CASE STUDIES

Bespoke | Stair case; Tredor barns

Design Engineer; Dan Austin BSc (Hons)

In 2009 we were approached by "Tamsquite Ltd" to provide design details for a large barn renovation project. Together with the design of the roof, floors and supporting granite columns, the focal piece of the project consisted a staircase that appeared to "float". The client was particularly driven in his vision of the staircase, which we endeavoured to realise. The subtle yet striking aesthetic of the staircase was only achievable thanks to a marriage between a high level of finishing and our engineering input.

The staircase was realised by the installation of a structural steel frame hidden within the wall; which was designed to afford both general stability and anchorage of each individual tread. The sleek nature of the staircase meant careful consideration of the size of the supporting members was required.

Principal Contractor // Chris Mugford // Tamsquite Ltd ↓

"The design strategy for this project was to leave the exterior of these pre-Victorian barns as intact as possible so their outward appearance remained unchanged. The interior, however, was to be as contemporary as possible. The stairs provided a real opportunity to make a key design statement. Floating stairs have become commonplace, but we couldn't find any example of stairs that seemed to "float" at both ends. Our proposal was to notch large pieces of oak and support them with two steel tubes. These tubes would be painted to match the wall colour and surrounded by LED strip lights concealed in each tread end so no shadows from the tubes would be cast.

Foulkes Jackson Fewings had advised us very satisfactorily on other aspects of this project and were able to realise this design to its full potential. Structural engineers who are able to defy gravity are a rare breed!"