The Roundhouse Build

9000 wine bottles - Required for Roundhouse foundations * 350 Whistlewood shareholders div. by time = 2 bottles each per week. Local pubs & restaurants asked to help * Are they strong enough to hold up a floor - they are designed to withstand pressure that builds inside. Will help with insulation in the Roundhouse. Let's get Drinking!

Community is our backbone - Can only build the Roundhouse because of the community that has built and loves Whistlewood * Won grants to show its value to the community * Companies have overwhelmed us with their generosity * Shareholders made up of not just individuals but communities such as WIs, Schools, etc

The first little pig - certainly Buildings Control are not used to straw bale buildings! So does straw work? Yes - with the right compression and building design. * Will it pass safety regs - Yes, professional, experienced builder. Signage inside etc complies. Fire regs - compressed straw breaks the fire triangle, starving the bales of oxygen * But still breathable

Whistlewood track - no building is an Island! How will we get heavy vehicles to the Roundhouse build from the gate? Track - 90 metres long, 3.7 metres wide with all weather parking * Turning circle with 2 disabled places widens to 6 metres at Hub gate which will have vehicular and pedestrian entrances

Rain, rain, go away - stuck in the mud at the mo * Planning build, equipment we would like to borrow * Build partners to complete track, volunteers to set up site. Track and building site have to meet Health and Safety regs * Selecting trees at Staunton Harold estate for support posts

First cut - Track work started * Envisaged to take 16 weeks * Enough bottles collected * Schedules slipped due to weather, new ideas & supply problems * Blocks instead of tyres for the foundation due to lack of time

Build diary wk 1 - Trench and block work * The team from Dales Contracts start * Excavation to create trench in which Roundhouse will be built * Shallow, circular trench filled with limcrete * Blocks built up 5 courses, for the wooden base plate

Build diary wk2 - Gaining some height * Wooden base plate fixed in place * Pipe installed for Wood-burning stove * Locally sourced Hazel Stakes created for stabilization of straw bale walls * Main entrance door framed * Followed by 3 other “stage” doors * Short hazel stakes fitted, then first straw bale

Build diary Wk 3 - local timber * First bale to last bale in 4 days! * Long hazel stakes pinned down through them for stabilization * Volunteers debark larch poles that will form supports for the verandah

Build diary wk 4 - Putting up scaffolding * Remaining timber debarked ready for “certification” * “Pads” prepared for larch poles

Build diary wk 5 - ready to squeeze * Timber certification completed * Second Buildings Inspection visit * Track completed * Painting the steel supports * Timber top plate installed on bales

Build diary Wk 6 - its got a top * Top wall plate filled with straw & finished with OSB * Knocking bales to straighten them – with a “persuader” * Compression process completed with lorry straps – 70 mm total * Main compression ring arrives – sits on top of the bales & supports the roof rafters * Craning in ring beam * Rafters are bird-mouthed

Week 7 - ready to shingle - Installing “noggins” for roof lights * Installation of the felt (waterproof, breathable membrane) * Installation of lathes to take cedar shingles * Applying Danish oil to the Ring beam * Installation of the first structural roundwood poles for the external walkway

Week 8 - Shaping up nicely - Structural Roundwood poles all in position and walkway rafters * Three metre wide roof will be created for the verandah

Week 9 - batten down the hatches - Finishing off the roof rafters of the verandah and filling in with OSB board which goes under the GRP waterproofing that is then under the living roof matting * Dealing with the awkward angles of an octagonal building * Cover with tarpaulin

Week 10 - got a lot of bottle - Trimming and “persuading” of the inside strawbale walls, stuffing holes with straw * Internal scaffolding was removed * Internal Floor raised by 50mm then geotextile membrane laid down * Weekend - the great bottle installation! * Nearly completed in one day but we ran out of sand

Week 11 - limecrete floor - More sand installed and bottle insulation layer completed * Another layer of geotextile laid on top of the bottles * Locate the circular shuttering (right in the middle) to take the central feature tile floor * Then limecreting the floor * Once dry the circular shutter was removed * Working on the roof lathes

Week 12 - under wraps - Further work on the lathes and the fascia boards on the end of the roof rafters * Concentrating on one internal wall that will take shelves for a library of books * Involves fitting OSB strips and hazel stakes * Installing ‘first fix’ electrical cables

Week 13 - ready sedum go - Cracking on with the verandah roof fitting GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) waterproofing applied * Followed by a colooured (grey) resin * Building a box to house the solar panel battery

Week 14 busy, busy, busy - Openings created for the velux windows * Installing fibre board internally on the gap * Up to the rafters to accommodate the internal clay rendering * Similarly on the external walls fibre board installed and base layer of lime render applied

Week 15 - up on the roof - Shingle laying * Velux Window installing * Finishing off the ‘services’ box * Applying the external limecrete coats * First Layer – lime plaster with hemp * Second - lime plaster with horse hair

Week 16 - mud, mud, glorious mud - External final layer of lime render * Installing the foundation pads for the main decking supports * Second coat of clay render to the inside * Installing a Truth Window to show the construction of straw * Further work on shingles including a joint between shingle roof and sedum called a (lead) “soaker”

Week 17 - we have the support - Installing the deck substructure * Remove the Scaffolding * Doors were installed * Decking started

Week 18 - Glazed expression and a woolly mind - Doors glazed * Decking sections completed * Lantern arrived and assembled * More shingles on the roof * Insulating the roof inside with sheep’s wool insulation

Week 19 and 20 - warm, dry and well plastered - Roof insulation plastering * Lantern Installation * Shingle roof completion

Week 21 - hole in the ground, so big and so round - Completing the clay rendering inside * Cutting a drainage channel * Making the footings for the verandah and stage * Water tank installation

Week 22 - all decked out (almost) - Decking support finished to form the stage * Top boundary to the sedum roof put in place and back-filled with pebbles * More boarding for the stage

Week 23 - three chains, drains, decking - Installing the galvanised guttering, downpipe and chains * Finishing off the stage * Saying goodbye to the builders!