Built by Robert Stephenson in 1839 for the North Midland Railway, this building is the world’s first railway roundhouse. Architects, Maber Associates, were selected to bring this Grade II listed building to its former glory as part of the main campus of Derby College.

The task was reinstating a circle of 48 trapezoidal rooflights, of which 36 had to open remotely. The project also included a further 64 linked Conservation Rooflights installed on the former carriage shops and engine sheds.

Working with the architects, and construction firm Bowmer + Kirkland, we developed a tailormade version of our Conservation Rooflight. As every facet was unique, we utilised 3D scanning technology to map the entire roof structure and build a 3D CAD model of the rooflight that ensured millimetre accuracy and enabled the construction team to work within the historic constraints of the existing building.

These roof windows provide the building with much-needed ventilation and significantly improve the thermal performance. They combined modern performance with original heritage design, with slender frames that match the appearance of the original roof windows, maintaining the roundhouse’s iconic silhouette.