Main Farmhouse Renovation
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Since 2010 we had been thinking, discussing, designing and debating what the renovated building and site might look like and how it would be used. Those plans to refurbish the main farmhouse building and do much to realise our vision finally began to materialise on January 30th 2017 with the main works completed in November 2017. See some of our progress reports here
and also some pictures of our 3rd and final Hard Hat Tour event of the work in progress. Working alongside Malcolm Fraser, our architect, and more latterly, also with Halliday Fraser Munro architects, we were able to turn these plans and visions into reality. The plans encompassed a whole range of ideas and suggestions that came from many different community events, surveys, questionnaires, meetings, workshops and much more. Being developed in consultation with a whole range of people over the last seven years ensured it was a community driven and designed renovation.
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What was done:
We carried out a sympathetic renovation of the building, ensuring the main structure, roof and integrity was maintained, this included rebuilding the original chimney stacks and re-doing the lime harling on the external walls to ensure the original farmhouse look was maintained.
We also added four community workshops within the existing garden, at a ninety degree angle to the farmhouse, and an extended porch on the front (east facing side) of the farmhouse. The siting of the workshops defines and encloses a lower entry and workshop courtyard, and a higher garden.
Inside the farmhouse we made some alteration to ensure the site is fully accessible, including a disabled access lift. We also opened out some of the rooms to create large spaces, and created new doors opening the main community cafe out to terraces from both sides of the building. The internal work restored some of the original farmhouse features such as the sash and case windows.
In general all materials used are natural, with traditional materials used for the farmhouse repairs, augmented by wood fibre insulation.
We also installed an energy efficient boiler system for the main farmhouse using underfloor heating throughout and installing a wood-burning stove in the café which uses renewables collected from the surrounding woods. The unnecessary use of upvc and other damaging materials is avoided throughout.
The new workshops are timber, so locking-up carbon, with breathing construction and again using wood fibre insulation, with electricity and high quality insulation provided. The cladding for the workshops is made from timber and charred before being installed, providing a rot-and-insect proof finish that avoids toxic coatings and maintenance, and all work on this was done by our volunteers.
Our Partners:
The Design Team that the BIG board and members have worked with to finalise all these plans consisted of; Halliday Fraser Munro Architects; David Adamson Group cost consultants; Elliot & Company structural engineers; and Harley Haddow services engineers.
The build was carried out by Cornhill Building Services, a local Edinburgh based construction company and was managed by our own Build Project Manager, Graham Harper.
What we now have:
The now renovated farmhouse hosts a whole range of facilities, including; a Community Cafe; Industrial Training Kitchen (and hire space); Hot-desking shared office space; Meeting room; Events space/youth room/performance and exhibition space.
The workshops generally host; a Wood & Metal workshop; an Arts and Crafts workshop; a Bike workshop, and an Outdoor Education Resource space. We also have car and bike parking facilities, as well as four public toilets and an accessible shower.
We carried out a sympathetic renovation of the building, ensuring the main structure, roof and integrity was maintained, this included rebuilding the original chimney stacks and re-doing the lime harling on the external walls to ensure the original farmhouse look was maintained.
We also added four community workshops within the existing garden, at a ninety degree angle to the farmhouse, and an extended porch on the front (east facing side) of the farmhouse. The siting of the workshops defines and encloses a lower entry and workshop courtyard, and a higher garden.
Inside the farmhouse we made some alteration to ensure the site is fully accessible, including a disabled access lift. We also opened out some of the rooms to create large spaces, and created new doors opening the main community cafe out to terraces from both sides of the building. The internal work restored some of the original farmhouse features such as the sash and case windows.
In general all materials used are natural, with traditional materials used for the farmhouse repairs, augmented by wood fibre insulation.
We also installed an energy efficient boiler system for the main farmhouse using underfloor heating throughout and installing a wood-burning stove in the café which uses renewables collected from the surrounding woods. The unnecessary use of upvc and other damaging materials is avoided throughout.
The new workshops are timber, so locking-up carbon, with breathing construction and again using wood fibre insulation, with electricity and high quality insulation provided. The cladding for the workshops is made from timber and charred before being installed, providing a rot-and-insect proof finish that avoids toxic coatings and maintenance, and all work on this was done by our volunteers.
Our Partners:
The Design Team that the BIG board and members have worked with to finalise all these plans consisted of; Halliday Fraser Munro Architects; David Adamson Group cost consultants; Elliot & Company structural engineers; and Harley Haddow services engineers.
The build was carried out by Cornhill Building Services, a local Edinburgh based construction company and was managed by our own Build Project Manager, Graham Harper.
What we now have:
The now renovated farmhouse hosts a whole range of facilities, including; a Community Cafe; Industrial Training Kitchen (and hire space); Hot-desking shared office space; Meeting room; Events space/youth room/performance and exhibition space.
The workshops generally host; a Wood & Metal workshop; an Arts and Crafts workshop; a Bike workshop, and an Outdoor Education Resource space. We also have car and bike parking facilities, as well as four public toilets and an accessible shower.
Thanks to those who largely made this possible:
Big Lottery Fund, Robertson Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, Santander and, in 2018, Bridgend Farmhouse members via our community share issue' which has enabed us to pay our part of the renovation costs that was remaining.
Big Lottery Fund, Robertson Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, Santander and, in 2018, Bridgend Farmhouse members via our community share issue' which has enabed us to pay our part of the renovation costs that was remaining.
Each year we participate in Open Doors day with tours and info about the restoration process, and can often do this on a more ad hoc basis , so pop in and see us if you are in the area.
