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As developers and builders increasingly look to sustainable construction practices across the Greater Toronto Area, companies around the globe are also taking action. United Kingdom-based manufacturer Sapphire Balconies is a leader in innovative, lightweight balcony solutions. Their balconies offer connections to cross-laminated timber (CLT) construction for improved structural integrity and sustainability, standing out for their speed of installation and reduced material usage.
CLT is celebrated for its strength and flexibility, made by layering sections of solid-sawn lumber at alternating angles, which improves its load-bearing capabilities and makes it suitable for a variety of architectural designs. Sapphire Balconies leverages these properties with their Glide-On Cassette system that connects to CLT brackets, reducing construction times and labour costs. The lightweight material of CLT also allows for smaller, less invasive foundation requirements and minimizes the need for heavy machinery onsite.
Last summer, Sapphire hosted the "Balcony Showdown" at their Toronto Area showroom. UrbanToronto was in attendance as the company set out to break the Canadian record for the most balcony installations in a single day, ultimately installing ten in just one afternoon. The event highlighted the efficiency and reliability of their Glide-On balcony technology.
Sapphire’s Glide-On Cassette system can be rapidly attached to CLT brackets, and pre-installed at precise angles to maximize pull-out resistance and structural integrity, enabling balconies to be secured quickly without compromising safety. Key to this is the Remote Locker Device (RLD), which allows balconies to be locked securely from a remote location, eliminating the need for workers to be exposed to unsecured loads.
At Woodberry Down Tower in North London, England, Sapphire installed 20 Glide-On balconies within a day in an apartment building framed with CLT. Special first-fix brackets were designed for the construction. Faced with the challenge of limited site space and the absence of the main tower crane, Sapphire designed special first-fix brackets made for the CLT construction, increasing pull-out resistance, and allowing for robust structural integrity. These innovations also achieved significant cost savings on crane operations.
Sapphire looks to continue innovating with their Next Generation system. It uses a lighter design that reduces its carbon footprint by 19% across production stages. This reduced weight allows for more balconies per transport, further decreasing carbon emissions. The lineup includes the Glide-On and Tie-Rod connections alongside the new Clip-On method, which has been implemented in the recent Wembley Park’s North East Lands developments. Users have access to the Passport quality control app for insights into the quality control process, and the suite offers over eight million design combinations, including balustrading options like the Identité and Crescent Balustrade.
Aluminum is about half the weight of steel, significantly reducing structural demands, minimizing the number of required support brackets, and limiting facade penetrations — critical in mitigating risks such as thermal bridging and dampness. Sapphire's cast-in anchors are engineered to triple the strength of common market alternatives. The balconies are manufactured offsite and arrive preassembled, streamlining the installation process and eliminating the challenges of coordinating multiple trades onsite. Sapphire’s specialist cast-in anchors enhance balconies' rigidity and reduce deflection, providing a sturdier, more durable balcony solution.
For more information, visit the company website. Interested parties can also book design meetings or visit their showroom in Toronto.
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