Ayrshire building contractors William Skinner construct major new tree house

Ayrshire, Scotland, Saturday 28 April--Ayrshire and Cambridgeshire-based building contractors William Skinner & Son have completed the first part of a major new contract to design and build two tree houses for UK company De Vere Venues.

The first tree house has now been completed at Theobalds Park, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, and will be handed over to De Vere Venues at 10.30am on Tuesday 1 May. Members of the media are cordially invited to cover the event.

De Vere Venues, previously Initial Style Conferences, was founded in 1978 and is the UK's market leader in the provision of dedicated residential training and conference venues.

Speaking from the William Skinner & Son HQ at St Quivox on the perimeter of Prestwick Airport, William Skinner & Son managing director Sandy Cunningham said: "This exciting new tree house is the first of two that we will initially be building for De Vere Venues.

"They will be used as additional meeting and lecture rooms, providing extra accommodation at little cost compared to conventional building."

Project manager Derek Saunderson said: "The purpose of these tree houses is to provide De Vere Venues with a facility they can offer their clients which will provide an exiting and unusual alternative for hosting a wide variety of events, including meetings, small seminars, etc.

"The first tree house has been built in the two mature oak trees situated in the gardens to the west of a Georgian mansion. This provides a perfect backdrop to what is a fantastic location."

It is also expected that the two new tree houses will feature prominently in William Skinners and Son’s promotion of this new part of their business.

Sandy Cunningham commented: "Tree houses have, of course, been used for many years – as offices, play rooms, workshops, studios, tearooms, spare bedrooms.

"Whereas they might once have been seen as expensive, eccentric and extravagant, current building costs and the availability of new materials have resulted in their becoming a practical alternative to conventional construction."

De Vere Theobalds Park Jan Williams, sales manager commented: "A unique destination set in 55 acres of beautifully landscaped parkland grounds, De Vere Theobalds Park prides itself on offering space to inspire great thinking and encourage creativity. Prominently positioned in front of the Old Mansion House and constructed between two mature oak trees, the tree house meeting space measures 23sqm and comfortably house at least 10 people. The tree house is available for a variety of business meetings and brainstorming sessions and is set to become one of the most exclusive retreats for corporate gatherings.

"Nowadays businesses are continually looking for new and innovative spaces to hold meetings, inspire ideas and stimulate creative thinking and the tree house meeting space here at Theobalds Park will offer just that. Tree houses are often considered a source of escapism and adventure – providing peace and tranquillity and the opportunity to become immersed in the world of nature, a proposition that fits beautifully with De Vere’s commitment to providing beautiful places with inspiring spaces".

"Ayrshire and Cambridge-based building contractors William Skinner & Son constructed this impressive tree house, which offers heating, power sockets, Internet access and all the facilities that you’d expect from a modern meeting facility. Bathed in natural light, the tree house also features contemporary lighting and can be lit via floodlights from the main house. The interior of the tree house features low-level seating and lots of brightly coloured, comfortable cushions to facilitate creative thinking."

William Skinner & Son

In addition to tree houses, William Skinner & Son has also made a successful entrance into the solar heating market, attracting a large number of new clients in England and Scotland, and have demonstrated their commitment to the wider field of renewable energy by installing a 6kW ‘Proven’ wind turbine at their HQ in St. Quivox and including PV panels in the design for their proposed office extension.

The aim now is to offer general advice on the suitability of any of the available renewable energy techniques, or any mix of them, to solve individual energy supply problems, and they are developing a consortium of available local expertise to help them develop that.

William Skinner & Son are members of The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.

The purpose of the Circle is to publicise its members, and to celebrate and promote the rich diversity of industry, commerce and business services available within the county boundaries of Ayrshire in southwest Scotland.

Members include the Clydesdale Bank, Ayr Racecourse and the Western House Hotel, and member company activities include building and construction, estate agency and land management, legal services, insurance broking, brand management, website design and public relations consultancy.

The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle runs its own online news magazine, which can be found at www.AyrshireBusinessNews.com

As well as regularly updated illustrated articles about member companies, Ayrshire Business News also features rolling news, business and sports headlines, and its own online department store.

For further information about William Skinner & Son, telephone 01292 671188 or visit the company website at www.williamskinner.co.uk

For a high-res photograph of the new tree house, e-mail Murdoch@famepublicity.co.uk

-ends-

William Skinner & Son
HEAD OFFICE:
Cunningham House
Highfield
St Quivox
AYR, Ayrshire
Scotland KA6 5HQ

Telephone: 01292 671188
Fax: 01292 671133

Issued on behalf of William Skinner & Son by Fame Publicity Services.

10 Miller Road
AYR, Ayrshire
Scotland
KA7 2AY

Telephone: 01292 281498
Mobile: 07833 667322
E-mail: Murdoch@famepublicity.co.uk

www.AyrshireBusinessNews.com
www.famepublicity.co.uk