HEADQUARTERS BUILDING FOR EARTHWORKS CHARITY
AWARD WINNING
The Earthworks Charity in St Alban’s building was burnt down by vandals in September 2011.
We were asked to design a replacement building encompassing the ethos of Earthworks who are a horticultural charity who offer placements for trainees with learning disabilities and mental health problems, giving them work experience in horticultural and land-based skills.
We proposed a timber framed building made using locally sourced wood and local woodsmen to build it using traditional methods.
Working with Phil Maitland, planning permission was obtained and we are currently project managing the build, working closely with the charity to ensure the charity’s budget is kept and disruption to the training activities is kept to a minimum.
The contractor (Harts of Oak) sourced the English oak from the Pamber Forest in Hampshire which complies with best practice for sustainable woodland monument.
The Earthworks trainees participated in the early stages going to the Hampshire Forest to help to identify the oak trees that were used and assisted in placing the floor slab.
Gyoury Self structural engineers of St Albans (Tel no. 01727 853553) helped with adding the necessary structural calculations for St Albans building control who helped us to comply with building regs.
We are pleased to say that the building is now complete and being
used well by the charity and all who visit. It chimes well with the
ethos of the charity and all those involved with
it.
We are delighted to have accepted awards for the building
and its design. We recieved high commendations for:
October 2015: St Albans Civic Society Award
March 2016: Herts Building Futures Award
for Most Sustainable Construction
"Ecovril worked with us to create the
concept and to deliver our beautiful new oak framed
building.
They designed the shell of the
building , obtained planning consent and dealt
with building control compliance, material specification and
sourcing. They helped us with flexible and
creative assistance wherever and whenever we needed
it.
They were on hand to advise
us throughout the building process in the face of
some challenging on site circumstances
.
Andy and Chau persevered
with good humour and were always on hand to offer
creative solutions to complicated
problems.
We are delighted with the building
and very pleased with the work that Ecovril did for Earthworks in
meeting the challenges that we faced in dealing with budgetary
constraints and contractual challenges and would not
hesitate to recommend them to anyone in the
future."
Phil Maitland
Earthworks St Albans
Services
Contact
Fishing Cottage
c/o Estate Office Knebworth Park
Old Knebworth
SG3 6PY
ecovril@gmail.com
07966 138 474