"Citius, Altius, Fortius"
Abbotsford Park
Generally regarded as one or our best jobs and in some respects it was one of the most difficult.
In constructional terms we had the demolition of two pre-existing 'add ons' and the stone from them was reclaimed and used in the new construction.
The new steel frame proved to be an early hurdle and the first problem was simply that of getting the beams round the back of the existing building.
There is no rear access so the route was through the garage and then along a narrow passage. Two of the steel sections were more than twelve metres in length; with great difficulty and in a snow storm, they took ten men to lift (one with a very sore finger) , and move them.
They were also longer than the width of the street outside. As a result we had to back up the driveway of the house opposite and came within inches of knocking on their door and taking the beams into their hallway.
It eventually took two full days to maneuver them into position where they were propped in place and the new stone walls were built up underneath them. This was probably the last project where we undertook the steel work ourselves and understandably so now but it seemed like good fun at the time.
This was also the first extension where Richard Murphy proposed to close down all the areas of glass with insulated and integral timber shutters. Each of the shutter mechanisms had their own associated problems and it is a testament to the ingenuity of our construction team that we were able to devise appropriate solutions in each case. The resultant effects are best described in the architects' own words;
"The expressed steel construction allows most of the walls to be free of load-bearing function. One corner opens out to the garden with a south elevation opening to a new patio. In addition to the windows disappearing as seen when open from the inside, the room can also be completely closed down by an internal system of insulated timber shutters. Insulated sections of the ceiling can similarly be winched down to seal off the clerestory and the kitchen rooflight. In this way the skin of the building appears to have three manifestations: totally open, totally opaque and transparent responding both to changing climate and, more subtly, to the changing psychological responses that the seasons provoke."
An amusing recollection from this project and still a mystery to this day was after a visit from a party of student architects who came down from Aberdeen to look at the project. Brian McFeely, of our joiners, discovered he was missing one of his size 12 brown leather steel toe-capped boots. It was never to be seen again and not having any use for the remaining boot we locked it within one of the walls of the extension.
Brian has since passed on, his work stands as a testament to his life, nothing was ever done in small measure but it was usually done extremely well and many people will remember him with a fond smile.
Awards
RIBA Award 1998
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