It was full-on glitz and glamour at the luxurious Vale Resort in the Vale of Glamorgan as more than 200 people gathered to ‘salute the industry’s finest’ at the Atlas Installation of the Year awards.
Guests were treated to a champagne reception and three-course dinner before the eagerly awaited awards, which were hosted by rugby union coach and sports broadcaster Sean Holley.
The panel of judges sifted through the winners of the Atlas Installation of the Month competition from 2016 to make a shortlist of just three finalists and the winners were announced at the ceremony on 20 January.
QKS Home Improvements was in first place for an ‘extraordinary’ double Atlas lantern installation on a period property in Stamford, Lincolnshire. In second place was Farnborough based Sherborne for a ‘breathtaking’ orangery installation on a re-modelled ‘New England’ style home. In third place was Cheshire based Bifolding Door Company for a ‘stylish’ Atlas Flat Rooflight installation on a property in Chester.
Kim Eyres, owner of Mendip Conservatories, also picked up a special gong, the Innovation Award, for a Skyroom installation with an inventive twist.
The ‘clever, yet sympathetic’, design of an orangery with twin lanterns made the installation by QKS Home Improvements the judges’ overall favourite. According to Atlas, the judging panel was ‘blown away’ with the design, which incorporated lots of glazing and not one, but two, lanterns to seamlessly blend the interior and the exterior. The new orangery features two 3.7 x 2.5m Atlas lanterns, which were carefully positioned to take advantage of the southerly aspect and draw light into the ground floor. Built with locally sourced limestone, it blends perfectly with the rest of the property. The orangery, which leads off two rooms, has created an impressive entertaining space and has totally transformed the flow of the house.
Ashley Woodman, director of QKS Home Improvements, collected the winner’s trophy. He said: “The standard of entries this year was extremely high and we were surprised, and delighted, to win this prestigious award. This project was absolutely stunning and this award honours the design and installation skill of the whole team that were involved in it. We have planned a fantastic year ahead and this award is a terrific start for us.”
Sherborne scooped second place for a stunning orangery installation in Hampshire. The judges were reportedly impressed with the inventive design and installation of the orangery, which incorporated a grey Atlas lantern, bi-folding doors and feature glass balcony. The Atlas roof met the contemporary vision of the property without compromising on the energy efficiency of the spacious new extension.
Chris Long, managing director at Sherborne, received the award. He said: “This is a really beautiful project and we just had to enter it in to the Installation of the Month competition. It was fantastic for me and the team to collect the award on the night and to celebrate the achievement in style at the after-show party. It was a brilliant night!”
In third place was the Bifolding Door Company for their installation of a large Atlas Flat Rooflight which is the focal point in a contemporary extension on a Victorian property. The judges were ‘wowed’ with the clever design of the roof which incorporated a 1240mm x 1200mm flat rooflight to bathe the new kitchen extension with light from above. With its ultra-slim profile, the flat rooflight matches the aluminium windows and bi-folding doors, which were also installed by the Bifolding Door Company. The rooflight was ‘perfect’ for the industrial style extension which features an exposed brick wall and polished concrete floor.
Mark Cosgrove, managing director of the Bifolding Door Company, collected the award from Atlas. He said: “Every product in this urban installation was very carefully considered and the Atlas Flat Rooflight – the largest we have fitted so far – was the perfect centerpiece for it. Getting in to the top three winners was an incredibly proud moment for us and we’re looking forward to a great year creating many more fabulous Atlas installations.”
Kim Eyres, owner of Mendip Conservatories, walked away with the special Atlas Innovation award for an ingenious Skyroom installation in Wells, Somerset. Kim displayed terrific design flair when creating a bespoke Skyroom with a lean-to Atlas roof. This one-off orangery style extension was the judges pick because it emphasised the versatility of the Skyroom and the bold architectural vision of Kim and his team.
Kim said: “It was a wonderful evening and a great chance for top people from the industry to celebrate their achievements. It was an honour to win the Atlas Innovation award for this lovely installation, which really shows what can be achieved with plenty of imagination. It was a challenging project, but the finished result is outstanding. It is great working with the Atlas team and I’m proud to be a part of this exciting brand. I can promise that we have some more Atlas gems to reveal this year. Watch this space!”
Gareth Thomas, sales and marketing director at Atlas, added: “The Installation of the Year awards recognise and celebrate the achievements of the some very talented installers in our industry. We’ve been so impressed with the standard of entries this year and there are some sensational installations out there. We hope these awards will really inspire more people to stretch their design and installation skills to create even more fabulous projects in the future. This year’s event was amazing and it gives us great encouragement that next year’s awards will be even bigger!”
The evening rounded off with entertainment and a charity auction which raised £2,850 for the Spring Centre. The centre provides support to the families of children with disabilities and special needs across Gloucestershire.
Find out more about the awards evening by visiting www.atlasroofsolutions.co.uk/installation/installation-of-the-year-winners
