(Philip Kay with his feline friend in a Tibetan Singing Bowl along with Joanna Hayes our project manager and all round miracle worker)

Meet the MD of Rotunda Roundhouses

This week we are blogging about Philip Kay, the Managing Director of Rotunda Roundhouses Ltd and his views on our product, clients and the industry in general.

So, Philip. Could we ask a little bit about your background?

Well, generally I’ve spent the last 39 years building properties or within property refurbishment (from age of 21) together with manufacturing furniture and cabinetry.

And how long have you been acting as Managing Director for Rotunda Roundhouses Ltd?

“Two years – and it’s flown by!”

Philip with our little 4yr old mascot “Esmee”

What is it that you believe your company can bring to the industy that no other business can?

No one else is building roundhouses for a start,  they don’t understand the concept of how beneficial they are for both educational purposes and how economical they are to run.

When you say “Roundhouse” what do you mean?

“Buildings for schools, hospice, the leisure sector (hotels),  granny flats and recently, nurseries”

Why a roundhouse over a rectangle?

“…..well, a lot of this is down to aesthetics to a lot of people. The roundhouse is a very unusual form in the modern construction marketplace and as far as I am aware we are the only people that exclusively build in the round.  However, it can’t be denied that the majority of our clients are quite spiritual and see the circle as the most natural form.”

When you say “Spiritual” Are you saying it’s a metaphyscical or energetic attraction for some folk?

“I think that some people feel a connection to the past, to how ancient civilisations lived.. so, we’re very much interested in bringing this back into the forefront.”

So.. history is coming back round again?

Definitely. Absolutely.”

Is there a particular build over the last 2 years which you’ve enjoyed the most?
“Well, that’s difficult to say, because all of our buildings are so different that each build has it’s own different aspect that you derive a certain amount of pleasure from building.  The fact that we don’t build two that are any alike it’s really great to get them on the drawing board and see how they develop.”

And what is the most bespoke element to date which has been incorporated into a Rotunda?

“Well, we’ve made bespoke furniture for several of our clients, we have changed timber species for cladding, the cathedral roof beams and windows and we’ve recently been looking into Oak and Sweet Chestnut as alternative British Hardwoods for our walls and roof finishes.

So, do you give clients a standard build specification or do they have carte blanche to design a Rotunda exactly to their vision?

“Well, there’s a guideline build spec with our standard finishes and prices, but at the end of the day we are flexible and do allow our clients to adjust their building design to suit their particular needs.”

Of all of the applications what’s your favorite finish?

“….for me personally, I like the Eco-tiles Flexi slate composite roof, when I see them (and being a past builder) I think they look identical to a slate roof.  On the inside I love the T&G wall panels.   Our new internal cathedral beams look absoutely beautiful, they are what people most recognise about the Rotunda.”

As an organisation where do you think you’re going and where is the industry going over the next five years?

“As a young company we are able to go where the industry starts to lead us. In other words, if it’s the glamping industry that’s bringing us the most enquiries we can work very well here; but we’re currently responding to a surge in enquiries for Nursery Buildings alongside work we’ve already completed for commercial clients such as a hospice and Primary schools….. So, because we are a young company we’ll respond to the enquiries that come through rather than dictate the direction of the company or the application of the product.  (As long as we have the capacity in the workshop to build it!)

Does this mean that you provide a tailored response to the enquiries that you receive? Ie: if someone doesn’t quite know what they want or how to go about the planning process do you manage the project as a turnkey for them?

“Well, considering I’ve been building houses since I was 21 (that’s 40 years!) I can certainly give them all the advice they’re going to need.   We can assist with groundworks and we do assist with the complete process from groundworks all the way to the furniture and even the creation of bespoke windows and doors.”

Are there any exciting projects that you’re currently working on?
“Well, we’ve got several exciting projects in the pipeline and one of the most unique ones is a bespoke roundhouse with a Japanese flavour; you’ll notice that the roof shape is changing, and a deep, round, japanese bath is being installed….. the door frames will be created with japanese frames above and around them.  Coupled with bamboo floors with subtle interior design and fabrics – this should be a very special building and we’re all very excited to see the end result.

So, a Japanese Rotunda! Will this then be available to other clients?

“Well, of course, we love the fact that each building is unique so, in some form or other – if we can build it and you can imagine it, there is no reason why we can’t build others.”

And what about the materials? Do you have a sustainability policy?

“Well, we are very proud of the fact that our timber comes from verifiable UK sustainable sources and sawmills. We source recycled and part-recycled materials whenever possible and we are using the sedum (green) roof application on most of our builds nowadays.

Thank you so much Philip!!!  It’s been really lovely talking to you, I hope that our blog readers find this useful and look forward to hearing more about the progress of Rotunda over the coming few months and years. 

“Well, I’m always on the end of the line – if anyone has any specific questions about our previous work, we always pass the details of our previous 6 clients over to new enquirers so they can verify the quality of our work and our professionalism as an organisation.  I’m only too happy to help!”