The NEC show buildings - some inspiration

Last year you may recall that we decided to build an entire life sized, fully finished house in 5 days for the National Self Build show. It really did look amazing and was incredibly popular - but it's not the sort of thing you can do every year (although John would if we let him). This year we ganged up against him (that is the beauty of having more women than men in the office - when we club together we are an unstoppable force - poor John eh?) and demanded something more 'modest' (ie practical). So he came up with two buildings instead of one - one of them an entirely new prototype which has been conceived, designed, engineered and manufactured in under 8 weeks. 

We only have a few more days of production (ie faffing) before the lorry is loaded and dispatched to Birmingham so I thought I would share some of the Show Mood Boards with you. 

I haven't put everything on here as I wanted you to all be dazzled and delighted at the show (yes, yes, OK, I admit it - I haven't even decided what we are doing and have loads left to organise and order) but this is a rough idea of the 'look' I had in mind.................

This is the new Artisan Pod - using the same cassette prefabricated panels as the Artisan house but designed as a studio/garden room/office/ extension etc etc. There will be French doors at the front and the interior is super insulated and finished with tongue and groove boarding. The exterior is vertical oak boarding. The beauty of it is that is doesn't need foundations and is all pre finished so can be erected and used within days.

I have these lights at home and then discovered my best pal had also used them in her new extension in Bristol. And if she has chosen them they must be gorgeous as she has ridiculously good taste. I think she sometimes reads this so I am being effusive. Good 'industrial' type lights that don't cost a fortune so ticks all round.

We have ordered some huge pin boards as people seem to love looking at the 'under construction' images of work in progress - and we can use the boards to add info and news and make the stand seem more personal and interactive.

 Oh boy did this chair cause me trouble - I have loved it for more than a year, but couldn't find a stockist and couldn't justify buying it for home (well, Ben refused to allow me to justify it, I had lots of plausible reasons for needing it) - imagine my joy when I found an ex display model just up the road for a discounted price........only to discover that the frame probably wasn't FSC. It might be, it might not - and our timber buying policy is pretty strict (VERY STRICT) so this is a problem. But having looked everywhere for an equivalent and getting quotes of £1000 plus to make them we had to bite the bullet and place the order. I will make sure that we declare it as non FSC, but if it is a problem I am sure it is best for me to take it home and look after it myself...........

And these are just silly nonsense - but funny I thought?? Somewhere to hang our coats??

Here is the plan for the barn stand -a lovely oak frame with cruck frame vaulted ceilings, painted in Farrow and Ball 'Mouse's Back' and with an oak porch on the end (used as a posh cuboard - the front door goes nowhere!)  It could be a two bedroom house but we wont bother with the stairs or beds......because Health and Safety won't allow it.

Which brings me on to my favorite purchase of the week (until my Jigsaw order arrives that is) - a H&S poster reinterpreted by an architect using letter press and traditional fonts. If you have ever seen the 'official' H&S poster you will share my pain. (I'll try to get a better photo)

And I might have a few of these (above) because I love wreaths - but wish I could find an oak leaf wreath instead. We used to have one, made with leaves preserved by allowing them to drink glycerine water, but have never found a replacement. If you know of one let me know.

And we also have a bit of rustic barky oak for a desk in the pod - and this definitely was FSC certified (as is everything else we buy and sell - apart from the chair of course)

Blogging might be a bit sporadic from now on, sorry. I will try to keep you updated before, during and after the show, however from now on my every waking moment belongs to the NEC - tragic but true.

bungalow or single storey dwelling?

I was looking for a photo of a cruck frame (a particular type of truss where the timbers are curved) for a client and came across these. The project was actually featured on the BBC1 show 'To Build or Not to Build' and the owners, who designed and self built most of this house, kindly sent us some photos taken just as they were moving out - to build another!

I hadn't really absorbed the fact that the house was actually a 'bungalow' until I revisited the images - I think the low ridge was a planning requirement (as the house replaced an old bungalow).

The owners have cleverly designed a house that looks 'low' from the outside but vast and lofty internally. Many of the features/details/finishes are not typical 'Border Oak' but it is always good to see how different the projects can be.

Now my family like to tease me about my snobbery - embarrassingly I have been known to describe the location of my home city (hereford) as 'just north of Cheltenham', and I would think nothing of driving a 10 mile round trip to find organic milk - which leads me to the question...........is this house a bungalow or a single storey dwelling?

from the rear elevation you can see that there are rooms in the roof space - there are roof lights rather than dormer windows so that the planners were happy it was a 'like for like' replacement.

Most of the rooms have double door openings - which enhances the feeling of space and allows the rooms to flow - great for parties!

And two feature spaces have vaulted ceilings with 'cruck' frames and glazed gable ends - to make the best use of the plot and turn a planning 'restriction' into an asset.

There are two staircases in the house - and both have glass balustrades. Personally I am not sure about the glass - some times I like it some times I worry it might be a passing fad (what do you think?). And the small cupboard under the stair is probably only useful for people under 2 ft 6?

A reclaimed art deco fire surround under the other cruck frame.........I think I would have chosen something a bit less ornate (maybe stone) or alternative a modern interpretation. But I do love the height of the room and the light flooding in from a wall of glass just out of shot

And from the front, a single storey dwelling complete with Border Oak porch.

p.s I will try to think of more examples of my snobbery to amuse you all.

Pictures from the yard and workshop this week

It has been a manic week at home and at work - and I thought you might like to see a few pics taken of various projects on the go.

This is the final truss for our two bedroom barn frame that we are erecting at the Homebuilding & Renovating show at the NEC at the end of March. We will have a cruck framed barn and also a porch and a garden studio.
Sometimes I wonder if these shows are really worth the stress and effort (I can basically wipe March off the calendar as the whole month is occupied with show stuff - not to mention February and January) but it is lovely to meet people and demonstrate what we do - and if we weren't there people might forget about us?! I just wish there was a way to make it less labour intensive for all of us.........a 'virtual' show has been suggested.
Anyway-  moan over -  the show building is being made by Joe, Chris and Joe in our smaller workshop (which is very sunny) and all those wooden things you can see in the background are the ply templates for braces and awkward beams. I love the atmosphere of the workshops - with all the traditional tools, the rustic industrial trolley and trestles, the old fashioned workbenches and vices, the smell and the sawdust.........reminds me of my childhood!

And this monster frame is just a small part of a lovely project we are building in the South. Each house is 'framed up' in the yard to check and tag - and luckily the clients timed a meeting to coincide with seeing their frame laid out in all its glory. The whole house occupied the yard and the workshops for three days just for tagging. HUGE!

It's a complicated frame with lots of unusual joints and a great deal of love and passion has gone into it. The carpenters were really pleased to see the owners as it makes everything so much more personal - and it is great for them to hear how pleased the clients are too. I think the clients were relieved to see where the money has gone, but also to finally get an idea of what their home will look like. It is a very exciting time and will get more exhilarating once the frame starts to rise on their plot. Doug - the workshop manager - did say he thinks it might take a bit of head scratching on site though - it is very intricate!

This is just one side of the roof - which took the entire length of the 'long workshop' It was a bit like an optical illusion.

One of my favourite elements of our oak frames, and quite distinctive to Border Oak ( a true sign of quality  - I would say that wouldn't I?) are the rounded, champfered jetty/purlin feet. And this pic also shows the boxed heart perfection of our 'Restoration Grade' , FSC and PEFC approved oak - a wood sniffers dream!

Have a great weekend

Survey Questions

Would you like to help me with a bit of research? It would be very useful for a couple of my projects if you could answer these three questions.....

1. Where did you first hear of Border Oak?

2. If we had a 'demonstration' home would you like to visit it?

3. Would you be interested in attending seminars/workshops/courses in subjects such as sustainability, architectural design, interior/landscape design, construction, heritage skills etc?

You can either leave a comment here or email me at merry.albright@borderoak.com

I really appreciate your feedback and will use the information to help us put together some exciting projects for 2012.

holiday home heaven

I am stuck at home today with a throat and eye infection medley.  Although in theory a day of rest and solitude sounds good, I find it so hard not to do stuff (by which I mean house/border oak stuff) so whilst looking through some old files (which is surely the same as 'putting your feet up'?) I came across this lovely little home.
We built it to the customers own design, based on the Pearmain construction system, way back in 2004 (I think). The owners replaced a run down brick barn building, but sticking to the same footprint and profile, and re jigging the interior to provide a three bedroom holiday cottage.
You wouldn't know it was a new build, or in fact that it was a Border Oak/Pearmain cottage, but that I guess is the beauty of self building - everything is different.

I think this limestone fire surround and brick detail is great - it reminds me of Belgian styling which I love.

The external was governed by the building they replaced - they reused the pantiles on the roof

 Lovely brick detailing

The front elevation also has some reclaimed stone incorporated - the window openings had to follow the previous building so are small and asymmetrical.

An open plan hallway and seating area

plus a sitting room with French doors and side glazing - making the room light and open to the garden

Why not come and meet us at the NEC National Homebuilding and Renovating Show to see how diverse our portfolio is? We are taking a two bedroom barn frame and the new Artisan Pod so there will be lots to see. If only I had our new interior and home products ready to show you..................(tease tease tease!)

Some people are good at lots of things

It's true - some lucky people have a 'multi skill' set, turning their very capable hands to a variety of different disciplines. I, however fall into the 'Averagely- Able - At- Most - Things, Excellent -At - None' category. I like to think I cover my shortcomings with dedication, enthusiasm and effort. But I dream of effortless............
Which is a very rambling way of starting a post, but I promise it is relevant. You see, at Border Oak we have quite a few of the blessed 'Multi skilled' including a very good, international standard rally navigator, a World Champion Marble player (I am not even joking - and the fact that he is also an amazing artist and a  all round nice person makes him a tad unlikeable), a life saving fireman and several incredibly good sportsmen. But as of tomorrow we can officially add 'Published Author' to our list, when our Chief Designer - Ewart Hutton -  has his first novel published.

Can you believe that? Not just a vanity press publication but a 'bone fide, has a publisher and agent, is available on Amazon' writer! Amazing, exciting and quite quite brilliant, if you ask me. But hey, what do I know?

Here's a review from someone who does though............(and I can't wait to read it and will be endlessly, shamelessly bragging about the fact that I know a famous author).

Review

'GOOD PEOPLE's corkscrew plot skewers small-town hypocrisy with a wry smile and a sniff of disgust. An entertaining debut with more stings in the tail than a bag of scorpions.' VAL McDERMID
‘Glyn Capaldi makes a hugely impressive first appearance in GOOD PEOPLE … teasingly elusive, and convincing, set in dark woodlands and small towns that conceal more than the reader can possibly suspect.’ CAMPBELL ARMSTRONG

Product Description

Introducing D.S. Glyn Capaldi, maverick cop.
Fallen from grace in Cardiff and exiled to be the catch-all detective in the big bit in the middle that God gave to the sheep. A place where nothing of any significance is meant to happen, a place where supposedly he can do little harm.
But trouble has a way of catching-up with Capaldi. Six men and a young woman disappear into the night. They don’t all reappear. The ones that do are good people with a good explanation. Only Capaldi remains unconvinced.
In the face of opposition from the locals, he delves deeper and starts to uncover a network of conflicts, betrayals and depravity that resonates below the outwardly calm surface of rural respectability. Capaldi is back in the saddle.

another unusual extension/remodel

While I was catching up on all the photo files in the office the other day I came across these. A very unusual project whereby two buildings have been joined by an oak frame. 

I don't know much about the project but it seems from these pics to be very complicated and unique.

Perhaps it illustrates just how 'bespoke' Border Oak can be? It certainly crushes the myth (much loved and repeated by our competitors) that Border Oak only build 'standard' designs and that making frames by hand isn't accurate, adaptable or efficient. 

Will be interesting to see how this project looks once it it complete.

NB the first image is before work started - the last image is taken from roughly the same position