Unique Circular Garden Rooms, modular school buildings and lodges - Handcrafted in the UK
One definite perk of investing in a Rotunda Garden Room is that you have the opportunity to create your own unique space from the moment that you start engaging in conversation with us! The creative process behind each and every Rotunda is unique and this is one of the elements our clients most enjoy about the sales process. Not only do we sit down and plan each and every detail around you and your garden (position of the light switches and electrical sockets/window position/door opening/layout…etc!) but your paint finish is customised too! If you love a particular colour shade in your house, we’ll match it! If you have a painting which inspires you, we’ll pick a colour from it! A completely unique and creative customer journey which we doubt you’d find with any other garden room manufacturer. Interestingly, no two people are ever the same and as a direct consequence each Rotunda is completely unique! A couple of weeks ago we built & installed a Rotunda internally finished in a deep soulful red; this week we’re off to Hertfordshire with a blue Rotunda! (Interior, of course!) Other colours coming up on the Summer installations spectrum range from a dusky green to a bright daffodil yellow! What does the colour you choose say about you and the space you’re creating? It’s fascinating to think that the colour we surround ourselves in gives off a different vibrational frequency and affects our mood and activity within our garden building. Here are a few guidelines on colour and how it affects our psychology! (Information extracted from http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours)
RED. Physical Positive: Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, ‘fight or flight’, stimulation, masculinity, excitement. Negative: Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain. Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful colour. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical; it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate, giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is.
BLUE. Intellectual. Positive: Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm. Negative: Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness. Blue is the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing; it affects us mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft blues will calm the mind and aid concentration. Consequently it is serene and mentally calming. It is the colour of clear communication.
YELLOW. Emotional Positive: Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, emotional strength, friendliness, creativity. Negative: Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety. The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-esteem; it is the colour of confidence and optimism.
GREEN. Balance Positive: Harmony, balance, refreshment, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace. Negative: Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation. Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance – a more important concept than many people realise. When the world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level.
VIOLET. Spiritual Positive: Spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality. Negative: Introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority. The shortest wavelength is violet, often described as purple. It takes awareness to a higher level of thought, even into the realms of spiritual values. It is highly introvertive and encourages deep contemplation, or meditation.
ORANGE. Dynamic. Positive: Physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun. Negative: Deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity. Since it is a combination of red and yellow, orange is stimulating and reaction to it is a combination of the physical and the emotional. It focuses our minds on issues of physical comfort – food, warmth, shelter etc. – and sensuality. It is a ‘fun’ colour.
It’s a worth having a think about the type of experience you’re looking for when you’re looking through the colour chart and envisioning spending time in your Rotunda – i.e. green = relaxing garden room, blue = garden-office or studio, red = music room, violet = meditation/yoga room! Just another little thing to get excited about!
Above & Beyond: Eco Furnishings
Today we were tasked with a slightly unusual request; – To source a high quality, ethically made, circular rug to feature in the centre of a client’s 4.5m Rotunda, “Roundel”. We enthusiastically obliged, excited at the opportunity to further our research into Eco furnishings to suit our Eco garden buildings.
It’s not uncommon for us to receive enquiries for bespoke furnishings for Rotundas, and it is one of the most exciting aspects of offering such an innovative garden room as it opens up so many opportunities to source creative alternatives to the bog standard fixture and fittings. What is even more fantastic is that because the Rotunda is such a beautiful and ethical piece of craftsmanship, it inspires our clients to rethink their usual furniture options and instead seek out pieces that reflect the quality of their garden building, often opting for natural and Eco alternatives.
After a bit of research into environmentally friendly rugs we came across ‘rag rugs’ which are usually made from cloth scraps, old sheets, and up-cycled t-shirts. Due to the nature of the materials, the finished result is colourful and intricate, and looks both beautifully simple and yet strangely complex; not unlike a Rotunda. It was immediately clear that this fantastic example of Eco furnishings was the perfect addition to a circular Eco-building.
Once we had confirmed that the ‘rag rug’ concept was one to be pursued it wasn’t long before we not only found a wonderful craftswoman who makes beautiful, large rugs from organic cotton, but also the perfect design to suit Roundel’s spirit. The circular Eco rug, is crafted from a long braid of fabric that spirals outwards to create a mesmerising pattern of colour and texture. The particular creation which caught our eye transitioned from warm yellow to light teal creating an image of a golden sun radiating out into a clear sky which we thought mirrored the ideal view through the central dome of the Rotunda’s cathedral roof beautifully.
As a modular buildings manufacturer we could easily refuse to offer any kind of soft furnishing advice and many companies in our industry believe firmly that their obligations extend no further than providing the base building; even a paint finish is considered an optional extra. We believe that Rotunda is more than just an Eco building and that we are actually creating a full space that enriches the lives of those who use it; if this calls for us to go above and beyond then we are happy to accept that challenge.
If you are interested in developing your own Rotunda space with us then please don’t hesitate to get in contact and begin your journey to creating your own creative solutions in the round.
Rotunda Living – Discovering the Spirit of a Space
A few months ago we relocated our main offices from a beautiful rural space in the Cheshire countryside to an industrial estate just outside of Stockport. Whilst it was extremely sad to move from working in the warm, creative space of Luna, our show model Rotunda, we knew that is was the right thing to do as it also gave us the opportunity to grow our manufacturing unit as well as having the facilities to add more people to the Rotunda Family.
In true Rotunda style we had to have the most unusual unit available, and this came in the form of a converted roof-space at the back of the estate, overlooking a green bank of trees, flowers, and shrubs; Even though we were out of the countryside, we still found ourselves a lovely view. The office itself had been the showroom for a fitted furniture company, and whilst the craftsmanship of everything was extremely high, the heavy black wood coupled with the bare magnolia walls gave the rooms an imposing, straight edged, monochromatic atmosphere that definitely didn’t suit the softer, natural curves of Rotunda. Nevertheless, like a Rotunda, it had boundless potential to become anything we desired.
Several weeks passed and we were finding it really difficult to connect with our environment. Things were moving along smoothly enough, but there was still a sense of being unsettled, as though everything was only temporary. Finally we decided we had to make some changes and spent a week painting, clearing, and re-organising the office. The transformation was profound, and we instantly felt like we were in a place where we could thrive, but there was one more step we felt we needed to complete; we needed a proper energy space clearing.
The event took place on a Sunday afternoon when there would be no distractions, and lasted well into the evening. We were fascinated to watch as all of the negativity from the previous occupants was dispelled and the walls were infused with powerful Rotunda energy. The next morning it felt as though the entire building had breathed a giant sigh of relief and suddenly the space was alive. It was as though the very spirit of Rotunda had moved in, and even though we had found ourselves in a square environment, the power and embodiment of living in the round had managed to transfer itself into the office.
We have always been astounded by the number of testimonials we have received from clients, expressing the life changing effect that being in a Rotunda has had on them. We believe very strongly that every Rotunda is its own unique entity and our clients have always confirmed that there is indeed a very special energy, completely distinctive to their personal round space. It has therefore amazed us that this ‘Rotunda Effect’ is so strong, we have been able to apply it to a square building. Having spent so much time in the office before the transformation we were able to immediately recognise the difference.
It is important to recognise the skill involved in understanding space, particularly in clearing it of any imprints left by previous occupant. We have been fortunate to work with renowned architect and professional space clearer, Beverly Wood, who has already metamorphosed a number of client’s lives just through her work with their environment. It is worth noting that not every space clearer is legitimate and we thoroughly encourage anyone considering this practice to do their homework before committing to it.
We know that we are still only at the start of our journey developing the office into a true, creative Rotunda environment and our next challenge will be creating the actual furnishings. However, we are excited that we now have a clean, and positive canvas on which to work.
Blogpost written by Rhiannon Webster
Round Garden Rooms: The ultimate creative space
Creative Space – Rotunda Garden Room
This blogpost almost didn’t appear today… I have been suffering from a baffling case of writers block and despite the numerous nudges from our SEO professional and the never ending blog-worthy subjects that have popped into my mind over the last few weeks my creativity had just disappeared! Then, moments ago, I opened a book to wind down for the evening and my creative spark alighted!
Creativity is a delicate creature. Some may say that my creativity is in the spaces I create with my clients; in fact, the birth of the ‘Rotunda’ garden room was a deeply creative process (whilst pregnant and idealistic!) wishing to create round sanctuaries which would benefit both the environment and the human experience.
To be creative isn’t a process which can just be switched on and off like a light switch, and yet, how do musicians and artists manage to work on their creative arts on a daily basis? Perhaps they don’t, perhaps they too need to take a few days or weeks out to re-calibrate their creative minds!
I’ve always maintained that being in the ‘Round’ (whether in a circular garden room or in a yurt) seems to amplify the energy of those activities taking place within it. The years in which I spent working in a roundhouse were without doubt the most productive of my life. Coincidentally, we moved into a rectangular office earlier on this year and I am not enjoying it half as much as I enjoy the round. The buzz seems to be missing; although we are busier than ever it’s a functional and serious busy rather than the excited uplifted feeling one experiences in the round!
Over the last 12 months I’ve been noticing the correlation between all of our clients and how they use their Rotundas… the overwhelming majority are using their round garden room as therapy rooms, meditation rooms, yoga or spiritual purposes. A large percentage are utilising them for arts/music and creativity whilst others treat their Rotunda as a secret hideaway and spare guest bedroom for surprise visitors . The very last few are used as garden offices and one is soon to be used as a family home.
So, creative spaces, therapy rooms and meditation or yoga studios are at the very top of the list….
It is no surprise to me that the calming and uplifting energy of the round is attracting those of us who wish to enhance their ability to heal and create – the cornerstones of our human essence. It would appear that creatives and healers appreciate the benefits that energy and form can bring to your life when everything around you is oh so terribly and absolutely square.
Rhiannon (our business development manager) and I sat down with some dulux colour charts and chose bright vibrant greens, deep oranges and pinks for the rectangular office; this is our first step towards making our space as creative, uplifting and vibrant as possible, irrespective of the unfortunate rectangular shape! We’ve realised that to have a creative space one must rely on colour if not form! (We shall post photos on facebook next week for those of you who follow us on there!)
A creative space is vital, for all of us as human beings. If you have a desire to enhance your creativity or would just like to maintain your current activities in an uplifting and uncluttered space, the Rotunda may be the space in which to thrive.
If you’d like us to design your creative or therapy garden room space for you please do get in touch, we only have two installation slots left for 2014!
…….Let’s create!
Blogpost written by Gemma
Small garden? Get round it!
Small garden? Get round it!
Let’s face it; not everyone has an enormous garden! But how does one get around the fact that permitted development can restrict your choice of garden building when you have a small space to work with? Answer: Get round it!
Most of us are allowed a certain amount of permitted development in our garden. This is hugely advantageous when looking to increase your living or working space and are thinking of the addition of a conservatory or garden room but can be restrictive if the garden isn’t as large as you’d like it to be!
Most garden rooms have either pitched, mono-pitched or flat roofs. The Pitched roof gives a beautiful feeling of space and is a welcome addition to a more traditional garden where it’s important to keep the style of your garden room in keeping with the existing buildings. The mono-pitched and flat roofs are a contemporary solution if you wanted a square, functional room without the charm (perfect for bike sheds and offices). We define the Rotunda cathedral roof as a pitched roof. This airy, open, loft style roofing system gives you breathing space and a marvellous aesthetic feature.
Here in lies the problem; pitched roof + small garden. Most of our clients ask us how far a garden building must be positioned from the boundary to comply with permitted development guidelines.
Any building sited closer than 2m to the boundary (ie: snugly up against the fence or tucked into a corner – which is where most of us ideally would like to place a garden building) must be less than 2.5m tall. If your garden is a wee bit on the small side, this would give you only a couple of options:
Site your garden-room 2m from the boundary – which could mean it fills the entire central space of the lawn!
Settle instead for a flat-roofed garden building which is no taller than 2.5m high
Oh no! There must be another way?
Fortunately, there is! We’ve been working with a couple of our clients to bring them the solution for their snug little gardens…..
By reducing the overall size of the Rotunda and creating a reduced height bespoke front door we’ve developed the 2.1m (7ft) internal diameter BABY-ROTUNDA!
It’s pretty adorable. The same features and functionality still apply, and with over 2m internal diameter, this means you can still pop a single airbed in there for a surprise visitor and have enough room to sit and meditate, enjoy a cup of tea or work on your art. With an overall height of under 2.4m you can site this little building snugly up to the fence without needing to apply for planning permission (your intended use might warrant planning though – please do check before purchasing) and you still have the artisan charm of a cathedral roof and bespoke detailing which can only been found with a Rotunda!
What’s more, being a smaller building, it’s more affordable than the 3.5m ext. dia Rotunda – coming in at £6,333.33 ex VAT.
So, if you’ve got a tiny garden but you’d still like a little sanctuary in the round please feel free to chat with us; we think we’ve just ‘got round’ the space problem and we have a solution for you!
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
Living in Yurts – the very first Prefabricated Houses
Living in Yurts – the very first Prefabricated Houses
Recently I’ve been chatting with friends who live in a ‘yurt’ about my desire to make the transition myself and naturally I find myself drawing comparisons to our lovely Rotundas – weighing up the pros and cons of a simply canvas cylinder or a timber framed circular dwelling.
Our British climate mightn’t be particularly well suited to perpetual canvas living but a few hardy folk do indeed live in yurts through all seasons and are seemingly very happy. Since my very first introduction to circular buildings several years ago (and my ongoing passion for living, working and relaxing in the round) I’ve been fascinated by the history and the flexibility of the yurt. For those of you who aren’t overly familiar with the yurt, it’s a Mongolian structure (Genghis Khan and his horde used them) built primarily from latticed wood (to produce the cylindrical wall system) held together by a wooden band with a roof which is formed by long poles which extend from the top of the walls to arrive at a central point called the “crown” (which is a small circular opening, traditionally was used as a smoke hole) which provides both natural daylight and a beautiful focal point. The Yurt was born into existence by nomadic tribes who needed a house that could be easily constructed and moved, built with materials they had on hand (wool and wood) which was lightweight enough to be carried by a couple of horses and would be comfortable enough to withstand the winters but provide a cool retreat in the summer.
Estimated to have been created about 2,500 years ago, this central Asian design is still being used today as living spaces and quirky holiday retreats for the people all over the UK and I can see why.
An Eco-friendly round living space has enormous appeal for many of us and maximises the greatest use of floor area, is a natural and unobtrusive structure with minimal impact to the surrounding landscape and ground it’s sited on, they’re quick to erect and dismantle and they are warm and cosy when the fire is lit. The downsides, as far as I can see are that the yurt itself, being a central Asian design, isn’t particularly in-keeping with the British Countryside; there are very few (if any) windows and those that do are invariably old UPVC units from a brick-built domestic house, there are no electrics (so, no hair-dryer ladies I’m afraid) nor is there insulation and they need quite a bit of maintenance such as re-waterproofing the canvas and tightening the ropes. In fact, most UK holiday sites are required to take their Yurts down during the winter period which only really brings them revenue during the summer months.
Although I have a strong attraction to the traditional yurt I do firmly believe that after 2,500 years the yurt is due for a significant upgrade. Whilst in the process of looking for some land so my family and I can live off-grid and in greater harmony with nature, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Rotunda is in fact the modern (and upgraded) equivalent to the Mongolian Yurt, and it’s not a moment too soon. Our current civilisation (although many of us keen for a more sustainable living arrangement) has a requirement for a supply of electricity for modern day appliances and would expect to have a structure which mightn’t need to be removed and reassembled numerous times as the Mongol travellers did. Our climate can be bitterly cold in the winter months and thus, it would be advantageous to have a fully insulated building which would retain the heat and not lose it all though a single layer of canvas. Most notably, the Rotunda is a timber-clad building making the most of the British Larch which we source locally. A design which is more in-keeping with the British countryside but is also reminiscent of Swedish log cabins, traditional barns and lodges which provide more stability, durability and the option of modern day appliances and in-house entertainment (which could of course be powered by alternative energy sources)
So, thank you Yurt for the beauty and joy which you’ve provided for 2,500 years but personally I’d place my bets on the new equivalent which is much more suited to our climate, addresses our need to conserve energy and provides a more long-term living arrangement.
Yurt, my friend, you have evolved.
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
Natural vs. Affordable – What is the Value of Conscious Manufacturing?
Natural vs. Affordable
Someone asked me recently how we could make the Rotunda more affordable for the average consumer. A crucial question, and one which has been weighing heavily on my mind for quite some time. It drove me to sit down and analyse the materials within buildings in terms of cost and how we might reduce this.
Frustratingly enough, all of the natural elements which I personally really care about are the ones which cost us the most. Hemp insulation is a big one, as are the hand-crafted Douglas Fir doors and windows, not to mention the Zero Formaldehyde Ecologique MDF & PLY components.
A friend told me yesterday that ‘Rowland Homes’ in Leyland were giving a talk to a school group on one of their building sites yesterday; a demonstration on ‘How to build a house’. Core components? You guessed it, Breeze Blocks, Polystyrene Insulation and Bricks. My blood ran cold. That’s how they build a house, driven purely by profit margins and fast build times – but to what cost? The scientific community are already aware that both formaldehyde and polystyrene are toxic to human health and are known carcinogens. And that’s just in the building, what about the manufacturing process? What about the disposal and degeneration of these materials in the landfill sites and waterways? And let’s not even talk about the embodied energy of the bricks they use and the amount of carbon released to produce them. Given that we now live in a time where the natural environment should be the primary focus of our attention (especially within education) it’s questionable that this talk is of much benefit to the next generation (who almost certainly will be suffering the consequences of such blatant disregard for the environment for the sake of profits).
Only this morning, Radio 4 were discussing the findings of the MacMillan Cancer Trust that by 2020 50% of us will have or will have experienced cancer in our lifetimes.
This only serves to harden my resolve. Yes, of course I want my business to be successful, but do I really have to utilise cheap and hazardous materials in order to be competitive in the marketplace? Or do I stand firm and stay true to my values? Where does the “value” lie exactly?
If we talk of the detrimental cost to the natural environment and our health then I’d say that it’s costing us greatly to keep things cheap.
Who’s picking up the tab here for cheap buildings? If it’s not you, the consumer, and it’s certainly not the manufacturer then who’s paying supporting that deficit? It’s the soil, it’s the local wildlife, it’s the ocean-life with the seas filled to the brim of disintegrating plastics (which is ending up in our food chain, incidentally) and it’s the waterways and our landfill sites.
The “value” then, of using natural materials is of great importance and it reduces the “cost” to our health and the natural world.
So then, this poses the question, which to we value more? Are we actually perceiving cost accurately? Furthermore, are we, as consumers (and indeed, manufacturers) truly weighing up the costs of our profit margins or underestimating the value of what matters most – our planet?
Blogpost written by Gemma Roe.
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