aim is to provide continuity throughout the project rather than passing the design from one department to another.
We can also provide specialist input where the roof presents particular challenges.
For example, our refurbishment service uses 3D laser scanning technology to assess existing roof geometry, drainage falls and slab tolerances. This provides detailed information that can be used to inform the design of a refurbishment project.
For projects incorporating solar PV, Axter's service can include project-specific design information such as 3D site models, generation and yield calculations, wind load calculations, technical drawings and system specifications.
The principle is the same: understand the project first, then develop the roof around it.
Flat roof design is about more than waterproofing
Modern roofs are increasingly multifunctional.
A roof may need to provide waterproofing while supporting insulation requirements, renewable energy generation, biodiversity, rainwater attenuation or accessible spaces. That means flat roof design needs to consider the interaction between these different requirements.
Axter's portfolio includes systems and expertise across a range of applications, including warm roofs, green roofs, blue roofs and solar PV. Our technical team can therefore look at the roof as a whole and help coordinate the waterproofing requirements with the wider design.
This is particularly important where a project involves more complex roof build-ups.
For example, living roofs require consideration of structural loading, drainage, maintenance access and root resistance alongside the waterproofing itself. Axter's technical guidance recognises that each living roof is different and requires the design to take the specific roof and surrounding requirements into account.
Local expertise, wider experience
There is another reason we're particularly pleased to be part of Suffolk Design Festival.
Axter is based in Ipswich, Suffolk. Our local team works with project teams across the UK, supported by the technical knowledge, manufacturing capability and experience of an international business.
For us, being a Design Champion is therefore about more than putting our name behind an event.
It's an opportunity to contribute our own experience to the wider conversation about design in Suffolk and to meet the architects, specifiers, contractors, developers and other professionals responsible for shaping the built environment.
Why we're proud to be a Design Champion
The Suffolk Design Festival brings together people with different perspectives on how buildings, places and communities should be designed.
We see an important place for specialist manufacturers within that conversation.
The technical decisions made during the design of a roof can have a significant impact on how a building performs and how successfully it can be delivered. Bringing specialist expertise into the process early can help designers understand the available options, resolve technical challenges and develop a more considered specification.
As a Design Champion at Suffolk Design Festival, we're looking forward to sharing our experience of flat roof design and specification, and to contributing to the wider conversation around better design in Suffolk and beyond.
If you're working on a project and would like to discuss the design or specification of the roof, our technical and design teams are available to help.