Kasthamahal –
The Pestalozzi Barn
Crafted by Ben Law [ of Grand Designs ]
For
Pestalozzi International Village Trust
Supported by WWF International
Kasthamahal, meaning ‘wooden palace’ in Nepali, was the name given by the Pestalozzi students to the round wood timber frame barn built by Ben Law and his team of trainee eco-builders.It is a fitting name for a building that from a pile of logs has grown from week to week into the beautiful, elegant structure that will be enjoyed not only for its aesthetic attributes but as a storage unit for the new educational garden that will develop alongside it.
Ben Law will be known to many having featured several times on Channel 4 TV’s ‘Grand Designs’.Ben’s handcrafted woodland house in West Sussex was picked by Grand Design presenter, Kevin McCloud, as his favourite project and is a prime model of affordable and sustainable design. The key focus of the Pestalozzi barn project is that it demonstrates sustainable building techniques as well as having an educational focus as a platform to equip a new team of woodsmen with the skills to work and build with wood in a sustainable manner.This is in keeping with the ethos of Pestalozzi to educate the ‘head, heart and hands’ and the focus of the Pestalozzi charity which is to equip young people from Africa and Asia, who come and study the International Baccalaureate here for two years, with the knowledge, skills and emotional commitment to work towards a just and sustainable world.
The barn which was designed by TPA Design Company Ltd and Ben Law, incorporates a storage area as well as a terraced area that can be used for drying produce and herbs prior to storage.The barn was built from wood taken from Powdermill Wood in Battle (about 5 miles away) as well as Ben’s own wood, Prickly Nut Wood, and is a mixture of larch, sweet chestnut, coppiced hazel and western red cedar shingles.This wood was chosen for its durability without treatment due to the natural chemicals within the wood that make it resistant to fungal and insect attack. The barn has taken just eight short weeks to be completed.
Kasthamahal will be used as an essential storage facility for the new and innovative Global Garden which is currently being developed.The garden will be divided into a field scale growing area and an educational area, which will incorporate a straw-bale classroom that will provide a centre for environmental workshops for local groups and schools. Other features of the garden will include a community allotment, herb garden, compost display and rainwater harvesting.There will be wheelchair access and raised beds for those with mobility problems.
Ben Law is delighted with the project and says “All my buildings come from local woodland and help support sustainable forest management. We have the local materials to build ecological buildings. What the Pestalozzi Barn has already achieved is the education of a new breed of carpenters.”
We are extremely pleased that Eduardo Goncalves, from WWF International, has agreed to ‘cut the bark’ to launch the barn and the Global Garden project.WWF International has supported the project from its conception and has commissioned the filming of the build.
Derek Marshall, Chief Executive of Pestalozzi, comments “ The official launch of Ben Law’s exceptional contribution to our redevelopment marks one of the several landmarks that will, over time, be recognised as Pestalozzi’s commitment to a sustainable future on this site. We are proud to be the recipients of his remarkable skills, delighted that others have now experienced his mentoring at first hand, and extremely grateful for the generosity and foresight of all our supporters and funders that has brought about this vital, and superb, first step to the development of the Global Garden project in particular. Thank you”
Funded by the WARR Partnership Leader+ Programme, Junior Choice Adventure (JCA), High Weald AONB, the Steel Charitable Trust, the Richard Cadbury Charitable Trust and the Rank Foundation.
The Pestalozzi Barn and an exhibition of its development will be open for public viewing on Sunday 6th July during Pestalozzi’s monthly guided walk.The tour leaves Pestalozzi reception at 3pm and costs £2, including tea and cake.
