Bespoke Design Service

There are several possible ways by which a design is arrived at for a piece of specially commissioned furniture. Each is the result of an evolutionary and collaborative process.

Architects may supply drawings or concepts which Treske’s designers and craftsmen take forward to completion in collaboration with the client. On the other hand Treske’s designers may be invited directly to design to briefs that accommodate particular aesthetic and practical considerations. Designs are then critiqued with the client before draft drawings are produced for further discussion.

When working drawings are agreed the item is priced and order placed. Prototypes are sometimes necessary to test issues of scale and construction and Treske is experienced in combining materials and working with specialists in glass and metal.

Illustrated right: a pair of lecterns in oak designed by Treske to be easily height adjustable for pupils of all ages and sizes at Ashville College. They incorporate a carved Methodist cross and are both portable and stable.

Altar for St Andrew’s, Corbridge: a case study

Colin Williams of Colin Williams Design Ltd, choir master of St Andrew’s, designed this altar. The legs form a three-dimensional St Andrew’s cross and support a two metre wide oval top which is held off the legs by hidden steel rods, making it appear to float like a halo. The mellow European oak and bronze finishes to the metal elements adds a glow of warmth to this sculptural piece of work.

A prototype of was made and taken to the church for all to consider the scale of the leg sections, table surface dimensions and the complexities of the centre joint. When all were agreed, manufacturing commenced. Hidden under one set of feet are nylon rollers so that it can be ‘wheelbarrowed’ into different parts of the church. Bronze pins have been set in the floor to mark where the wheels must go to return it to its central position.

All the steel work, fixings and circular steel feet are finished in a chemically darkened bronze to match the bronze plating on the strips that cover the edges of the cross. Such attention to detail coupled with outstanding cabinet making and metal working has turned an ambitious concept into a fitting focus for the liturgy.