Up, up and away
Images (left to right):
Trainee gardeners Joe & Jacob moving timber
All hands on deck as the wood is loaded off the Howarth Timber truck
Billy avoiding the new spring growth at the garden whilst carrying a length to site
The timber for the new horticultural therapy shelter arrived first thing on the morning of 26th March; thankfully the gardening services team hadn’t yet left for that day’s contracts and projects. So together we - Billy, Tabitha, Jacob, Filipa, Ewen, Callum, Ed, Peter, Joe, Oli and I - unloaded the wood (sponsored by the Timber Trade Federation and supplied by Howarth Timber) and carried it across the garden to rammed-tyre foundations. The wood was then sorted, stacked and cut to size, and the first of the 5m by 3m portal frames was set out. This was to become the template for the following four. And then we waited...
Images (left to right) :
Template portal frame
Timber under tarp
Two weeks passed before the screws and tensioning scraps (sponsored by Rothoblaas) arrived from Italy. With the fixtures safely through customs, the remaining frames were assembled and centered on each of the rows of tyres, before being raised into place — 1.2m apart. Initially tethered with temporary braces, these were soon replaced with wooden joists, purlins and hoggins, and the new classroom began taking shape.
Images :
Volunteers, students and trainee gardeners carefully lift a frame into place
From there it was up, up and away…
The Horticultural Shelter Project is being led by architectural researcher and WG volunteer Angharad Davies with design and build duo Billy Adams and Freddie Wiltshire (projects include Grizedale Arts, Clitter House cafe, Cody Docks as well as private commissions), engineer and course leader at Central Saint Martins Cíaran Malik alongside his 2nd year architecture students with support from Shashank Jain of Studio 4215 and Tabitha Binding who leads regional engagement for the Timber Trade Federation (TTF) & university engagement for theTimber Research and Development Association (TRADA).
We would like to offer our utmost thanks to our partners at :
The London Marathon Trust for funding the project. The University Engagement Programme at TRADA (@TRADA) for essential timber knowledge. The TTF’s regional member The London & South East Timber Trade Association L&SETTA (@thettfregions) for timber sponsorship and supply, via Howarth Timber (@howarthtimber). Our fixtures and fittings from Rothoblaas. Lastly but by no means least Tabitha (Tab Binding @TRADA @thettfregions @TimberTradeFed) for making it all happen.
Without their support this project would not have been possible.
