I am excited to share this project with you, readers! This one was a unique experience, both in practice (the scale and breadth of this project was tremendous!) and in structure. We worked with
Anthi Frangiadis (Hi, Anthi!) to help the folks at the Wequassett Resort complete their dream renovation and install the perfect tent for their space.
This is the first round Savannah Series wooden frame tent. The rings of the cupola are completely round, laminated in the shop with a combination of blood, sweat, tears, and magic. And glue and a lot of math. The varnished rafters extend out radially – but to suit the surrounding structures, the rafter lengths vary. Each rafter is a custom length – built to fall in the right place, at just the right height. The word clearspan applies extra to this tent – the whole ocean view is unobstructed by posts or poles, with a massive curved steel truss (we had a little help for that one, from a
wonderful metal fabrication company out in Minnesota) supporting each and every long rafter on that side.
Another new element for us was coordinating with many other craftsmen and manufacturers in the same space. With most of our structures, we do the whole thing from top to bottom: frame, brackets, welding, and fabric. In this case, there were a number of things that we just could not do! The exquisite stonework for the flooring, for example, and the custom glass doors that face out to the ocean – these were just a couple of the details that joined with our tent to make a polished space. The steel truss was precisely designed and has a very small margin of error (1/4″!) – too high and the sea breezes would enter uninvited on chilly days, too low and the glass doors would not fit in the space allotted.
The timeline for installation was a relay race of quick and coordinated hard work, and we are happy to have been a part of the project. Please check out the
Wequassett website for room availability, information about dining and special events, and to see more beautiful photos of the stunning vision they have brought to life.
Photographs courtesy of the Wequassett Resort and Warren Jagger Photography.
