In our garden iss a disused electrical substation. It was built in 1967 to provide power to a local school and decommissioned a little over 20 years later, since when it has lain idle, save a large volume of rusting iron shelving.
As my artistic practice developed (things got increasingly messier) building a studio in the this building seemed like a good idea, at that moment the walls were just soaking up the best light. My idea was to get in, run out and extol cable and get on with making some art – I was particularly keen on trying oil painting which, in my hands, is messy, smelly and requires a lot of space. . .
Two structural surveyors suggested if the conversion was done “properly” the space would become an “asset” soooooo, under the guidance of a neighbour, their angle grinder and hired jackhammer we got going in the second week of July 2019. . .
We designed 3 wooden windows and doors & carefully cut out the bricks to fit them. This was no mean task as the wall is 2 bricks thick and the mortar was harder than the brick themselves.
It was hard work, filled, levelled an concreted the floor, repointed the walls, cut and fitted the surrounds for the windows
