Haddonstone has supplied creative cast stone products for health sector projects in the past; and a major contract has recently seen the company involved in meeting major technical and logistical challenges, as well as linking up for late-night conference calls spanning three continents.
The design of the Yuki Hospital in the Kanto region of Honshum, Japan, was partly inspired by the idyllic Cotswolds Manor House Hotel, Moreton-in-Marsh, as the client was keen to replicate the elegance of this 16th Century building’s traditional stonework. Haddonstone was initially recommended to Nobu Archi Design Co. Ltd., based in Yokohama City, Japan, by its US building materials supply partner. Haddonstone’s Colorado-based USA team then called on expertise of Haddonstone’s UK production team to ensure all of the specifications and demanding delivery dates could be met.
This trans-Atlantic/East Asian cooperation duly led to the hospital developer’s director travelling to see Haddonstone’s UK Show Gardens and production facility in Northampton, prior to the first order being placed. The detailed design work had to take into consideration both Japanese building standards and building practices, before work began on casting thousands of architectural components for shipment to Honshu.
Each component was manufactured in the popular Ivory colour option of Haddonstone’s dry-cast material and included bespoke window surrounds, Bishop’s Finials, ramped balustrade, and columns for installation both internally and externally around the hospital. Whilst the majority of stonework for the project was based on Haddonstone’s standard collection of architectural cast stonework, each component was produced to bespoke requirements respecting the Japanese contractor’s installation requirements, as well as sizing and custom designs to match the Manor House Hotel’s heritage.
Realising the difference in building practices between Britain and Japan, Haddonstone worked with its UK installation partner, Surrey Stone Solutions, in order to produce a series of installation videos, to demonstrate installation techniques specific to the material type and products ordered.
Haddonstone’s Callum Jensen commented:
“The distance and strict time constraints we faced meant that every stone in the 60+ tonnes delivered had to work perfectly with the structure which was already completed. The six container loads of architectural stonework all arrived undamaged despite one of the containers sailing through a typhoon. The huge attention to detail was rewarded as replacements could not have arrived in time ahead of the programmed opening date. There was a lot of theory involved with the design and installation requirements to make sure the final build looked flawless and as though it was constructed in a traditional manner.”
Haddonstone’s mould fabrication shop and production lines worked extended shifts to ensure the last of the six containers was dispatched to schedule by the end of June, and work on the Yuki Hospital could be completed to programme for the grand opening.
CEO for Nobu Archi Design Co. Ltd, Nobuyuki Narigasawa, added:
“It was a great pleasure working with Haddonstone and their teams in the USA and the UK. My client first suggested the idea of building a nursing home in Japan which was modelled on the 16th century Manor House Hotel in the Cotswolds, England. I initially started designing a typical Cotswolds-style building, however, it was challenging to create an authentic design that met my client’s expectations. Our USA supplier, Pac-Rim Building Supply, Inc., recommended Haddonstone, so my client visited their UK head office to review the quality of their products and to view their Show Gardens. Once the building design was finalised, Haddonstone’s USA team was very accommodating, and their communications were outstanding. With Haddonstone’s superior products and the excellent team, the project was a great success. When we hear the many compliments about the building, and how people think that it ‘looks like an English manor house,’ we know that we have successfully executed our vision. Many thanks to Haddonstone!”
Haddonstone is a founder member of the UK Cast Stone Association whose portfolio encompasses a wide selection of traditional, classical and contemporary designs to suit virtually any setting, and therefore all types of commercial as well as residential development. The members of its Building and Construction team combine more than 100 years of experience while the craftspeople in its workshops can produce moulds to fulfil almost any bespoke order.
For more information on Haddonstone’s products and services, including from the Building and Construction team, please visit www.haddonstone.com/en-gb/building-and-construction