The Forest Observatory departs slightly from our usual methodology: generally we avoid placing our observatories on concrete slabs, but in this case, local planning prevented us from laying our usual paving-slab foundations for fear of damage to tree roots: digging was prohibited. As a result, we provided the customer with a precise specification for a concrete foundation which was installed by a local builder and met with the planners’ requirements.
This project comprised a 12’x9′ workshop, with a 9’x9′ observatory, giving an overall 21′ x 9′ building – our largest to date.
The Clandon Observatory is another split-level design – but unlike the Hillside Observatory it doesn’t appear so – the horizontals have been kept consistent externally, and the observatory is specifically designed to minimise its visual impact – both for the owners and their neighbours.
The Hillside Observatory was designed to be both an observatory and a true ‘man shed’ for its owner, Nick.
Described by its owner as the ‘hobbit house’, the Owlsmoor Observatory has strking proportions as a result of an unusual design brief.
Designed for a large independent school, this observatory is a 12′ x 7′ single-room observatory with a simple design and a pent roof, designed to accommodate up to 12 children and two staff members.
Completed in 2012, this observatory was our first to incorporate a ‘warm room’ – a separate room that usually houses a desk and chair for the user to operate their telescope via a computer. The images below show a few new features that would become mainstays in our designs.
Our first observatory, the Edinburgh observatory was completed in mid-2011 and was the result of several months of planning. Comprising of a basic 7×8′ observatory, its location adjacent to a nearby garage allowed a simpler roll-off rail system than is usually possible.