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?

Biophilic Design in Modular Eco-Buildings

Biophilic Design in Modular Eco-Buildings: Biophilic design is an approach to architecture that seeks to connect building occupants more closely to nature. Biophilic designed modular school buildings incorporate things like natural lighting and ventilation, natural landscape features and other elements for creating a more productive and healthy built environment for people.

Sadly, and all too obviously, nature-deficit disorder is the idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors, and the belief that this change results in a wide range of behavioral problems. Many of the childcare providers and parents we speak to voice their concerns over this problem. One can only presume that the popularity of ‘Forest School’ and ‘Nature Nurseries’ is a direct reflection of our collective desire to get our children more engaged with nature.

An example of one such school is Richard Bonnington in Nottingham – they didn’t wish to explore Forest School in a traditional modular building but instead sought to install a rustic cabin biophilic and curved shape which would inspire and enhance the childrens’ connection to nature.

Where possible, a building should be constructed using materials and textures that reflect or mimic those found in nature. They should maximise exposure to and penetration of natural light and provide for a healthy level of interior air quality. Three of the most critical design elements are:

• exposure to natural light
• physical access to the outdoors
• views of nature

Benefits of natural light is proven role in stimulating serotonin production. Serotonin is vital for several physiological functions including appetite, digestive and sleep regulation.

The Rotunda is the only Modular eco-building for schools which proudly showcases the 90cm (on smaller buildings) & 1.5m diameter (for the larger units) Circular Central Rooflight Dome. The dome, at the very apex of the roof catches sunlight all day long.

If you’re interested in staying one step ahead of the curve for your Primary or Infant school then please do drop us a line, we’ll happily pop over to see you for an informal chat about how this design could work for you and your children.

Sussex Garden-Room August 2019

The first ever Japanese Tea Room Inspired Garden-Room has recently been completed in a beautiful garden in East Sussex.

We were commissioned to re-configure our usual style of garden-room and craft something absolutely beautiful which would sit alongside the lake at our clients nature reserve in Sussex.

Japanese is the flavour of the month it would seem but that’s not the only ‘theme’ you’ll find on the menu. Over the next 12 months, we will be installing a number of buildings into a Yoga Retreat Centre in the Lake District. On this site, we’ll be showcasing other styles of Rotunda… One of which is… Moroccan! The others are a surprise…..

Have a lovely Autumn everyone!

Infant School eco-building complete for Combs

It was the first day back for many school children across the country today; and for us, we were delighted to see the new building in use in the tiny village of Combs, Derbyshire.

Pending the arrival of professional photography over the coming weeks and months we thought it might be best to pop a few photographs of the new school building onto the website for you to see!

Rooflight Dome – 1.5m diameter – that’s 5 foot!

“Registered early years providers must meet the following indoor space requirements: Children under two years: 3.5m2 per child. Two year olds: 2.5 m2 per child. Children aged three to five years: 2.3 m2 per child”

nurseryworld.co.uk – Childcare floor space regulations under scrutiny

We are returning to the school over the course of the next few months to capture some photography and drone footage of this gorgeous building once it’s settled in a little and the infant school have got into the swing of things… we’ll keep you posted.

All in all – an ‘all-round’ amazing infant school teaching space!

Creativity in Schools

Can creativity enrich the health and wellbeing of children in our UK Primary schools?

“The art of drawing which is of more real importance to the human race than that of writing…should be taught to every child just as writing is.” John Ruskin

We’re fortunate enough to become enmeshed in some fantastic discussions with early years facilitators, educators, headteachers and parents about the nature of education in the early years realm. With the recent emergence of Forest Schools in the UK and the subsequent surge of inspirational Nature Nurseries and woodland schools; we have been swept into the wonderful position of being able to design and create magnificent early years buildings.

It’s delightful to be part of a new wave of parent and educators who seek more than just functional space for children. Recently we were fortunate enough to meet the marvellous Dr Katherine Taylor, a passionate Researcher and NHS Child Clinical Psychologist who has held the position of Research Associate at Arts for Health at Manchester Metropolitan University. She states that in her line of work; “We are working strategically to implement arts-led interventions within and around child and adolescent mental health services. We hope to demonstrate that such options are effective, as available evidence indicates that arts-led interventions comprise empowering, safe and cost-effective approaches towards sustainable change in a young person’s recovery.“

Do the arts support mental health? Some historical figures such as John Ruskin, William Morris, Rudolph Steiner and Buckminster Fuller to name but a few; were advocates of creativity for human wellbeing.

There are many contemporary advocates also echoing the same philosophy. One of whom is Dr Clive Parkinson, the Director of Arts for Health at Manchester Metropolitan University; the UK’s longest established arts and health unit. Another notable professional actively engaged in researching the benefits of art and creativity Dr Daisy Fancourt. Daisy’s research focuses on the effects of social and community participation on health, with a particular interest in the effects of arts and cultural engagement.

Reading the blogs and publications of these individuals is inspirational. There can be no doubt that creativity and arts focused activities can be hugely beneficial to wellbeing and with this in mind, should be integrated into our national curriculum at every level.

When we install a Rotunda at a school it’s always very encouraging to witness that we are literally encasing the children in an innovative and unusual creative space. This, we believe; can enhance the creativity of the sessions which take place inside the structure.

But one word of warning. If you are looking for a creative outdoor classroom remember that the quality of the building is paramount to it’s success. There may be cheap modular structures available or outdoor gazebo type structures but who said you need sacrifice quality and comfort for function? You needn’t.

If you select the right building, your creativity can then flow from a place of warmth, security and practicality.

Some schools may miss out on new funding rises

The Education Policy Institute (EPI) has recently published and article “Analysis: ‘Levelling up’- what it really means for school funding” relating to funding pledges under the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

PM Boris Johnson has vowed to ‘level up’ school funding, by increasing the minimum level of per pupil funding that primary and secondary schools receive. This would see the minimum increase from £3,500 to £4,000 in primary schools.

The report says: “Almost all schools serving the most disadvantaged communities would miss out. Overall, the average pupil eligible for free school meals would attract an additional £56 under this proposal, while the average pupil not eligible for free school meals would attract an additional £116.

Though these amounts are not necessarily what the school actually receives since that is still subject to the local funding formula – based on the national DfE school level allocations data, around 41 per cent of primary schools and 34 per cent of secondary schools are below the proposed funding floors. We estimate that raising them to that level would cost around £590m for primary schools and £150m for secondary schools.“

But, other sources of funding are now being made available to UK Schools, one of which is the Sugar Tax, which was initiated in 2018.

An article on Funding for Sport.co.uk cites that “Money levied from the soft drinks industry will soon be available for schools to improve school sports facilities and promote healthy living.

The government has allocated money from the levy specifically for:

• School Sports facilities, including pitches, sports halls, gymnasiums and multi-use games areas
• Changing facilities
• Playgrounds
• Kitchens and dining facilities
• Benefits for your academy

Not only can Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) and schools offer children better sports facilities and extra-curricular activities but they could generate revenue by offering evening and weekend use to the wider community.”

We have found that some of our clients have invested in a Rotunda changing room and multi-use school PE/break-out space which sits beside their sports field. This has proved a useful meeting space for local community groups and small yoga classes out of term time which has generated a small amount of rental income for the school.

If you’re keen to design a new outdoor sports space and feel that we could be a good fit please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Combs Infant School Nursery Classroom Building

“Life is a journey. How we travel is really up to us. We can just flow with the tide or follow our own dreams.” Paulo Coelho

Few things lift the spirits more than seeing an inspirational transformation taking place which could enhance the life of hundreds, or thousands of people in the local area. Evolution, in progress.

This teeny tiny little chapel, owned by a Methodist Church and leased out to the local infant school has been a special place for many familes and maintains that romantic image of a village school which really cares about its 24 young pupils.

It truly is, a special place.

Located in a Conservation area of a National Park; it seemed unlikely that the headteacher and the govenors were ever going to be able to expand their little school. The planners rejected every concept thrown at them. A gritty two and half year battle ensued which resulted in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to transform the parish hall into an iconic and thought-provoking place. One which not only respects and admires the past but also looks towards our future… with the most cutting edge primary school eco-building available in the UK. A perfect juxtaposition of two eras.

Initially refused outright by the Planning officer on the grounds that “the materials and design were not in keeping with other heritage style buildings of the local area“; this unusual style of building was an extremely tough-sell to the Peak National Park.

The school stood firm, fuelled by their conviction to give the children something of real value and refused to accept the planners reccommendation of bricks, blocks, steel and concrete (very high carbon footprint). Instead, they argued that a sensitive site such as theirs should be the first to promote & celebrate progression within architecture and instead install a low-impact, locally constructed eco-building which is crafted from locally sourced timber and lends itself to it’s natural surroundings.

The headteacher and a group of passionate parents took this to committee whereby they made their case and argued that “…architects of the heritage style buildings of which you refer to had no concept of climate change and habitat depletion. We now do. If we are to halt or reverse the effects of both pressing environmental issues we must build for the future, not for our past.”

We all maintained our perspective that “The only buildings the National Park should be concerned with must be the most likely to protect and conserve what we have.”

Fortunately, the National Park agreed with us. Sustainability comes first.

Our children are the generation most likely to experience the effects of climate change and habitat loss. Now is the time to evoke a sense of awe and wonder in our children and give them a connection to the natural world. Curves and contemporary eco-buildings is a good place to start.

So if you are a primary or infant shool and you have a vision or dream for your future development but fear you might not obtain planning approval please don’t give up all hope! The future is in our hands, and our children will most definitely thank us for taking the time to consider, carefully, the environment we’d like to create for them to learn in.

You do not need to flow with the tide. Follow your own dreams. The time is now.

Enjoy the sun!!!

Rotunda on the Isle of Skye

If you’d like to rent one of these fabulous buildings for your site or rural B&B for approximately £200.00 per week please do see our rental page and call in for further information

Looking for WOW? Need to start Now? Rent your Rotunda! From £190.00 per week

Yoga & Mindfulness in UK Primary Schools

We were fortunate to have come across Jessica Wilkinson at a local school last week. This inspirational woman runs a yoga and mindfulness practice for UK Primary and Infant schools called “The Sea Within“.
She simply loves to encourage children to connect with nature using mindfulness, art and yoga.

Mindfulness, art and yoga for children and young people

Jessica and her team offers Children’s yoga, mindfulness, art and staff mindfulness training workshops to schools and colleges, local organisations, charities and private venues.

As quoted in the above Telegraph article “With nearly one in 10 children aged five to 16 affected by a mental health problem according to the Mental Health Foundation, most of us are fully apprised of the importance of nurturing our children’s mental health and wellbeing.”

If you are an Infant or Primary School based in the North West of England and are seeking to integrate some of the yoga or mindfulness sessions into your classes please feel free to check out Jessica’s website and some of the work that she’s doing. www.the-sea-within.com

Building for the Hampshire Wildlife Trust

Earlier on this year we were privileged to take part in the revamp of the Blashford Lakes nature reserve. A site run by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight wildlife trust.

The Wildlife Trust announced their plans on a blog later last year…

“We’re delighted to be embarking on an ambitious project to revamp the much-loved Blashford Lakes nature reserve. The wildlife haven near Ringwood is one of our oldest and most beautiful nature reserves. It’s home to a range of wildlife including kingfishers, otters and the UK’s oldest great white egret, nicknamed ‘Walter’.

The new funds will help replace the oldest bird hide at the reserve, introduce another pond, provide a welcome hut and add a new wildlife discovery trail, among other improvements.

We hope to expand the work in a second phase, including updating the information and facilities at the education centre and finding new ways to bring people closer to wildlife.”

Prior to the works taking place, a Hampshire & Isle of Wight spokesperson said: “We are so pleased that this wonderful wildlife haven will have the face-lift it deserves. Our gratitude goes to all who have helped make this possible, and we can’t wait to start work on improving the reserve. We’re excited at the prospect of welcoming new visitors as well as familiar faces to experience Blashford’s newest facilities in the spring.”

Mark Gray, General Manager at Veolia Environmental Services added “We’re glad we can support this fantastic project with a grant through the Landfill Communities Fund. Improved access across the site will enable even more people to enjoy the wildlife and benefits the reserve has to offer.”

Thanks to additional support from the Rural Development Programme for England, through New Forest LEADER, together with generous donations from local people, the revamp is almost complete! Why not pop down and see the fantastic work they are doing? Further information can be found on their website, here:  https://www.hiwwt.org.uk/nature-reserves/blashford-lakes-nature-reserve

Kitchens in a Rotunda

We routinely produce beautiful Kitchens and kitchenettes for use within a Rotunda Garden Building so if it’s functionality you need, you’re in the right place!

The kitchens come in two forms. The compact, kitchenette.

A full, domestic kitchen – with 600mm x 600mm units and a full, curved work surface.

Both options are furnished with high-spec bespoke handles and ironmongery (we offer you a selection) and Indesit cookers and hobs
https://www.indesit.co.uk/Life-Proof/Buying-Guides/Hobs , a granite composite sink (or similar) and an Integrated Fridge.

What makes a perfect therapy room in the garden?

It’s not uncommon to find a therapy room as an essential component in the garden for many UK Homeowners. It’s heartwarming to see so many therapists, yoga instructors, Reiki Masters and practitioners and energy workers taking the opportunity to establish their practice in the garden of their home.

Of course it’s possible to practice therapy and healing in all manner of spaces (and shapes). But, one basic fact of nature keeps us reminded that the way we live and build is out of sync with the rest of nature.

Most of the other species on this planet create nests, dens and burrows to support and nurture themselves and their young. Our species is the only one which puts itself in a square or rectilinear built habitat. (And interestingly, we seem to be the only one with a persistent and obvious disconnection from nature).

If you are therefore considering installing or building a therapy room in the garden we would suggest thinking carefully about the image you’d like to present to your clients and the environment you’d like to create to further enhance the healing or therapy experience.

We could count the myriad of ways in which a square space might not be the best expression of a holistic experience but it might be wise to consider the below considerations prior to installing your therapy room in the garden:

1. Aesthetics – how does the building look – does it sit well in the landscape, has it nartural and organic form?
2. Acoustics – is it sound-proofed and does it work well acoustically?
3. Energy – Did you know the Victorians used to be fond of circular and curved buildings due to their belief that the “Devil hid in the corners”? There could be some truth to this! Feng Shui practitioners advise us that there is no build up of negative qi or ch’i in a space without corners. (Qi is believed to be a vital force forming part of any living entity.  Qitranslates as “air” and figuratively as “material energy“, “life force”)
4. Ecological Consideration – With deforestation and habitat loss at an all time high it is absolutely worth checking the ethics of the manufacturer & questioning whether the timber is sourced from (a) The UK (locally grown – not flown!) and (b) from Certifiably Sustainable sources. It’s in our hands to support those who choose not to support illegal deforestation practices.
5. Practicality – If you are looking for a building in which to base your business you’ll need something more substantial than a garden shed or single skinned summerhouse. It may cost you more in capital outlay but a Therapy room in the Garden should be Buildings Regulations compliant, fully insulated, with full electrics and equipped with the features you’d expect to enable you to work to your greatest potential (underfloor heating/hot water etc!).

We hope you’ve gathered some ideas and insight! If you’d like to ascertain whether a Therapy Room in the garden would be a step in the right direction for you please do give us a call (0161 2223350) to arrange your non-obligation site survey.

Why we don’t (won’t) specify Tropical Hardwood Timber for Garden Buildings

As a manufacturer of Garden Buildings, we’ve taken sales calls from UK Hardwood and Specialist Timber importers for many years. Each time, it’s increasingly difficult for us to listen to the salesperson highlight the beautiful hues and outstanding qualities their routinely sold Tropical Hardwood species. In fact, we always remind the baffled salesperson that it’s our company policy. “We never purchase Tropical Hardwoods”.

Windows and doors for Garden buildings are often fashioned from products like “Idigbo” and “Iroko” and their names are cast about as if names of an inexpensive and infnitely available consumer item of which we can order for ‘next Day delivery’ for use as an inexpensive alternative to Oak for shopfitting and windows and doors. Tropical hardwood is a common sight in most peoples’ gardens. If not in their garden buildings it’s usually the central component to contemporary garden furniture.

We’re sad because the very term “Tropical Hardwood” is as obvious an explanation as one would need. In a world where deforestation is at an all time high, wildlife habitats are all but gone and Carbon levels in the atmosphere are at their highest; the act of taking more timber from our global rainforests is unthinkable.

These gorgeous timbers are the trees which are being taken from some of the last remaining primary rain-forests on this planet. Given the devastating effect of habitat destruction globally, the felling of these trees is tragic for the eco-system of the rainforest and the last tribes-people who live within them but many of the tree species sold in the UK (like “Idigbo”) are actually listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as VU – Vulnerable: at risk of extinction.

Almost 90% of West Africa’s coastal rainforest has already been destroyed and deforestation in the Congo Basin has doubled since 1990. Logging and agriculture continue to be two of the biggest threats to Africa’s tropical forests. For what? Our Garden Buildings?

So, next time you shop for anything crafted out of timber, please spare a thought for the global wildlife and be aware of the problems we are facing if we support the tropical hardwood timber trade.

Unfortunately even the certified PEFC and FSC timber is commonly switched with illegally harvested timber and 60% of all imported timber arriving to our shores is indeed illegal. This is why we will only ever specify UK Grown timber and avoid any imported timber – especially if it’s ‘tropical’. As long as manufacturers and specifiers continue to chose aesthetics and profits over our obligation to care for this planet the deluge of precious, almost extinct timbers will keep being traded until there is nothing left.

Let’s hope other joinery firms will unite and chose to stand firm. We chose Locally grown, not flown.

Offsite Construction. The most viable solution for UK Schools?

Schools across the country are considering expanding their current facilities to cater for growing class sizes and increase their intake.

Historically, the builders would be called in and a brick-built extension would be constructed over many months (or years!) which can be costly, messy and time-consuming. Fortunately, advances in modern day construction techniques have given firms like ours the opportunity to make alternative buildings available to schools which offer a more cost-effective solution to expanding their capacity. Modular buildings have recently been recognised by the Department for Education as primary educational spaces.

Did you know that?:

• Wood has far better insulation properties than other building materials such as concrete and brick. It is 350 times better at keeping in heat than steel, as you would expect as wood is a non-conductor of heat and electricity. Wood can also be prepared so that it stands up to the weather quite well, keeping heat in and draughts and rain out.
• Using wood to replace steel and other high energy materials in a building, it is possible to cut the carbon emissions per cubic metre by 0.9 tonnes.
• As well as reducing carbon emissions and carbon footprint, using wood as the major material in a building also can save on the overall budget. Some estimates put the saving at around 5% of the building cost of a brick built structure.
• Environmentalists favour timber framed buildings. Wood is the ultimate renewable building material when it is produced sustainably. As we fell trees (from well managed UK forests), we plant more and it is possible to generate a constant supply. Fast growing trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere and lock it in for the duration of it’s use – until released by eventual decay or fire.
• Studies have shown that the energy use in making a steel girder is over 10 times that used in producing an equivalent sized wooden beam from a piece of freshly sawn timber.

The department for education has recently revealed plans for establishing a new framework for delivering schools to meet the increasing demand for places.

The four-year offsite schools framework aims to utilise methods in the design for manufacture and assembly (DfMA) in addition to offsite techniques to create a more frequent production of school buildings. The overall target is to deliver up to 100 new school projects each year in the next five years.

DfMA is a specific design approach which focuses primarily on creating more simple manufacturing processes in addition to efficient assembly lines.

Why is eco-offsite construction a great option for school expansion?

This new framework is hugely positive for our education system. The modern eco-solution to traditional carbon heavy, labour intensive and old-fashioned building methods is now formally recognised by the Dept for Education. Contemporary Roundhouses are constructed entirely from UK timber, designed as nurturing spaces & some of the most aesthetically pleasing in the UK.

We shape our buildings. Thereafter, they shape us.

William Churchill

10 Reasons why an outdoor modular classroom would benefit your school