A spiralling Family Affair
09/09/09
A Spiralling Family Affair
‘Under the spreading Chestnut tree
The village smithy stands . . . . '
So said Henry Longfellow back in the 1880's - but there is little of the village blacksmith about Hubbard Architectural Metalwork Ltd in Hurricane Way, Norwich today - apart from the chestnut tree! The company was founded in 1950 by brothers Fred and George Hubbard.
At the time, they were working with Barrett and Wright (now part of the E-Tech Group HVAC) and started making gates in their spare time to meet the demand for gates to replace those that been sacrificed during World War Two, to be melted down and made into ammunition for the war effort. Forge work and gas welding was part of their training as heating engineers and this opened up an opportunity to combine these skills by working in the evenings making scroll work gates. These proved so successful and popular that metal work fabrication eventually overtook the plumbing and heating activities and the two brothers formed their own company called Hubbard Brothers Decorative Ironworks Limited. Initially they had a workshop in Talbot Square in Norwich and later moved into premises in Oak Street. As the company expanded, the brothers moved the business into the current purpose-built premises in Hurricane Way - where it has been for the past 33 years.
There have been four generations of Hubbards involved in their architectural metalwork business. George, the remaining one of the two founding brothers, keeps an eye on the three generations currently working at the Hurricane Way premises, where 90 people are employed. In May I went to see the Managing Director, Tony Hubbard and asked him about his plans for the company. He told me that Hubbards has built up contacts with architects over the years and that most of the company's work is done in the UK - although there have been some exceptions when work has been carried out in Hong Kong, Kuwait and Taiwan at the request of specific architects. The link between architects and the company is vital and it is at this sector that Hubbards aims most of its marketing.
Tony said that Hubbards would like to do more work locally but he admitted that most of their current work was on high-rise buildings in London. He explained that his preference was for working on ‘green rather than brown field sites' and saw the company's future in ‘the drive for new build and design'. Looking at some of the work they have completed at the Royal Quay, London Docks, Greenwich Reach, the Royal Victoria Dock and Imperial Wharf (pictured left), where hundreds of curved balconies have received balustrades and privacy screens manufactured by Hubbards, one can see the attraction of building from scratch to a new design on a blank canvas.
|
|
But where did this wonderfully creative industry start? Who thought up, designed and made the very first spiral staircase or balcony? Tony Hubbard suggested that I would have to go back to the days of King Solomon in the tenth century BC. Sure enough, research shows that King Solomon's temple was possibly built in 979BC - and in it was what is believed to be the first spiral staircase. It was built to a plan said to have been supplied by King David to Solomon so that he would be able to reach his special place of worship on the first floor via a spiral staircase of 80 steps, each one half a cubit in height. It must have been a work of extreme difficulty, in the infancy of architecture, to build a perpendicular flight of steps to a height of over 100 feet, yet this is what was done. Since then the staircase has blossomed to become potentially the most important and attractive feature in any house - as well as an aid to Romance!
From the wonders of the Renaissance period when Leonardo Da Vinci experimented with interior and exterior staircase designs, influencing the stone staircases in the Chateaux of Blois and Chambord to the Bramante and Simonetti in the Vatican (left), right through to the three storey internal helical staircase installed by Hubbards at Clockhouse Place at Bedfont Lakes, the story of man's progression from one level to the next continues its engineering, philosophical and artistic journey. We have moved from the dark spirals of the 11th & 12th century churches, through the intricate and enclosed helix of the 15th and 16th centuries to the light, airy and open designs of the 21st century of which the helical staircase at Clockhouse Place (right) is an excellent example.
(pictured left). Forty-six stories high and rising to 242m, it is destined to be one of the tallest buildings in the city. Hubbards are working with clients Severfield-Reeve on the development, which is due to be completed in 2011. Heron Tower is destined to be a multi-occupied building with office space, retail areas, and a public restaurant situated on Floor 39, served by two dedicated, high speed glass lifts. Heron Tower is constructed from around 8,500 pieces of structural steel and is clad with a stainless steel curtain wall, which is naturally ventilated on the east and west sides. The south side incorporates photovoltaic glass, which is cooled by recycled air, thus reducing energy consumption. At the same time, Hubbards are carrying out on-going work at Thamesmead near the London Docks, where they have built balconies, walkways and stairways worth over £1 million. They are also working in Imperial Wharf in Fulham, in Grafton Square and in Westminster College.
I asked Chris Coulthard (Associate Director/General Manager) how he accounted for Hubbards on-going success at a time when many firms in the building industry were feeling the effects of the ‘credit crunch'? He said that Hubbards work was complex and mainly followed recommendations from architects with whom the firm worked hard to maintain good relationships. Working closely with architects and site engineers enables Hubbards to bring their own design to a project and give it that special something. He also emphasised the importance of a sound, reliable supply chain. But there is more than that to the company's success - it stems from Hubbards in-house expertise and a conscientious and committed workforce. Engineers have remained with this local family firm for 40 or 50 years!
(left) Billy Saunders using air line sander to glazing brackets
There is a high emphasis on training at Hubbards and six employees are currently participating in the Train To Gain Scheme with EAGIT. They are: Michael Osborne, Martin James, Mike Bullimore, Michael Seaman, Keith Neale and Geoffrey Gunton. We are delighted to be able to report that Mike Bullimore and Keith Neale have completed their NVQ2 training successfully. Hubbards management are also looking to the future and the need to train up a new generation of engineers. The company has currently placed four apprentices with EAGIT: Billy Saunders, who is an Advanced Apprentice studying for his NVQ Level 3, and James Foreman, Leon Cross and Demitrios Briers, who have just recently started as Apprentices. They don't have to go to London to see examples of the company's work either - Hubbards have been involved in both of the Shopping Malls in Norwich. They have built the atrium balustrades on three floors of the Castle Mall (above right) and have also supplied walkways, internal and external stairs, balustrades and landscape railings at the Riverside Heights development of apartments and studios at Carrow Bridge in Norwich. Hubbards also supplied 150 balconies at Fellowes Plain on the site of the old Norwich hospital ( above left).
Michael Osborne operating a bandsaw
So, next time you go into Castle Mall in Norwich be sure to look carefully at the balustrade and stainless steel handrails - not forgetting to notice the specially fabricated hood, which decorates and transforms the top of an air circulation unit. The whole effect is quite splendid - all the more so when one realises it was made locally by a Norwich family firm.
I have thoroughly enjoyed writing about Hubbards and before concluding.
Story by:
Marguerite Finn
For more articles by Marguerite Finn please follow this link
If you wish to know more about apprenticeships in engineering then call l 01603-401606 and speak to Jamie Cooper.
