Stone Staircases and Stone Fireplaces News
15/02/09
Launch of a new stone staircase line “out of the box”.
With the recent success of their bespoke stone staircases and cantilever stone staircases, Atelier 109 has launched a new line of 4 standard cantilever staircases, called, Oscar, Antonio, Ryan and Andrea, all first name of well know architects. These cantiliver are aimed to client who just want a quick, and slick alternative to metal or wood steps for their new basement or cellar converison. They will add sturdiness and authenticity to any new rooms.
Usually available in 6 weeks, price start at £8000.00 for a 14 steps in French Limestone (Anstrude, Comb Brune) or Portland stone. All other stone are considered, Clipsham, Ancaster hard white, Cadeby or Tadcaster if smaller modules are required.
See our standard cantilever stone staircase details.
03/02/09
China stone and trade.
It was bound to happen, some importing business of Chinese limestone have been recently increasing their price from 20 to 40 % !!! in beginning or middle of supply contract. So why not use the local english stone or continental stone, easy to get hold of, reliable service ( reorder of faulty stone in the 4 to six weeks). When buying the stone in Europe, our client are welcome to pay us in Euro in our euro account to facilate transaction an avoid exchange rate cost.
01/02/09
Stamford Miles stone.
Ana Ruiz Ruiz long time collaborator with Atelier 109 received the Stamford Civic Award for her work on the Miles Stone at The Red Lion square on 17 of February.
In Clipsham Stone, the challenge was to meet the expectation of the designer who wanted an aged, distress look to the natural stone still with a slick and pure lines. Again this commissions was a success delivered on time and budget. See pictures of the stamford milestone on our commissions page.
Sheep Market Award.
Wolfgang Buttress and the Stamford Partnership have been awarded a Civic trust Award for their work on the regeneration of the Gateway Project in Stamford.
Atelier 109 was heavily involved in the stone work from start to finish, meeting with no problem the hight expectation. See pictures of the Stamford Gateway Project on our commissions page.
30/01/09
Palladio Exhibition at the Royal Academy. London.
Atelier 109 strongly would advise you to go and visit this wonderfull exhibition: Most of classical architect, Robert Adam or Quilan Terry have regarded Andrea Palladio as one of their masters and model. The team of atelier 109 is even prouder as this Iconical Venecian Architect was trained as a Stone Mason ! His love for natural limestone is well felt in all his biggest house in the Veneto area, as well has his heavy used of the cantilever staircase system. We will always welcome enquiry from Palladian architect or client that wish to get a more classical twist to theirs house.
Anybody who is interested should get the exhibition book with its spectacular stone stairwell as a cover.
Visit the Royal Acadeemy website for more information.
Visit the riba bookshop online that sell this incredible retrospective of Palladio work. (include book cover)
11/11/08 New device for easier fitting:
Atelier 109 has design a new counterbalance device to help carrying a safer and quicker fitting of bespoke staircase. Easily dismountable, the crane is mounted at the very last storey of the stairwell, fitted on some small wheels on rails, the machine translate parallele to the landing with its rotating beam serving most of the stairwell.
It can lift up to 230 kg of stone landing or stone steps.
All this was possible with the collaboration of Harrison lifting in Peterborough, an efficient an reliable local metal fabricator business.
See our counterbalance lift picture 1, 2 and counterbalance lift picture 3
10/10/08
Natural Specialist:
The "Natural Stone Specialist" has dedicated a double spread detailing the work at the Stamford Gate way project. Atelier 109 was commissioned the complete reinterpretaion of the Eleanor Cross design by Wolfgang Buttress. The stone used was local iconic oolitihic stone Ketton and sedimentary stone Clipsham. By day or night the distress texture is a success specialy when merging with the bronze top.
See the articles in Natural Stone Specialist
12/12/08
Stone and sustainability.
More and more enquiry are coming to us regarding sustainability and use of stone.
With new technical developement in processing stone, the natural material should always be the first port of call for people wishing to be environementally friendly.
Except the big hole on the ground we do not require the same energy that reconstituded stone or artificial stone need, we do not rely on having the aggregates being , crush, heated mixed with water, then pour into wood shuttering or mould. Nature has done this for us in the last billions of years.
Just dig a hole extract it carefully, transport it, work it using electric saw ( using a bit of water to cool the blade and cut stone dust, then recycle water) to square it up. Use skill and reliable human labour to work it or cnc machine for big orders and that it…. Simple as that.
September 2008 Little Hale Kingswood.
After an early enquiry, A private client in Sussex ask us for a feasibility and price for a spiral cantilever staircase for a new build. It was with great interest that we look at his project. A 2 flight staircases in a semi round tower, stone steps would look stunning with a semi round stairwell. On this occasion we had the whole package, sourcing the right stone for the client, realizing drawing, getting engineer certification, and supply and fix.
Being involve on such an early stage, it was easy for us to make straight away some ajustement, get the details of the material already used for the wall, celcon blocks, concrete shuttering specs (thermo crete) etc …. We had to set up floor level, and survey the wall.
The next step on site was a 3 days window for cutting out the pockets where the stone steps were going to be. Having heavily invested in the tools for this stage of the project the work was carried on time.
It was then a matter of erecting our new device on the last floor and bringing the stone in. Everyting was done in a week per flight as forecast.
Happy with our service, the client decide to order, window cill, portico and cappings for the rest of the house, for him now, it was going to be natural stone all the way…
See more pictures of the fitting of this spiral stone staircase on our staircase page.
Stairwell. Semi circular. Stone: Anstrude.
Architect: Graham Rix.
Engineer: Webb and Yates.
Project management team: Survey, drawing, supply, fitting. Atelier 109. Enquiry aout 07, contract agreed in May 08 , Drawing in august fitting in December 08.
Sealant: Richard Rodgers sealant.
Augut 08. Pembridge garden. Basement staircase in stone.
Over the moon with our first staircase in his new home, the owner decide to commission a new basement staircase, more simple and slick, echoing the original staircase in the house, but with a glass sheet acting as a balustrade.
Again, this was a straight forward flight which took us 6 weeks from order to completion. The basement staircase was this time in anstrude limestone.
See more pictures of the stone basement stairs fitting on our stairs page.
August 2008 81 Victoria Road. London
Limestone Gallery got in touch with us regarding a 2 flight staircase for a private house, a refurbishement project. We had to design a new staircase which was going to be inserted in some new wall. ( celcon 7 kn, 200 mm thick) and the old wall fabric ( mostly brick).
With a tight collaboration with Limestone gallery, we got the project on time, until on site the project was delay due to structural problem, once solved, Atelier 109 was on site for 3 weeks this time, using all is lifting equipement, 2 aluminium beams and all its eletric hoists for effiecent fixing. The whole delivery time of the steps took 2 hours, and the stocking was wisely spread on the ground floor, well away from the main access. ( once on site we like to be cordon off the area and cover the stones with appropriate padding or polystyrene). The basement staircase was done in 4 days.
The ground floor one with its massive landing took us 6 days.
See more pictures of the Combe Brune staircase fitting on our staircase page.
Stairwell: 2 flight stairacase. Rectangular surrounding wall. Semi circular stairwell.
Stone: Combe Brune. Architect: HWL architects.Engineer: URS. London.
Stairs contractor: Limestone Gallery.
Main Contractor: Brien Langley. Londond.
Survey, drawing, supply, fitting. Atelier 109.
Enquiry March 2008, contract agreed in may 08 , Drawing in June, Work in July, fitting in August 08 ( re program for January 2009).
June 2008. Pembridge Garden New Portland stone staircase.
After a first meeting in March 2008, we secured the complete renewal of the first flight, landing and 2nd flight of stairs, for a private house in Notting hill, all to be in Portland stone.
Atelier 109 specialist in stone staircase was again up to the challenge.
It is a different challenge here, the client wanted to have the same stone landing as next door neighbour which was only supported by the 3 surrounding walls and no support on the stairwell.
After few brainstorming meetings the Kube developpement team came up with a reinforced steel structure.
The second challenge was the supporting wall for the second flight, it was a mix of brick and steel beam.
On the occasion we had to synchronise with other trade on site to minimise our time on site. After the landing was fitted, a welder would have to support the landing straight away, then we would get as well the overall dimension to locate the first step on the corridor for the welder to position is first beam.
3 rd challenge was matching the stone in the corridor with the new Portland stone staircase. Fortunately we recognise the stone and source it again to be a Perryfield stone match.
We were again on time and had no problem to fit the landing just before a week end to let it take its place and to allow it to be well fixed into the wall.
Another week was enough to fit the rest of the 22 threads.
Stairwell. rectangular. Stone: Portland Perryfield.
Architect: Azman architects. London
Engineer: Eckersley O'Callaghan.
Project management team: Kube Developement .
Garden: New Ground Llandscape.
Survey, drawing, supply, fitting. Atelier 109.
Enquiry February, contract agreed in April, fitting in June 08.
April 2008 Enismore Garden
Atelier 109 was awarded the refurbishment of a stone staircase in Brompton square. It is the complete renewing of a Portland staircase to his former glory. In cantilever , each thread being set into the bricks wall 150 mm deep. Again natural stone was the only choice as reconstituted stone would have been impossible.
The most challenging task was the drawing of the first 2 steps as there was no archives of the original stairs. After producing 3 differents drawing Cubbit Architect decided on a swiping 2 first steps.
On this occasion the time scale was really important as we had a week to fit the steps before the carpentry second fixing teams and electricians start on site.
Because of well preparation, we did fix the staircase in a week and had even time to modify the landing which was in fact in a to poor state to match the new stone.
Stairwell: Triangular. Stone: Portland Perryfield. Architect: Cubbit Partner.
Project management team: Engineer. Survey, drawing, supply, fitting. Atelier 109.
Enquiry march 07, contract agreed in October, fitting in February 08.