by Julian
1. April 2010 11:04
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Last Friday was a proud moment for the team at Oakwrights when the Chapel at St Marys RC School was filled with ‘Songs and Praise’ during the ceremony and blessing of the building by the Archbishop of Cardiff – a first for Oakwrights!
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As the designers and builders of bespoke Oak Houses nationwide it was always going to be something a bit special to be able to design and build an Oak chapel right here in Herefordshire.
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Prayer flags were hung, the congregation gathered, the organ played its first note, and at that point a shiver went up my spine as the project finally became a fully functioning chapel ‘In the hands of the Lord’
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It was an honour to be invited to take part in the ceremony and to see the building being used, particularly as I’m a past pupil of the school.
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The ceremony gave us the opportunity to gather together Tim Crump, the Oakwrights Architects, and myself as the Frame Designer, with the Client to reflect on the journey the project took from start to finish.
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From the initial sketches proposed and put to the pupils and the planners for their feedback, to the scorching hot summers day when the foundations were poured ready for the week long frame erection. Then on to the assembly of the prefabricated softwood wall panels, and the careful fitting of the Oak weatherboarding by the carpenters of the Oakwrights site crews.
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Concept drawings - John Williams, Jan '08
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The first sling braced truss being craned in.
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In the bleak mid winter…..
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A proud and happy team - Amen
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