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Michelle : We came to know Shatwell Farm through our great friend Eleanor Goulding [one half of the amazing Denman & Gould 'an art and design studio specialising in public and community-based projects']. Elle had enjoyed many wonderful events curated by Kendra at Shatwell & also worked together with Kendra as part of the Sounds & Shapes exhibition on Formation 2 [which you can read about here]. Just one example of the extraordinary collaborative spirit that exists on this site thanks to the open & generous spirit of Kendra & Niall.
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The first time we were invited to Shatwell Farm we knew it would be a perfect home for tea. Nature is close at hand & the space has a calm, creative energy that makes you want to stop & sit a while to take it all in. There is one particular spot, looking up the valley at one particular tree [which I will show you if you come] that makes me feel like I am in India. Seasons changed & we were invited to share tea at two of the incredible open days at Shatwell. The first - Tea, Sound & Landscape & the second Sound, Tea & Architecture. We used these opportunities to explore the theme of tea in nature & visits to take tea with Kendra became a regular part of my life. Indeed they were, and continue to be, a tonic - sitting sipping tea in this landscape was, and still is, soothing to the soul.
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For those of you new to Shatwell it is important to introduce that Shatwell Farm is the home of Kendra & Niall - two of the most creative & generously open hearted people we have had the pleasure to meet through our life in tea. It is also home to Drawing Matter 'an organisation that explores the role of drawing in architectural thought and practice through exhibitions, publications, public events, and workshops for students and practitioners. At the heart of these activities is the Drawing Matter Collection, a collection of many-thousand architectural drawings assembled over the last 25 years, dating from the sixteenth century to the present day'. Every year the site hosts the Architectural Summer School & the Shatwell Project is also home to a number of architecturally important buildings [Dairy House (2006, by Skene Catling de la Pena), the Cowshed and Haybarn (2012 and 2014, by Stephen Taylor Architects), the Drawing Matter archive (2014, by Hugh Strange Architects), and the conversion of the Atcost building as storage and event facilities ( by Clancy Moore Architects). Other interventions on the site include projects by Cedric Price, David Grandorge, Tuomas Tuovonen and John Glew, a wooden obelisk by Peter Smithson (commissioned 2002, reinstalled 2016) and the columns by Álvaro Siza (commissioned 2014, for the Royal Academy, London, reinstalled at Shatwell 2017).]
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It was, at one of those tea times mentioned earlier, that talk turned to building a space for Tea in this magical setting. Sitting with Kendra around the kitchen table we discussed and then drew a simple structure on a piece of paper - the idea was a 'building within a building' with the Tea House being built in the stunning Atcost Barn. It was at that time that we also discussed & agreed on the principles that would sit at the heart of any project we undertook. The first was that the space needed to be built with the creative & collaborative spirit that exists both within tea & at Shatwell. The energy that you put into making tea, from plucking to brewing, is reflected in the cup & we believe that the same principles exist in building a space for the enjoyment of tea. The second was simplicity & reuse; we both felt strongly that any space should be built from materials already owned by those collaborating on the project. This, we felt, would encourage creativity - avoiding that search for 'perfection' that often infuses into projects & lets ego take over. Finally we felt that this space should clearly reflect our life in tea which has taken us all over the Tea world but is also firmly rooted in the UK. Our intention was never to create a replica of a Tea House we had seen and enjoyed in another part of the world rather to build our own unique British Tea House which celebrates the diverse tea culture we have had the great pleasure to experience.
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The first step was to visualise & agree the aspect and the layout of the space, [particularly important & well debated were the pitch of the roof & the positioning & mechanism of the door - but these are things we can discuss over a cup of tea if you are interested!]. Here is Michelle pictured with Clara in colder months pondering the layout.
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An incredible team was then brought together by Kendra Matchett - a highly experienced curator & therapist who visualises and brings to life all of the wonderful creativity at Shatwell. Let's take a moment to recognise and celebrate all who gave their time and expertise to this unique project here :
* Kendra & Niall - the owners and custodians of Shatwell Farm. Kendra concentrates on events at Shatwell, & Niall on the Drawing Matter Collection.
* Jim Blackburn owns the Timber Frame company which also has a home at Shatwell. As Jim mentions on his website 'the key to producing great timber framed buildings is good design' something which everyone who enters the Tea House comments on. Jim designed the frame of the Tea House working with Niall Hobhouse to decide the pitch of the roof & to the brief that the Tea House must be able to be dis-assembled at the end of its life here to be moved somewhere else. The result is quite simply beautiful.
* Lucas Wilson : Once site manager for Shatwell, with a background in Architecture & carpentry, Lucas volunteered skills to install the main structure.
* Ben Critchley : Ben is responsible for one of the most photographed areas of the Tea House - the hazel wall. He personally foraged all the hazel for this special feature & then constructed this beautiful area.
* Jackie Brooks : with her background in theatre design & a freelance set & costume designer Jackie expertly designed & installed all of the fabric panelling & paperwork on the tilting windows.
* George Maule : an incredible craftsman woodworker whose many projects you can see through this link - George worked together with Jim, Lucas & Adam to bring the Tea House structure to life.
* Ollie Whitmore : part of the timber frame company team, Ollie worked together with Jim, Lucas, Adam, George & Ruben to bring the Tea House structure to life & helped Rob with the cutting for the circular counter
* Adam Blencoe : an experienced designer, who you can read about here, Adam worked together with Jim, Lucas,Ollie, George & Ruben to bring the Tea House structure to life & helped with the beautiful door & the roof.
* Ruben Giannini : an Architectural Designer, whose work you can see here, Ruben worked together with Jim, Lucas,Ollie, George & Adam to bring the Tea House structure to life
* Mariko Aruga West : a long time friend and collaborator of Comins Mariko is a talented illustrator responsible for the drawings in the Tea House & our Noren
* Matt Murphy : An award winning British illustrator based in Dorset, UK, Matt designed the wonderful posters inspired by tea in Japan & Korea that you will soon be able to see posted on the sides of the Tea House
*As for us at Comins, well most recognition must go to Rob who helped on build days and then designed and built the tea shelving, table tops, counter & seating. Also to our children who got involved especially in the design and making of the Japanese inspired table for tea.
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The result of all of this beautiful, collaborative effort is, we believe, a space with personality & life that feels like a different world the minute you step over the threshold. The ideas and energy of each collaborator mean that each corner has its own feeling ; offering the tea drinker to sit a while and get to know it, making the space feel welcoming rather than austere. These qualities are at the heart of Comins - our aim has always been to make tea more accessible & with the help of an amazing team at Shatwell we hope to open the wonderful world of tea to many more tea drinkers. All in the heart of nature. Perfect.
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