This stair was an amazing commission to get. Certainly not one without its difficulties but definitely one to remember. I had initially turned down this job as it seemed too much to take on at the time. Even though I had never done a free standing helical stair before the clients returned to ask if I would take the project on. They had had various people in to look at the job who had offered designs of bought in components fabricated together or thistles.

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At our first meeting the clients didn't really know what they were looking for but most certainly knew what they didn't want. The stair was to lead from the second to the third floor of a very impressive new build. The whole of the stair well was glass fronted to look as though it was a modern connection between an old keep and a newer house beside. Inside there were only narrow landings connecting one to the other, and the rest of the stair well was open from floor to ceiling.

          My initial idea was to have the stair quite plain and create a flowing sculpture that ran from the lower to the upper landing in the atrium space. As well as providing a barrier rail for the landings it would create a very impressive sculptural piece that could be seen as you approached the house from outside as well as being seen from within. Although this idea was met with interest it served only to focus the clients minds to the fact that they wanted the emphasis to be on the stair and the design was to entice you to climb the stair to see where it led. Before long the final design was decided and a costing provide. Contracts were signed and work commenced.

      Full size frames had to be made in the workshop to give the landing levels and the stairs were built around these. Stair treads were laser cut and folded. Stringers rolled from 250mm by 10mm flat bar and various lengths of mild steel bar were ordered ready to forge the handrail. Artist blacksmith David Hastings was brought in to help with some of the creation and over 800 hours were spent on creating the two stairs and various handrail sections. All parts had to be sectional as it all had to be carried up the lower flights for fitting. After much fretting on my part as to whether I had done all the calculations correctly it was fitted and looked fantastic.

          The clients had requested that there should be the initials of themselves and their children hidden in the design the caterpillar and also a mention of the two brick layers who had played such an important part in the building of the house. A miniature trowel with their initials is hidden within the handrail.