Construction Continues

The Second Phase of Creating Atla's Conchas Vermont

The second phase of construction began just nine days ago, and what a whirlwind! All of our bakery equipment is safely wrapped in plastic drop cloths and moving blankets, and we’re eagerly awaiting the day when the dust settles and we can begin the tedious process of cleaning everything again. For now though, we’re just glad it’s not us drilling and hammering at 7 AM every morning! Here are some of our favorite shots of the construction progress so far.

The workers are drywalling the ceiling of our bakery, and as much as we’ll miss the 125-year-old exposed beams, general cleanliness is of the utmost importance. The old wood you see above the beams is actually the floor of the room above which is somewhat unsafe and certainly not hygienic. Still, I’m trying to take every moment to appreciate the old wood since we’ll be the last people to see it for a very long time. The beautiful planks have seen the past century and a quarter from where they sit, and I hope they’ll be around, although hidden, for many years to come.

This is the wall where the sink used to be and will be again once phase two is complete. Considering that it took two entire weeks during the first phase of construction to get the sink installed, it makes me a little nervous to see it removed! On this wall, the workers are installing insulation to act as a sound barrier, and then drywall, and finally a protective barrier to keep the wall dry.

This is where the workers are framing in our new stairwell. We got a fantastic antique circular metal staircase which will be sturdy and compact, ideal for carrying bags of grain up and down. Once the staircase is installed, the workers will close off this space and install a door. For now, they’re using an extension ladder to go up and down, and man, it’s a little nerve-wracking!

The ceiling fan is up! Ceiling fans are essential for air movement, and we picked out a really nice one that is operated with a remote control. While I’m usually opposed to modern technology, the ceilings in the bakery are too high for us to realistically reach a pull chord. In the back right of this picture, you can see our oven which is covered in the brown tarp. Our mixer is under the bright blue blanket, and our lowboy fridge is under the grey tarp. That’s our sink in the front under the dark blue blanket.

We feel incredibly fortunate that the workers are so skilled and dedicated to bringing our bakery to life. Soon we’ll be sharing photos of the finished space! Until then, wish us luck, and if unlike us you’re not waking up to loud banging at the crack of dawn, this is your reminder to appreciate that. Keep on baking!