fram   organic building and design

Riverside Clubhouse

Construction (UK)

 

- Hand-crafted log-shell delivered from Russia was assembled layer by layer on top the steel structure. Organic hemp (jute) insulation placed into joints.

 

- Special tie-rods were installed into the log-shell to strengthen the structure against the wind-loads. This required plenty of exhausting drilling work. Overall more than 1 kilometer (!) of 30mm holes vertically drilled in the log-shell.

 

- Glulam frames were fabricated in Austria, arrived in a kit form, and were then assembled and installed onto the log-shell. Special carpentry connections had to be produced on-site often involving dangerous work at height.

 

- Bespoke steel brackets were engineered to hold components of timber frame together. 

 

- Winter floods seriously affected the construction works. The whole site was covered by more than a meter of water. Log-shell packs collapsed risking to float downstream. The team worked waist deep in cold water tying elements together. More than 1 mile (!) of rope was used.

 

- All elements saved, but working with the material has become very complicated. Location of the material on site was mixed. Lifting and handling logs was difficult. Soaked and dirty timber required extensive pressure washing and antifungal treatment before being taken into construction. Additional planing was required, which became a separate issue due to the rainy season.