Building works started on site in January (photo 1). The roof was stripped and floor slab and the masonry walls that were marked for demolition were broken up and removed. We had hoped to reuse some of the slates and roof timbers, but they were not salvageable.
Work then started to excavate the floor (photo 2), but the contractor encountered a number of problems caused by very wet weather and poor ground conditions. This required a redesign of the foundations with steel reinforcing and resulted in a significant programme delay. With the radon barrier, insulation and steels in place, the foundations (photos 3 &4) and floor slab (photo 5) were poured using a concrete pump.
The project was now able to come out of the ground, and good progress was made. The block walls, timber studwork and rockwool insulation on the studio frontage were completed (photo 6) and the wall plates and rafters were installed (photo 7). The roof windows were fitted and the roof boarded, felted and battened before being covered using traditional Cornish wet-laid slates using reclaimed slates (photos 8, 9 & 10). Internally the walls and ceilings were insulated, boarded and battened, and finished with ply (photos 11 and 12).
Photography and video: Alban Roinard
Architect: Rolfe Kentish Architect; QS/Project Manager: Trevor Humphreys Associates
Main Contractor: South West Building & Maintenance Ltd
Electrical Contractor: Smart Build Electrical
Funding: This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Cornwall Council has been chosen by Government as a Lead Authority for the fund and is responsible for monitoring the progress of projects funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus.
