Shires Win Installation of the Year

Shires, the Oxfordshire family-run building and architectural glazing specialist, has claimed the top Installation of the Year Award at a national award ceremony for the home improvement and construction industries.

Operating throughout Oxfordshire, Wiltshire and Northamptonshire, Shires specialises in the supply of high end conservatories and orangeries alongside traditional building services.

Reaching the finals of the Sierra Awards 2010 for the second year in succession, the Millets Farm- based company claimed the Installation of the Year Award for its work to design and install a multi-purpose orangery.

Installed to a residential property close to the centre of Oxford, the home extension features open plan dining room and seating area plus a utility room.

Peter Hancock, managing director, Shires, who runs the company with his daughter Gemma and who designed the building said that orangeries - which feature a glass roof occupying ground somewhere between a conservatory and traditional extension - were enjoying growing popularity. He said: “It shows just how far the orangery has come and how it can be used as a genuinely flexible and stylish living space.

“The biggest challenge was to deliver the new room without losing too much light from the existing kitchen and particularly the living room so the positioning of the roof was critical, the windows generally bringing enough light back into the kitchen.

“It’s among the more challenging projects that we have delivered because there were a number of different elements that had to be balanced within the brief but also that the new space was so multi-facetted including dining, living and utility areas which all had to work in conjunction with one another.”

In addition to offering a complete orangery and conservatory installation operation, Shires also offers a full array of home improvements from extension and garage construction to landscaping service including the installation of patios and decking.

Peter continued: “We have recognised that as a business we need to be flexible in what we offer our customers and where we have an opportunity to add value by carrying out additional works we do.

“I started my career in building and we’re now broadening our focus to include many home improvement services traditionally delivered by builders because customers want additional service and flexibility.“

David Hurst of the Sierra Awards said: “The National Installation of the Year Award recognises business excellence. That’s excellence in all areas of operation from sales, to marketing and business development but above all customer service.

“We had some excellent entries this year from across the UK but the awards panel unanimously agreed that Shires was the home improvement company that epitomised these values. To win our top installation award is a great achievement and in the case of Shires, more than deserved.”

And here is a picture of the winning installation by Shires: