The Building

All the foundation pads are complete and the ground beams have been poured. Concreting is being carried out in sequence. 50% 0f the beams were poured 10 days ago and the same shuttering is used for the second pour. Considerable time has been taken by the need to blast rock to achieve a comfortable level. All the stone used on the site is from the rock and boulders which have been dynamited and split. So far I have not had to buy any stone. Some 125 m length of the boundary wall is in stone and several of the retaining walls are built of the same attractive material. I believe the retaining walls can only be designed on site to marry in with the existing stone boulders. Hollow concrete blocks measuring 200x 200x400 are used in some locations as a backing skin where the retaining walls are high. All the retaining walls and landscaping is being carried out using direct labour. The building proper is being built by a medium sized contractor with whome rates have been agreed and a formal contract, which I drafted, has been signed all on legal paper. Relationship with the contractor is excellent- to date.