Issue 60

PEOPLE
Behind the Scenes
Hearthworks
Behind the Scenes with
Rico Aalst, manufacturing
manager at Hearthworks
Tipis and Yurts
AL FORRESTER
RICO STARTED working with Hearthworks
in 2007 as part of the tipi village set up team
for Glastonbury Festival. It was the first year
that tipis to hire were introduced there, and
nobody then had even heard of ‘glamping’.
Having made and lived in tipis for many
years, he was a perfect fit for a company on
a mission to introduce people to the lifechanging
joy of living simply in nature, under
canvas.
After a few years of team-leading the
set-up of tipis and yurts at summer festivals,
Rico relocated his then young family to
the Glastonbury area, and over the years
slowly took charge of manufacturing at
Hearthworks.
Under his watch, manufacturing at
Hearthworks has grown from making a
handful of tipis and yurts each year, to it
being the backbone of the business. It was
manufacturing that saw the business survive
the unexpected shock of the Covid years,
when the festival scene that had always been
Hearthworks’ bread and butter evaporated
overnight.
His now adult children have left home
but have also become part of Hearthworks’
summer festival team themselves.
Nowadays, Rico spends more of his time
coordinating and teaching others in the
manufacturing team than he does quietly
working on a project by himself, and he
spends as much time on the computer as he
does behind a sewing machine. Still, it’s the
satisfaction of carrying a project from design
to completion that he gets excited about,
and he remains involved at every step of the
process, using vast reserves of experience to
hone and standardise both the methods and
materials used, and passing on his skills to a
new generation.
Tell us what you do
“I start by helping clients get a really clear
idea of what they want and then guide them
towards the best way to make that a reality.
I design these often bespoke projects on
a 3D drawing program, distilling canvas
dreams into something practical so I can
derive all the necessary measurements,
dimensions, methods and instructions for
our manufacturing teams.
“I guide our canvas and woodwork teams,
making sure that what each team does
connects with the other’s work, and that all
materials needed are made available in time.
I also keep in touch with customers about
their structure’s progress.
“On completion, I make sure everything
is up to standard, and either install the
structure(s) myself with a team, or provide
detailed instructions for others to follow.”
What brought you to work at
Hearthworks?
“In my twenties, I spent a lot of time staying
in tipis, and was taken by the magic of
their design. When my partner and I were
expecting our first child, she wished to give
birth in a tipi, so I decided to make one. Both
of our children were born in a tipi, and spent
some of their early years living in canvas
covered structures, in India, Spain and other
places.
“When Hearthworks dramatically
expanded their festival hire operations in
2007, I was contacted and joined them. Since
that time, we’ve made hundreds of tipis and
yurts together.”
What’s a typical day’s work for you?
“Hearthworks is based on a farm near the
Glastonbury festival site. My activities take
place in one of the barns converted for
manufacturing purposes, and includes the
sewing room and the wood workshop.
“I work as part of a larger team, so on a
typical day I divide my time mostly between
the sewing team and the woodwork team.
I’m based in the sewing room, where my
computer is and now have an assistant
sewing manager, Robb, to help with that
side of things. I spend a lot of time with the
woodworking team too, which is headed
up by my colleague Osh. I also work with
the Hearthworks office team, by keeping in
touch with clients and suppliers, answering
enquiries and sending out quotes, and I
work with the warehouse team, because we
make and maintain all of the tipis and yurts
Hearthworks hires out at festivals.”
What project are you working on now?
“We are currently working on a home for
a family of four, consisting of two yurts
podded together. One yurt is a living room
with kitchen facilities, and the other contains
sleeping quarters and a bathroom. They plan
to live in this yurt complex for some years
whilst renovating their farmhouse. It has
extra tall walls, exterior and interior doors,
many windows and a number of unusual
features so it is an interesting project.”
What are some of the challenges you face?
“Lead times are a particular challenge, as
often customers want their orders fulfilled
quickly. Orders frequently come in all at
once. We may have very quiet early winter
months, for instance, and then as we
approach spring we get multiple orders in,
SERKAN CETIN
WWW.OPENAIRBUSINESS.COM 81