Ahead of the Curve!

This is for sure a curve that doesn’t need any flattening! From our perspective, this must certainly be one of the most architecturally interesting houses built in the UK during the COVID 19 Pandemic. Designed exclusively by Joanna Hayes, our company director. It’s an architectural masterpiece. We can happily declare that; we’ve got it covered. Curves are here to stay.

Yesterday, Philip Kay and I popped over to see how our client was getting on with her 5 bedroomed eco-home which has been under construction for about 11 months. Nearing completion now, the staircase and the kitchen are both going in, along with the plumbing and electrical system.

Usually, I am someone who talks a lot and is overly-passionate about every single one of our Roundhouses. This, however? This building rendered me literally speechless for a good five minutes. Walking around, gazing at the sweeping cuves which flow toward and away from eachother in a never-ending dance of movement. The light-filled rooms, contracting and expanding curves in the hallways and fibbonaci style curved stairwell seamlessley meld together. The whole house is full of vibrancy and movement and the tactile nature of it all is utterly compelling. One could spend all day just looking at the walls.

There is still some way to go until the final fix and the paint finishes perfected, the guttering and external detailing complete and the internals ready for the furniture to arrive. But ,it’s a good glimpse of how this showstopping Rotunda-home is going to look…

The photographs are hopefully enough to illustrate how this building is now coming to life, but, really, to experience it is another level entirely.

Clambering up to the upper level bedroom on a tall ladder was a humbling and surreal experience. It’s a wide spiral, ascending to a cirle; like climbing up a pristine white nautilus shell.

This is the first time we’ve constructed a dual-level Rotunda Roundhouse and, for me, the first time I’ve stepped into a round above a round. The feeling of the space is simply magnificent.

We are tremendously excited to unveil the building when it’s fully complete. For us, the idea of living in anything other than a flowing, organic, tactile and warm environment which is nurturing and exciting is paramount to human wellbeing and I for one, am on the waiting list for the next one !

Take care everyone, stay safe

Rotunda x

Trees AREN’T square!

Treehouse with Curves!

Rotunda is levelling up. Up a tree, that is! Over the years, we’ve designed and built all sorts of treehouse style structures but this one really is special. Those curve fanatics out there (we hear you!) will most definitely appreciate the fibbonaci spiral integration…

There is little we can say about this scheme for it’s in the preliminary stages pending planning appoval BUT what we will say is this; “Trees aren’t square.” This configuration hugs the natural curves of the tree it’s supported on and wraps around as a natural spiral and curves like a nest would. In our opinion, all houses should be round, but none more so than the humble treehouse.

We are now completely booked up for 2020 and are taking enquiries for 2021/2022. If you are looking for a scheme and would like to chat to one of us please don’t hesitate to call on 0161 2223350 whereby we’ll be happy to help you with any ideas or visions you may like to share.

6m Primrose Suite at a Wedding Venue

It was only a week or two ago that we received an excited call from our client, up in the Highlands of Scotland. “I’ve got bookings running through until November already..” he began.

The Rotunda Honeymoon suite had been competed less than a month ago and already his wedding business was picking up from where it’d left off, pre-lockdown. Like most businesses, we’d all had to stop mid-construction and then return when it was safe to; but now, we were all back on track and our client hit the ground running!

The site of this gorgeous 6m Rotunda is a wedding venue near Edinburgh, a country estate, with acres of manicured grounds, ancient trees, a panoramic view of the ocean and, incredibly, it’s very own gothic church.

So, their brief was very clear from the outset. They wanted spectacular. We love spectacular too. So, we worked with them to design their perfect Rotunda Roundhouse with deep, sweeping extension wings and an enormous decked area for a hot tub. The decking extended out over 20m to terminate around a majestic pine tree.

So, there she is. The treehouse at Dunglass Estate. Welcome to the world!

Our installations schedule has totally filled up now for 2020 so we are now booking in 2021 Roundhouses for all of our new clients. Please don’t delay, if you’d like to see us for a site survey or to secure a manufacturing slot for 2021 time is of the essence!

Until then, stay sane, keep smiling & enjoy the roundness of life!!

It’s time to do things differently.

Dome Blinds are now available

So, you tell me….. You actually want to be left in the dark?!!

Well, now you can. For a lie-in, that is! The final details have now been ironed out on our new design and we now have beautifully contemporary working rooflight dome blinds installed in some of our buildings.

We listened carefully to a client of ours who was enamoured with his Rotunda Roundhouse but struggled with being woken up in the early hours of our British Summertime with “gods’ flashlight”beaming down on him whilst he was in bed! Solution….?

This is now an upgrade feature available to all of our clients so please do ask if you are keen to have a blind fitted on your Rotunda. We can retrospectively fit these units so if you’d like us to upgrade your existing model please do contact us and we’ll get a blind organised for you.

Hampshire Wildlife Trust

Last year, in the summer of 2019, we at Rotunda Roundhouses have been fortunate enough to build a small 4m diameter Eco-building for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife trust. Set in the wetlands of the the Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve, this gorgeous little engagement office greets visitors as they arrive.

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This unit is unique, as are all of our commissions. The Wildlife Trust were keen on having an extra large bi-fold door which is a light oak effect Aluminium and spans a 2.5m width. The roof is our standard sedum blanket which promotes biodiversity for the insects and the interior walls are finished with their selected Farrow & Ball paint shade.

Overall, despite the harsh winter in an exposed spot, the building is weathering well and will continue to stand here as a beautiful “welcome office” for decades to come.

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Larch, incidentally, is our cladding of choice on all of our structures. It’s got excellent water repellent features due to it’s high resin content which is also a natural insecticide. The Scottish, historically used Larch for boat building and we beleive it to be the most durable exterior wood finish available in the UK. Working lifespan of a building like this would exceed 30-40 years.

So, if you take a visit to the nature reserve and spot a little round building boasting a Mandala on it’s glazing… you’ve met our little baby. We love this building so much!

Winner announced!

…. Drumroll please……

And the winner of the #Lockdown HERO campaign is…..

Congratulations Anisa! You have a free Weekend break at the Yurt Retreat in Somerset! https://www.theyurtretreat.co.uk/

House build on-going in Cheshire

Fortunately for our client, the COVID situation hasn’t affected the progression of her beautiful 5 bedroomed house construction in Lymm, Cheshire. Before we unveil it publicly on it’s completion we thought we’d upate you with a few progress shots…

Ah! This is the mother of all Rotundas! With the largest Roundel measuring 13m diameter and the second largest at 12m; this is a truly exceptional undertaking. Designed by our director Joanna Hayes, this is the largest build and the first double storey we’ve ever constructed. Breaking boundaries, pushing paradigms and building a better world, one Roundhouse at a time.

Oh, and the plans… just to give you a glimpse of what the finished project will look like…

Remember to water that roof!

We are so fortunate to have the most amazingly clear skies and warm weather at a time of national and international crisis! Whilst we are busy honing our newly acquired skills in baking soudough and homeschooling (erm, well, if you could call it that) it’s easy to overlook some key maintenance requirements in the garden. Although our English lawns are not yet as dry and parched as they were back in the summer 2018, the lack of rain is starting to affect many of our small shrubs and border plants.

One plant that might have been overlooked is the one on top of your Rotunda Roundhouse garden room! It’s a very hardy little succulent; the sedum. Nevertheless… if left in a drought situation it can end up looking like this:

But it doesn’t take much to revive it- you can either purchase some seeds from us and re-seed it, or go directly to our Sedum roof supplier SKYGARDENS who can perform a maintenance service for you.

If you remember that your roof is a living organism and if you remember to give it a little water in a drought, you can keep your roof looking like this!

COVID-19 Update

To protect the health of our workforce we have had to slow our organisation down. As of Monday the 30th of March we have had to cease activity in our joinery workshop. We still have builds on site ongoing and we are still answering our phones and email.

This does mean, that work in production as slowed down and we have prepared our factory so that the moment the lock-down is lifted we can get straight back to work. We have a dozen clients waiting on their buildings over the next three months. Be rest assured that although you are still a priority for us, our installation schedule will certainly be affected by this temporary shut-down of operations. We will be in touch to advise each and every one of our clients of the estimated build date once we have a clearer idea of when we can commence manufacture pending hibernation.

Please bear with us whilst we ride out the storm. We will be fully operational again as soon as the situation improves.

Contact us here if you have any queries in the meanwhile. See you soon!

Rotunda Roundhouses x

MP visits Rotunda Roundhouse at a local school to offer condolences

On Friday the 20th of March in the little Peak District village of Combs, the one and only infant school closed its doors to the vast majority of their children and families in local community.   The MP Robert Largan came to visit the school as they closed their doors to wish everybody well, offer his condolences and support.  Whilst remaining open to key-workers families, this temporary school closure is particularly difficult for Combs Infant School considering it was only six months ago that they celebrated the opening of their inspirational new eco-building “The Treehouse” which afforded them the space to accept extra pupils and keep their school open despite funding cuts.    A truly unique building which was very special to the school; a circular timber-framed structure designed to provide an uplifting and engaging learning experience, inspired by the Iron Age roundhouses of our ancestors and the circles, nests & cycles of nature

When asked how he felt about the National school closures Robert Largan stated that “it’s an unprecedented situation and very sad to see it happen but the government are having to do this based on the best medical advice. But at the same time they are doing it in a way which allows key workers to send their children in. This ensures that NHS staff can continue their vital services. We realise that we are asking a lot of parents teachers and everybody involved but I’m confident that we will find a way through this”. He finished by stating “We’re all In this together”. 

Mrs Cook added that: “Combs is a small school but all the staff and governors are working really hard to support our children and parents.  At this difficult time it has also been great that all the local schools have been working together to support each other.”

Working from Home? A Garden Office is the way to go!

Covid-19 is a very real and very depressing state of affairs for all of us. Some might argue that this is a positive pause for the environment and natural world (Venice canals with clear water and an abundance of fish) and the slowing down of our seemingly unstoppable capitalist system is a welcome reduction in pollution and C02 emissions. Many of us at Rotunda Roundhouses are now working from home, although our guys on the installation teams are still working around the clock to deliver truly exceptional Garden Buildings.

Working from home is something of which I am a true advocate. Some of my clearest moments and best phone conversations can happen in the sanctity of my home, away from the distractions of the workshop and HQ. However, throw UK School Closures into the mix, and there is a disaster waiting to happen. Children are a truly terrifying addition to home working. Forever a joy to behold on time off, but an endless distraction and source of stress and frustration when one really needs to focus.

So, how can you get some headspace when your childen are going crazy, the washing machine is on full-pelt, the dog is trying to eat the cat and your wife/husband is in your ear?! How can any productivity happen when you’re homeworking and you’re at the kitchen table with a zoo-like scene cascading around your ears?

You get out into the garden.

With a purpose-built garden building. We can design and construct:

• Garden Offices
• Garden Studios
• Garden homeworking space
• Garden houses
• Workshop buildings
• Meeting rooms
• 90% soundproofed and quiet music studios
• Creative garden buildings
• Writing dens for the garden
• Garden office sanctuaries

If you are struggling with the homeworking/home/life balance and require a dedicated space to work in, we can assist you with a fully installed, insulated, heated, expertly finished timber-framed garden home office to enable you to work from home in a peaceful environment.

For a single person micro-office, we can build and install in approximately 4 weeks. The factory can manufacture in 14 days. We need 5-7 days to install in your garden.

We will actively prioritise those forced to work from home due to the virus epidemic and will aim to deliver within weeks of your order being placed.

• Free upgrade to wildflower meadow on the roof until the end of April
• 5% Discount on orders placed in March
• Free Installation
• Haulage fee applicable dependent on distance
• Your electrician will need to lay your electrical cable

Call us without delay 0161 2223350

Meet Tilia

On a blustery mid-winters day in 2018 the first panels for ‘Tilia’, a 5.5m en-suite “assisted build” (self-build kit) were delivered to a rural site in North Wales.

This building was crafted in our workshop and assembled on site for a very excited couple, Jenny and Tom Williams of the Laundry Retreat, in Wales.

When we left site, the walls were up, the roof on, the door and windows in and the building left in a structurally sound and watertight condition. Ready for the clients to take the reigns.

Over 12 months later…. we see these photographs come back to the Rotunda Roundhouses Mothership…. one of our babies is now out in the world and has been lovingly finished and furnished to an exceptional standard.

If you’d like to book in for a stay at this beautiful spot in Denbigh then there is a link to the booking form and their website here https://thelaundryretreatnorthwales.co.uk/contact-the-laundry-llanrhaedr/north-wales-boutique-accommodation/

Biodiversity & Rotunda

Rather than delve into the multitude of reasons why the Rotunda is a unique eco-structure which is positive for people, planet and biodiversity; we thought we might just highlight TWO of the main elements which we promote as our primary specifications. (1) Sedum (Green) Roof and (2) Groundscrews – low-impact/above ground footings.

We believe that an eco-building is one which causes minimum disturbance to the landscape; and not only avoids concrete wherever possible but actively replaces the loss of vegetation taken up by it’s footprint – with the roof! These two elements alone, go a long way to mitigate the impact of your building. Next week – timber!

Curved Sliding Doors in a Roundhouse Garden Room

Yesterday, the shipment, from Balconette Window Systems was the first of it’s kind for Rotunda Roundhouses. It was with much trepidation and bated breath that six of our skilled tradesmen gently and very, very incredibly slowly unloaded a consignment of curved sliding doors into the workshop. At a cost which would make your eyes water, the eight highly precious & valuable panels were gently unpacked, inspected and carried into our facilities with care and a little bit of fear. If we were to break one, the result would be utterly unimaginable.

Having waited for over four months for their arrival, there was a tangible mix of expectancy and dread as we carried them to their storage area and wrapped them in blankets ready for dispatch on Monday.

A client of ours in Sussex has commissioned us to design and build an incredible Rotunda 6m Garden Room for entertaining and dinner events. The building itself has a composite slate terracotta roof and deep canopy. Built with an en-suite w/c and finished with underfloor heating and a bespoke paint finish, this is set to be one of our most glamorous garden buildings yet. Needless to say, we have to carefully transport them to the site next week and we’ll not sleep much until we see them safe and installed into this majestic building.

In the meanwile, here are some illustrations and photographs of the scheme concept and comparable door styles to whet your appetite pending the photography of the completed Rotunda Roundhouse.

Fingers crossed for a smooth and stress-free installation! Good luck team!!

Happy New Year from Rotunda

2020 is a very special year for us. Those of you who might follow numerology would most likely know that the number 22 is a master number – the most powerful of all of the numerology numbers. It represents the master architect, or builder.

It is with this knowledge, that we celebrate the arrival of this monumental year. We are both delighted and honoured to design and construct each and every Roundhouse for our clients. For this to us, symbolises the construction of a new world. The type of world we would like to see our children inherit. The circle is symbolic of connectedness, togetherness, oneness and organic life.

Those who know us well, will know that we are wildly enthusiastic about the circle. For us, the Roundhouse is not just a building, it’s our desire to connect ourselves and our clients to the world again through our work. As the bird weaves its nest and fox digs its burrow. The circle cocoons and nurtures us and every other species on this planet. It’s antithesis, the box – is an unnatural construct which is the physical embodiment of our contemporary world and illustrates just how disconnected we are from our natural habitat. We build to re-address the balance. For how can a circular building be so forgotten when it is the very structure which our ancestors started building over 6,000 years ago? For every Roundhouse we install, we are replacing what could have been another box. To replace the box with a circle is to bring a shift in mentality to our civilisation. Taking us from a hierarchical society which is OUT of alignment with nature to a more collaborative and considerate society which is IN alignment with nature. Wow, and we feel so blessed to be able to do this for and with our clients – it’s immeasurably satisfying work.

For this, we celebrate. To be part of this shift in consciousness and to assist with the creation of a new world which conserves, enhances, empowers and protects our planet and people is truly humbling.

It is due to the enormous success of 2019 that we can look towards 2020 with excitement. Last year was a mammoth year for us. We constructed £1.2million worth of Rotunda Roundhouses last year. Our projects consisted of:

• The largest eco-classroom ever constructed for a school in Derbyshire
• Five luxury eco-lodges on a Glamping site in Bude, Cornwall
• Two eco-classrooms for a school in Kent
• A 5 bedroom eco-home (under construction – due to complete March)
• A gorgeous Japanese Themed Writing-den by a lake in Sussex
• Several en-suite eco-lodges for 4/5* independent hoteliers
• A eco-nursery building for a Playgroup in Cheshire
• A nurture building for a Primary School in South Yorkshire
• An eco-building on a nature reserve for the Hampshire Wildlife Trust
• En-suite Rotunda units on the Isle of Skye
• Three self-build packages for independent high-end rural B&B’s

2020 is set to be a record year for us with:

• A stunning garden room in Sussex which is 50% curved glass (!)
• Numerous eco-classrooms for schools all over the UK
• A yoga-retreat building in Market Harborough
• Steiner School educational buildings and nurseries
• Eco-Lodges in the Outer Hebrides
• Three Eco-Homes for private self-build clients in England

Our company is expanding and the popularity of the Rotunda Roundhouse looks set to continue. This can only mean one thing – people all over the UK are choosing a brighter future, a more holistic alternative to the mundane and are literally stepping out of the box.

So. Thankyou – all of you, for being part of this amazing journey. Let’s bring the circle back into the forefront of our existence and come together to celebrate our natural world and our place within it – as guardians of this planet, not destroyers.

Have a wonderful 2020!

Lots of love,

Rotunda x

5 things to look for in an eco-classroom

If your school or preschool is considering an eco-classroom (Sometimes referred to as an ‘outdoor classroom’) there are 5 things we think you might need to know before embarking on your journey:

CARBON FOOTPRINT: That the road miles of the eco-classroom are minimal, reducing the carbon footprint of the whole project. This includes the materials your builder has sourced from their suppliers. Naturally, the distance the building has to travel to you from the factory is also a huge consideration IE: If an eco-classroom really is eco in it’s nature it should not be shipped over to the UK from abroad and the raw materials should be sourced locally (and as close to the manufacturers factory as possible).

INSULATION: eco-Classrooms should be insulated to above Buildings regulations standards and exceed the regulations for thermal properties. This should be a natural or inert material. Most Garden Room companies and building firms specify Celotex or Kingspan insulation boards as dictated by Building Regulations. As effective as this is for thermal purposes, these boards are extruded polyurethane foam core which is a known carcinogen and can release dangerous toxins into the air. You will most likely find alternatives such as sheeps wool, hemp, mineral wool and 100% recycled consumer goods (plastic bottles) or textile options.

ACOUSTICS: With children making memories and most likely, a lot of noise, it’s worth considering a structure which has great acoustics! The level of soft furnishings and insulation you have fitted in your building will also make a significant difference to the way the building performs acoustically. Sound boards can be mounted on the wall if you’d like to further dampen the sound and reduce noise within the building.

GLAZING: Natural Light is critical. But, more windows are not necessarily the best way to achieve this. Too much glazing can drive down your insulation levels and reduce the effectiveness of your thermally designed structure. An experienced architect will always advise you to specify a building which is designed to capture the maximum level of solar gain, IE: windows positioned on the South and East elevation and fewer windows on the North elevation. All glazing units should be double or triple glazed, Argon filled and Low E rated to best support the eco-classroom thermally.

HEATING & COOLING: A superbly insulated and well-considered eco-classroom should maintain it’s temperature all year round and an eco-building would always be more thermally efficient than a traditional brick built classroom. However, heating may still be required in the winter and if you’re keen to reduce the energy consumption of your eco-classroom you should have an eco-classroom which can come integrated with either Infra Red heating panels, Ground Source Heat Pump, Air source Heat Pump or Underfloor Heating. Similarly, a quick-fix cooling system for the winter such as an opening rooflight system or windows which open for cross-ventilation (on opposing sides of the room) are also a mu

Timber Frame Roundhouse Eco-home in Cheshire

The dedicated team at Rotunda are busy working away on our largest ever Timber frame Roundhouse eco-home project, based in Lymm, Cheshire.

We’ve been patiently waiting for the right moment to release this exciting information pending the approval of full planning and the initiation of manufacture. The build is presently flying along nicely with the Phase 1 timber-frame wall panels under construction this week. The time has come to celebrate our progress as we look towards it’s completion in March 2020.

For several months now, Philip Kay and Joanna Hayes, co-directors of the firm have been project managing this development, liaising with the client and our contractors to get this project delivered in time and within budget. Philip is in his element of course, (being a property developer and house builder in his early career) he’s now come back to his roots and using his expertise to deliver this exceptional project.

We look forward to updating you as we move along this journey with our client and shall be unveiling the completed project early next year…. watch this space!

Curved Bespoke Seating in a Rotunda

‘A-round’ the side of a Primary School in Cheshire, sits a newly crafted 6m Rotunda. With a shaggy, green wildflower meadow roof and exra-large custom designed windows in every single panel, this is a truly iconic space. Built to provide their pre-school with a secure and inspirational learning space, the Rotunda Roundhouse stands majestically beside the sweeping playing fields with views around the whole site.

The client, The Hollies Pre-school had outgrown their present facilities and urgently needed an additional eco-classroom to provide the pre-schoolers with more space to thrive.

As part of their requirements, they needed storage and seating. The obvious solution was a curved, bespoke system which spans almost 360 ° of the internal perimeter wall. From one side of the entrance door to the other, the custom painted cupboard array sweeps around the room in a seamless, perfectly curved arc which is both breathtaking and functional.

At a guideline price £3,900.00 ex VAT it was an investment which paid dividends in both aesthetics and functionality. Both the client, and all of us at Rotunda were delighted with the finished result.

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive is “How does one fit furniture into a round space?!” To which we usually respond, “we build it!” .

As a firm, we are uniquely fortunate to have a cabinetry workshop in-house. Many of our joiners are skilled cabinetmakers and have honed their craft through several decades. We are delighted to be able to take our clients projects to the next level with exceptional contemporary furniture options. Should you decide it’s now time to embark on your very special Rotunda journey we can and will assist you with bespoke furniture requests.

…. Have a lovely December everyone… 🙂

A Tiny little Wendy House Rotunda

It’s a beautiful Autumn day and the copper hued leaves are glistening in the rain… two children are squealing and laughing as they run in and out of their new Wendyhouse..

But this is no ordinary Wendyhouse… it’s a little Rotunda! Complete with veranda and decking, little cottage style Georgian Windows and a matching door….

You can tell it’s a Rotunda – for the door proudly displays the Mandala Logo, etched into the glass… and up on the roof lies a heavy and vibrant blanket of Sedum, wrapped around the double glazed Rooflight dome.

This was the first prototype of a brand new concept – inspired by our clients….. Thank you so much to our followers who asked that we trial this.

We listened to your request and jumped onboard with your vision; after all, who’s to say a joyful Rotunda can only be available to adults? We agree!

Our clients emailed in to let us know that “The girls played in it for almost two hours today and loved it!” Well, that’s two hours of precious childhood well spent! Getting our kids outdoors is always of benefit and having a safe, child-friendly and fun environment for them to play out their dreams is nothing short of magical.

These are coming in at just a fraction of the cost of a real Rotunda too, at circa £6,000.00 ex VAT, installed. What’s more.. it’s now insulated. So, it’s going to keep our children dry whilst they play outside… given the weather at the moment, that can only be a good thing! We know of two children in the UK who are going to have fun in the garden this winter.. I wonder, who’s next?