Case Study

Twin Chimneypieces, The State Dining Room, Stowe House.

As part of the Purcell-led project to restore the State Dining Room at Stowe House, Refinery has created exact copies of the twin C18th chimneypieces that were once a key feature of this grand interior before their sale at auction in the 1920’s.

It was an aspect of the room’s restoration that initially posed a number of seemingly insurmountable problems.  Production of new chimneypieces by purely traditional methods would take far too long, be prohibitively expensive and be limited in their ability to offer an exact recreation of the chimney pieces’ considerable ornate features.

Refinery was appointed by the Stowe House Preservation Trust to overcome these obstacles and deliver new chimneypieces entirely in wood that would be exceptionally accurate and of an extremely high standard, yet still fit within an ambitious project schedule and budget. 

It was a task well suited to Refinery.  Born from the necessity to find a sustainable way forward for fine traditional craftsmanship with absolutely no compromise on quality, Refinery partners decades of skill and knowledge from two radically different industries to create an entirely new approach to working with historic woodwork. 

The contrasting skills of Refinery’s two partners enabled them to provide an innovative response to the challenges in creating the Stowe chimneypieces, introducing a wealth of digital expertise and new technology to work alongside traditional processes.  Digital scanning, advanced 3D modelling and CNC cutting provided new capabilities that greatly expanded what could be achieved while reducing risk and uncertainty at every stage of the project.

Critically, this introduction of digital capability was specifically focussed on uplifting and elevating traditional skills, rather than attempting to replace them.   Experience in traditional hand carving, joinery and knowledge of historic woodwork remained at the heart of this project throughout.  

Refinery’s use of 3D hand held scanning enabled the rapid, highly accurate and non-contact capture of every fine detail of the original chimney pieces, (now residing at Benham Park in deteriorating condition).   In addition to its use to drive digital production, it also offers an excellent, non-invasive route to safeguard and record historic ornate architectural details.

This scan data from the chimneypieces  was then developed into a complete digital 3D model, creating a versatile ‘digital twin’ to the chimneypieces.  By creating this digital model so early in the project, it facilitated important conversation and input from the client, numerous experts, architects and craftspeople. 

It is at this stage that digital modelling and repair of ornate ornate features took place.  Along with the construction of the separate component parts, creating an organised digital management system for the project.

Although these processes are digital, they are still driven by extensive knowledge in historic joinery and carving and a consideration for conservation philosophy.  Rather than seeking to provide alternatives to traditional process, they serve as a new set of tools for core traditional skills and knowledge.

When used to support traditional skill, CNC offers a highly efficient method of voiding away unwanted timber to quickly arrive at ‘near-forms’, ready for skilled hand carving of the final surface.

The balance of how close to take the CNC cutting is constantly adapted to create a versatile interface between digital and traditional process and ensure there is always room for the traditional hand carving to introduce artistry and natural variation.

This equanimity between digitally production and traditional skills ensured that the chimneypieces at Stowe were a success on all fronts.  They were created to an exceptionally high standard, sitting seamlessly against original features, while the transformation in efficiency and the removal of risk ensured that  the project fitted to a demanding schedule and remained exactly on budget.