Minstead Rural Study Centre
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Fabricated entirely from Green Oak and Larch this timber frame building is a reciprocal structure based upon the famous Chinese Rainbow Bridge of the 12th Century. The frame member are interlocked and hence when loaded the members act primarily in compression and tighten one to the other.
As part of our design we created a 3D model of the structure to enable the client to fine tune the design.
The external elevations are clad in locally grown Larch. Taken as a whole the project meets the very highest standards of sustainable construction although in the end it was decided not to use locally grown oak for quality and cost reasons.
Commissioned by Hampshire County Architects this building serves the local schools as an environmental study centre.
Assembly was a complex process requiring very careful planning due to exacting site requirements. The main contractor Mowlem awarded The Green Oak Carpentry Company Specialist Contractor of the year in 2005 in recognition of the careful planning and precise execution of this difficult assembly.
“"Thanks for the excellent job which has just been completed on the Oak Frame extension to the above property. Not only is the quality of the work faultless, it is a true work of art, which will bring endless enjoyment to me and my wife. The end result has surpassed our wildest expectations."
Ray Nicolaides
“"Just to say that it looks fabulous, and all who survey it are wonder-struck. Best wishes and many thanks to you all."
Simon, National Trust
“"We wanted to write to you to express our profound gratitude for the excellent work you have done on our building scheme. It cannot have been easy to pick up the project from another architect when there were still a number of issues unresolved, but you have done so brilliantly and remained calm throughout, even at fraught times. We really do appreciate that you have gone the extra mile for us. We have all enjoyed working with you and have been so impressed with the quality of your work."
Alastair, The Early Years Project
“"I wanted to drop you a quick note to show my appreciation for your guys efforts today; they were a pleasure to have around the house and worked hard to get the frame up today."
Paul, Contracts Manager
“"Everyone is very impressed with the finished result and I thought I would just take the opportunity of belatedly giving my thanks to you and your team for a job very well done. I have submitted the bridge for a Civic Society award for next year and have every expectation of its success."
P White, Northholt & Greenford Countryside Park Manager