Crowe Lane An innovative house framed of CNC machined timber
The existing bungalow is a very quirky “wriggly tin” building, almost a shack, built around two stone chimneys. The site is also very unusual, being landlocked between neighbours’ gardens with the only access possible via a 1.2m wide footpath. But the site benefits from an open rural outlook with long views down the valley. So the design proposal was driven by the constraints of site and has evolved as a partially prefabricated plywood structure supported on a few masonry elements. It is conceived as a freeform structure providing the shelter required for living in the garden. The architecture is very “un – housy”. All of the components can be carried by hand onto the site and erected by hand. Excavation and material moving is kept to a minimum. The design process involved the extensive use of parametric modelling, with the main structural components then being cut using digital fabrication methods. The result is an undulating roof of plywood cassettes floating like a tree canopy over a series of freeform living spaces, and also includes an upper level and rooftop deck like a treehouse in the garden.
Rotork A new factory
This project is for a new 12,000 sq.m. factory building for Bath based engineering manufacturers Rotork. With business expanding beyond the capacity of their existing site, the company needed to consider alternative locations nearby. The building includes office, manufacturing, storage and distribution spaces employing 400 people. Our proposal sought to use the natural slope of the site to accommodate the different volumes required for each activity in an attractive setting and create a high-quality working environment for staff and visitors.
