It’s been six very long years, to the day, since we publicly showcased the first concepts for the Hazelnut Inn project. The reasons for the lengthy construction schedule are many as this is a complicated project, quite unlike any other. The drawing of the blueprints and engineered drawings along with all of the required approvals and permitting took many months, followed by the basic land shaping and the installation of the underground services. It took another year to build the basic supporting structure before we could seriously start the theme work. The installation of all of the plumbing, ventilation, cooling/heating, electrical, fire suppression and other systems had to happen in a logical order and all took quite some time. The pandemic also played a large role in how fast all of this support work could feasibly be completed. Our specialty theme work always had to take a backseat to our regular customer’s projects. The result is a fanciful building that appears finished from the outside, complete with beautiful landscaping. We are hard at work on the interior, which will be every bit as creative and imaginative as the exterior, and it is coming along nicely. It is our sincere hope to finish the first suite, the North Star, and welcome our first guests soon. Interior theme work on the second suite, the Under Hill, will then commence in earnest, followed by the third, the Copper Crown, in its time. Stay tuned for regular progress reports…
It's a jungle in here.
The shop is looking very much like a jungle of late. The giant flower light standards which we are fabricating for Castle Fun Park are now getting their paint. The prime coats are finished and the first of the colours started. As always, the colour changed things significantly. Over the next few days, the painting crew will layer on the colour to ready them for installation. Stay tuned…
Big idea in a small package
I’ve long been a fan of designing and building ‘antique’ vehicles. A few weeks ago when I was on site our client pointed to an old floor maintenance machine and challenged me to dream up a ‘beer wagon’ to fit on the diminutive chassis. I asked him about some specifics, and he said he would love a small vehicle that could deliver cold beverages to their guests. The driver would need to be able to dispense the treats without leaving their seat. With a clear vision already in my head I measured up the unused chassis of the floor cleaning machine, took some quick reference pictures and then set to work. The vehicle begged to be a C-cab truck, complete with a giant barrel on the back. It needed to be bright red for maximum visibility. As a final touch, there would need to be two megaphones mounted to the roof which would play appropriate music (like an old fashioned ice cream truck). Even though I don’t personally drink beer I don’t know what could possibly be more fun than this.
