The project
The clients, Mr and Mrs Pickard, wanted to build a new home in their garden; they’d grown tired of living in a Victorian detached house and delighted at the thought of something with glass and light which would also provide them with excellent additional space for their studios. Using architects Western Design, they came up with a contemporary design for a new four-bedroom house, positioned in the garden, with a glass atrium, giving stunning views across the Blackmore Vale. Mr Pickard, a local artist, commissioned Snibor to carry out the 22-week build and start work on their blank canvas or, as it was at that time, the vegetable patch.
The challenges
Access in and out of the site, with its town-centre location and winding main road, was not easy. Modern design always brings with it a variety of new technology and materials; here was no exception, with its roof membrane and underfloor heating system, ensuring that the minimalist design was met.
The solution
A difficult site needs full-time management, so our site manager got to grips with planning and scheduling deliveries, to ensure that local traffic was not disrupted. The importance of getting it right with new technology is understanding its application – before installing; our experienced and knowledgeable site manager ensured that the team had complete training on these new products, resulting in perfect working systems – every time.
The result
We delivered an excellent, contemporary-designed living space, along with inspirational studio space for both Mr and Mrs Pickard’s art and quilting interests. The building makes the most of the views and provides lots of natural light, important for any artist.
