Steam Bent Structures

Apple Shelters

The very first thing we made was an Apple Shelter for a school in Leeds. Much loved and remade our Apple Shelters have had quite a ride, being installed in parks, schools, orchards and city centres. One being opened by the last Queen with ribbon cutting ceremony in Huddersfield and another temporarily at an Apple Celebration event at Kew with over a thousand different apple varieties. Apple Shelters have also graced the Winter gardens in Sheffield and many music festivals and events across the country. The original was made out of profile cut shapes from wide oak boards each rib being in three sections and the central core in maybe six. It had about 500 components including the twelve triangle floor sections and took two days to install on site. Whilst the size and form has been maintained the construction method and detail has radically changed. Now the twelve main ribs and six core ribs are each made complete from steam-bent oak lathes. The eleven seating bay supports are notched into the ribs and the curved three section seats fixed with stainless steel screws. At ground level a twelve sided polygon galvanised steel box section beam connects all the ribs together and clamps them securely into place. The ground within the ring beam can be paved, or tarmac’d to keep it flush to the top of the steel or with a step up we could add a timber deck. Left open or with lazer cut galvanised steel roofing. We are yet to add a greenroof, but maybe this will happen. The Apple is flat packed for installation, so access is not an issue and requires a concrete pad or ground screws prior to installation. We also have a Crab Apple - a smaller playground version of the structure, without a roof.