Egyptian & Dudley House

The refurbishment of Egyptian and Dudley House involved a pair of Grade II listed commercial buildings originally constructed in 1905–1906. RYNO was required to deliver a fully integrated roof terrace solution combining aluminium decking and bespoke planters, all supported from a single, coordinated substructure.

Introduced to the project through long-standing partner Valley Provincial, RYNO worked closely with the team to deliver all components as part of a single warrantied system that maintained design intent while simplifying construction on a constrained and sensitive heritage site.

The Challenge

The roof terrace formed a commercial office breakout space, designed to bring usable external amenity into a compact footprint atop a listed building refurbishment.

The original specification separated the decking and planter systems with multiple suppliers, interfaces, and structural assumptions, all required to sit on the same roof build-up. This presented several challenges:

• • Mixed warranties
  • Extremely limited height build-ups, typical of refurbishment projects
  • Requirement to avoid waterproofing penetrations
  • Complex load paths due to heavy planters
  • Large, central tree planters alongside smaller perimeter units
  • Third-party elements, including a bar, needing integration into the terrace layout

Any solution had to provide sufficient structural support, meet insulation manufacturer guidance, and maintain a cohesive architectural finish, all within a tight spatial envelope.

The Solution

Through collaboration with Valley Provincial, RYNO developed a fully integrated TerraSmart® roof terrace system, combining:

• • TerraSmart Aluminium Decking
  • TerraSmart Planter System using the Baseboard Fix
  • Contour Bespoke Planters

By consolidating decking and planters into a single engineered system, RYNO removed the need for concrete foundations and eliminated unnecessary complexity across trades.

Key system features included:

• • Shared substructure for decking and planters
  • Both elements were supported from the same TerraSmart framework, creating a unified build-up and reducing interfaces which is a critical advantage on a refurbishment project.
  • No waterproofing penetrations
  • All loads were transferred through the system without breaching the waterproofing layer, protecting the integrity of the existing structure.
  • Low build-up capability
  • The TerraSmart system was configured to work within tight height constraints while still providing adequate support beneath planters.
  • Spreader plates over Foamglas insulation
  • To meet manufacturer technical guidance, spreader plates were introduced beneath planter bases to distribute loads safely across the insulation layer.
  • Freestanding planter solutions
  • Several planters were positioned over parapet walls, requiring bespoke freestanding support arrangements to manage load transfer without reliance on the parapet structure.
  • Coordinated planter heights and layouts
  • Varying planter sizes, including large central tree planters, were carefully coordinated to create a flowing, cohesive terrace layout within a compact space.
  • Third-party integration
  • Additional elements, including a bar, were successfully integrated and supported off the decking system, ensuring stability and continuity across the terrace.

Both decking and planters were finished in RAL 8019 Grey Brown, delivering a consistent, seamless aesthetic suited to the character of the historic buildings.

Collaboration & Simplifying the complex

RYNO’s direct involvement was focused on supporting a specification change, working primarily with Valley Provincial to provide a complete and technically robust one-stop-shop solution rather than the original mix of manufacturers.

By offering a complete, integrated system rather than isolated components, RYNO was able to:

• • Provide a single point of warranty
  • Simplify installation
  • Reduce risk at interfaces
  • Eliminate unnecessary structural works
  • Deliver meaningful value engineering without compromising performance or appearance

The Result

The completed roof terrace at Egyptian and Dudley House delivers a stunning and high-quality, external amenity space that respects the constraints of a listed building refurbishment while meeting modern performance requirements.

Through smart system design, careful coordination, and collaborative value engineering, RYNO helped transform a complex specification challenge into a clean, buildable, and future-proofed terrace solution.