Apiary

Apiary based on the Dutch traditional sheep night stable of the "Achterhoek" and "Salland" region. 

The design of the apiary is to accommodate my growing number of bee hives . Working with varoa sensitive behaviour bees on 4.8mm comb, I now need more space and storage room.

As always I also made a video of the 3D model available on youtube

 I wanted the apiary to have a small impact visually so the floor has been lowered about 40 centimeters. The traditional design with low thatched roof and earth against the wall makes decreased the visual impact further.

Traditionally the beams were simple tree trunks embedded in the ground and coming together at the ridge beam. A simple but sturdy construction method.

Cradle boat back in use after 30 years

Thirty years ago I built a cradle boat as we were expecting our oldest. The cradle boat was also used for my youngest son.

In the 1990's the cradle was simply suspended from the ceiling by three ropes. It could swing and it had a very rudimentary veil.

Now the next generation is knocking on the door.

This time the cradle cannot be suspended from the ceiling.

So I built a swing stand. Being able to rock a cradle is essential I think.

The veil offering a more enclosed space for the baby, also had to be more in line with a lapstrake sailboat. The veil was made from an old cotton sail of probably 60 years old.

This is the result, hope you will be inspired.

A movie of the cradle boat is available on youtube via this link

House "Seasons"

House "Seasons" 

An attempt to design a building for temperate climates, which improves living conditions in the intermediate seasons, spring and  autumn.
The house is also a bungalow and small to decrease footprint and limit heating requirements.

Basic design consists of a highly insulated inside winter "Block" surrounded by a 4 piece greenhouse for increased solar gain in winter and extra living space in spring an autumn.
The greenhouse opening up in summer and automatically ventilate by opening separate panels in autumn an s spring. The greenhouse also allow vegetables of other plants to grow most of the year. The green growth in the greenhouse will also enhance the climatic conditions in the house.
Of course energy plus, recyclable materials and passive house standards. SIPS panels, lime render, little or no concrete.

Hope you will like the design.

Youtube

House "Antropo"

House "Antropo"

Some time ago I designed a bungalow called Anthropo/ Antropo from the greek


ἄνθρωπος • (ánthrōpos) human being / mankind.

Design objectives :
- Energy Plus.
- All recyclable natural materials.
- Bungalow to allow easy acces to the outdoors.
- Small tot decrease the footprint.
- Wood SIPS panels with wood insulation.
- Stone and wood building materials.
- Passive house standards insulation.
- Outdoor living in hot weather and dual opening outside door in all room.

Hope you will be inspired.

 Youtube

 

Rowing shell table

A couple of years ago my brother gave me the remains of a wooden rowing shell "ATALANTA VAN CALYDON" of the rowing club Aross.. This shell was wrecked in a potentially fatal accident, see the Dutch newspaper story at the end.

After many years lying in the attic of my workshop, at last I made the wreckage into a livingroom table for my son and his gilrfiend. Both are avid rowers and well known in student rowing, for Utrecht's ORCA.

Hope the table inspires you to make something nice of wreckage.

4.6m Lapstrake sliding seat rowing shell

Inspired by the course of the previous post,
I designed a traditional built lapstrake rowing shell with sliding seat. Stable and with enough freeboard to be able to cope with waves.
Lower planks waterresistant plywood with an epoxy coating, upper planks western red cedar, all planks riveted. Carbon competition oars and carbon oar-wings to make it of these times.

See rendering below and on youtube

Msc nav. arch. goes back to school

 Msc nav. arch. goes back to school

after working in shipbiulding, inland navigation, and maritime simulation for 35 years it was time to handbuild with traditional methods and materials.

During a 9 day boatbuilding course at the "Bootbouwschool" 7 guys built this 14ft pulling boat in the  Whitehall tradition. Bert van Baar owner of the school was our tutor. 

Day one started with setting up of the build stations and day 9 ended just after lunch with us proudly admiring our work in the sunshine.

The design is based on the book "Building Catherine" by Rich Kolin

 

What have I learned that I could not have learned from books or internet.:

• The joy of working with natural unprocessed wood, the feel, the smell, its inconsistencies.
• Building is teamwork, with all its joys and irritations, stories and collective energy.
• Lapstrake pronounces the lines, the shape of the hull.
• Clinking the hull requires expertise and secure planning to pull it off.
• A workshop with woodworking powertools, machines and ample space is essential.
• The quality of the wood is paramount.
• Boat building is not for everyone some level of skill is required, even for a tutored course.
• Experience and hands-on working has its clever tricks and hunches to solve problems and work efficiently.
• Building a wooden boat is very physical, muscles will hurt and blood will be shed.

I personally should have built a traditional wooden boat much earlier, it might have changed my professional career.

 Some pictures of the course.