With this particular commission we encountered the frequently-met challenge of how to conform to modern building regulations when a piece of bespoke architectural metalwork is required for a traditional setting, in this instance a cantilevered stone staircase.

Regulations deem that a sphere of no larger than 100mm in circumference should be able to pass between any gap of any stair railing or balustrade. In the case of this balustrade at a property in  Kintbury near Hungerford, this meant having three vertical bars per stair tread.

Commonly, one would tend to see three bars of the same section size all equally spaced and resulting in a heavy aesthetic which the clients were not keen to have.

The team at Ironart was able to come up with an innovative bespoke design which not only adhered to building regulations but also produced a beautiful and visually lighter feeling solution, which the clients were delighted with. This was achieved by reducing the thickness of two of the three vertical bars per tread and placing them slightly closer to each other.

As the images below show, the final result is simply stunning.