28. Not something to show the neighbours - they might freak out

North Elevation

These elevation drawings of the cladding may freak the neighbours out - but they are only schematic to show how the hardwood cladding panels are set out.  I just had to put them in the blog - they are such fun.

The key and the setting out combinations A. B. C. D and E

The architects have planned for 5 different combinations of three different widths of board, shown as blue, green and red. They have been precisely laid out so that no boards have to be cut around a window frame, giving the windows a very clean and precise look.  The architects envisage the building looking like a solid lump of timber, out of which are honed the holes for the windows.  So the window frames are negligible - the timber overlaps them, and the face of the window is very much in line with the face of the building. 

Our task is to build this, and meet these exacting standards.

The South Elevation
(sorry it's rather a wonky pic)

So the key shown as A, B, C D and E describes the five different combinations  that are then put together between the precise measurements between structural openings.  Some have the number +1 or +2 shown at the bottom of them - this is where a tolerance for each overlapping board of 1 or 2mm has to be utilised to spread them out to fit the space.  The architect initially allowed for a 4mm tolerance (to each board) over some groupings, but I rejected that as totally unacceptable.  He's come back with a new layout, keeping everything within 2mm max.

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The lengths of the boards come as random lengths, but the wood has been kiln dried to such an extent that the movement that you usually experience in wood will be 'minimal' - they say.   So when they are butted up to each other the horizontal line between them should be negligible.

Looking over the field covered studio roof to the west elevation

So these colourful elevations look great fun - but don't be alarmed they are as I say - only schematic - the colour in reality is the usual brownish colour that will turn silvery grey with time.  Chosen because we believe it will blend with the local lias limestone of the area.

We are not about to bring op art into the green belt.