Friday 29th May, 2015

Sliding doors...

Emanuel Hendry Ltd were contacted by Artist Robin Dutson in late 2008 with the idea of constructing a two storey art studio for him to work on his full size fruit tree replicas. Taking 6 years to come to fruition - the building was completed in the winter of 2014.

As part of the design we were asked to include a set of full height sliding doors on one aspect of the studio. This would enable Robin to easily transport the materials to and from the art studio without affecting their shape and structure!

Incorporating full height sliding doors proved to be a challenge in getting the frame to satisfy the structural engineer. It was decided early on that the aspect of the building that contained the sliding doors, would be constructed from a metal frame to hang them from. Our Douglas Fir frame was cut to fit around the metal frame.

The doors are hung from bearings that run inside metal sliders that run the full length of the building. This enables the doors to be opened such that two-thirds of the interior is exposed. Part glazed, the doors offer a fascinating link between the interior of the building, and the surrounding woodland - providing much of the inspiration for Robin’s work.