We've all heard the expression 'there's an elephant in the room'. In our shop it is currently a literal statement. Peter has been busy building the framework for the corner of the wall of the North Star suite. It will feature a life sized elephant head (and a large one at that!) carved from stone blocks. At this point it is a bit hard to visualize as the framework is made of welded quarter inch round rod. But we certainly feel the presence of the elephant in the room for it takes up a great deal of space! It is far too tall to go out the door. We'll leave it standing as we fasten on the wire lath and apply the sculpted concrete to the top portion. Then we'll gently tip it backwards (with the forklift) onto some wheels we've built into the frame so we can roll it around the shop to finish it and out the door when it is done. Until then I suspect room in the shop is going to be hard to come by.
The important inside
Often, underneath our 'pretty' features is a lot of engineering and construction that will never be seen by anyone but us. It serves as structure and often much more. The Underhill suite of the Hazelnut Inn features a lush green roof with a giant bonsai tree 'growing' on top. On the blueprints a simple rectangular skylight is drawn. The roof structure and pony walls around the rectangular opening will be built of reinforced concrete. We'll build a giant, steel and concrete bonsai tree over the hole with a round window cut into the trunk to allow light into the room.
The tree is relatively simple structure, and a familiar build for us. The difference this time is that the tree needs to be waterproof so the underground suite stays nice and dry. Our solution was to build a heavy welded steel cover which will act as a giant flashing as it fits over the rectangular hole. The structure of the tree will be welded to it with no penetrations which might allow water to seep through. Tomorrow this piece will be complete and the actual build of the tree frame will begin. When we are done absolutely none of this important preliminary work will be visible to our guests.
Feature one ready
It is very exciting to see the first piece of the Hazelnut Inn complete and ready to move out of the shop. As soon as the foundation is ready it will be moved from our parking lot to the property next door and set in place permanently. The 'power tower' will act as a power pole for the property. Plenty more pieces are not far behind.
