Bert & May is a sustainable flooring company based in East London, specialising in the supply and design of flooring using salvaged timber and tiles, sourced from all over Europe, plus their own designs of handmade tiles.
Another part of the same group of companies is Bert and May Spaces which designs stylish homes for sustainable living such as “Bert’s Barges” displayed during Clerkenwell Design Week, not in water but on dry land in St John’s Square. Here is an affordable and sustainable home for city workers if they can find moorings in for example Regent’s Canal or the docks around Canary Wharf.
A collaboration between designer Laura Fulmine, RaT Architecture and Bert & May Spaces, Space Number 1 two offers two barge options, the ” City Barge” and the “Country Barge”, one for busy weekdays in the city, the other for relaxing weekends in the country. Not only do they provide stylish and cosy living areas but, as with traditional barges, there is a rooftop terrace for relaxing in the sun and for parties.
The City Barge, 14.63m long by 3.35m wide, is designed as a one bedroom bachelor pad with a Scandinavian-styled interior including a hidden foldaway double bed for those inevitable guests to stay overnight.
The overall structure of the barges has been designed by Bert & May Spaces and are manufactured in the UK, while Laura Fulmine has designed the interiors incorporated items from a number of firms including ceramics by Vanja Bazdulj, an installation by Rhonda & Lulu of Darkroom, handmade soaps and personalised candles from Honest Skincare, a Bert & May inspired wall hanging by textile artist Justine Ashbee of Native Line and metalworks from Katharina Eisenkoeck.
The price of the City Barge, including all fittings but not furniture, is only £150,000 with a lead time of 16 weeks, compared with the average price of property in London of £462,799.
Imaginative solutions are needed to help solve the housing shortage in London. Here is one that uses the waterways of London and builds on the strong tradition of barge living, in a modern stylish way. The company has also designed “Bert’s Boxes” using reclaimed materials to produce simple classical and cost effective modular homes. All you need is the land.
