Case Study: Updown Court |
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Updown Court is a magnificent traditional English estate which employs state-of-the-art 21st Century technology to provide the ultimate living environment. It is located in the picturesque village of Windlesham, and sits at the centre of the “golden triangle” framed by Ascot, Runnymede, and Weybridge. Updown Court dominates its formal setting among 58 expansive acres of landscaped grounds, formal gardens and peaceful woodland, yet it is only a short drive from London. |
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The original Updown Court mansion was built in 1924 on twelve acres of land. In 1977, the Egyptian Prince Sami Gayed made Updown Court his home. Since its original conception, Updown Court has been transformed into a 21st century stately home of unparalleled scale and luxury. It has been more than two centuries since a private house has been constructed on this majestic scale, finished to such a sophisticated degree, or has offered such extravagant privacy. At over £70m, it is the most expensive country property to be put on the market in the UK. |
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The luxurious facilities include five swimming pools, a heated marble driveway, a private cinema, bowling alley, indoor squash court, all weather floodlit tennis court, and stabling for five horses. There is also a helipad for private landings and underground garaging for eight limousines. Updown Court is made up of four principal buildings - the main house, guest accommodation, gate lodge and a separate estate manager’s office. Twenty two bedroom/bathroom suites are provided as part of a total of 103 rooms. The sweeping double staircase at the entrance of the main house is a replica of the late Gianni Versace’s home in Miami. The main house also contains a panic room in case of terrorist attacks. |
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Obviously a grand building of this nature requires all suppliers involved to have the production capability to mass manufacture whilst also being able to meet stringent deadlines. The Architect involved in this project was familiar with Marvin Windows and Doors and therefore wanted Marvin Architectural to aid in taking his original plans for Updown Court from conception to reality. The project involved manufacturing, supplying and fitting over 300 factory complete custom made windows and doors. The main window type used in this project was Marvin’s Ultimate Sliding Sash, this as can be seen in the picture was combined with Gothic style round tops. The main type of door used in this project was Marvin’s Ultimate Outswing French Door, this again was combined with Gothic style round tops. It was important to the style and aesthetics of the windows and doors that all site lines were continuous. Other windows and doors provided include Marvin’s Sliding Patio Door combined with fixed sidelights, which were used to provide access to the swimming pool areas. Marvin Architectural also provided Full Circle Windows comprising the same gothic glazing bar pattern. This stunning new build project required extensive consultation with Marvin Architectural’s project managers and the main contractors on site to achieve exact precision. Marvin Architectural’s technical personnel worked closely with John B Scholz Architects to ensure that the optimum specification for window design and performance was delivered and detailed shop drawings were developed. Installation team surveys were also provided beforehand, so that the installation of windows for this large-scale country estate would run smoothly. All materials and products employed in this project were sourced internationally and Marvin’s windows and doors were selected due to their high quality, performance and style. Consistent and reliable lead times were also a major factor in this project and Marvin Architectural was able to deliver and complete the project on time and within a fixed price contract. Specifications |
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Building Type: |
English Country House Estate |
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