December 30th 2007

All the photos this week are of Chalet Iskar's interior and we're excited to include a picture of our first working toilet! The bathrooms on the lower floors are almost complete, with all tiling, plumbing and sanitary-ware fitted.The high quality, solid wooden internal doors and frames were fitted throughout. Insulation and plaster boarding work is progressing well in apartments 10,11 and 12.

December 23rd 2007

We've got a close up image of the quarried stone cladding this week. This detail is all but complete and adds a really natural finish to the overall look of Chalet Iskar. Work has been concentrating on the interior with plasterboarding and plastering of the upper floors whilst the underfloor heating of the top floor has been installed. Tiling continues in the lower floors and is almost complete in apartments 1,2 and 3.

December 16th 2007

It's difficult to know where to begin this week, as so many aspects of Chalet Iskar are beginning to come together. The roof is finished, which is just as well considering the amount of snow that has fallen on the village this week. You'll notice the exterior has changed colour too. This is a white primer to size the walls before they receive their final coat of fine render. The guttering is almost complete, with just the downpipes to be installed. The balcony railings have been initially constructed, whilst the cladding of local stone to the ground floor is halfway to completion. On the interior, the bathrooms on the lower floors have been tiled to an exceptionally high standard whilst work on the very top floor continues.

December 7th 2007

Huge snowfalls in Beli Iskar and Borovets this week: good for skiers but not so good for the Zelnik workmen fitting the traditional terracotta tiles to Chalet Iskar's roof. Lots of plastering has been done this week, all rough skimming is complete and now the fine, smooth render is being applied throughout. Work has begun on fitting the guttering system whilst the wooden cladding has been fixed to the exterior. We've included a close-up of the now famous, Chalet Iskar flagpole!

November 30th 2007

Chalet Iskar's exterior is beginning to come together. Render is being skimmed over the insulation on the upper floors whilst the ground floor is having the decorative, locally quarried stones applied. The roof structure is finished and the roof tiling will begin early next week. Work is continuing on the inside and the plastering work is completed up to the second floor.

November 24th 2007

Looking stunning against the backdrop of the blue sky, the building has been clad using a modern, 10cm thick, exterior insulation. Very aware of the need to make Chalet Iskar as energy efficient as possible, the builders are meticulously fitting thermal insulation to all exterior walls, to keep your apartment warm on those cold, snowy, winter days. Elsewhere on the build, the plasterboard fitting is progressing well and work on the roof is continuing.

November 21st 2007

Some exciting news this week. Chalet Iskar's roof is almost complete and the new structure is doing a great job keeping out the snow and sleet (the keen eyed amongst you might spot the impromptu Bulgarian flag atop the building). Structurally, work has been concentrating on the upper floors of apartments 10, 11 and 12 and elsewhere in the building, progress has been made on plumbing, wiring and plasterboarding.

We've also included a couple of shots showcasing the first snowfalls in Beli Iskar and the amazing views from AP's 10,11 & 12.

November 9th 2007

Although difficult to see from the road, work is almost complete on the structure that will support the roof. The underfloor heating and electrical first fix is completed in the first three floors. Great progress has been made with internal insulation and plasterboard finishing. As you can see from the pictures, work has begun on connecting each apartment to the waste and plumbing services. Chalet iskar has also been connected to the main sewer.

November 5th 2007

The windows and doors have been fitted this week, good for keeping out the rain (which incidentally has been falling as snow on the slopes of Borovets). The underfloor heating is being installed in the lower apartments as well as rendering and finishing. The structure is almost complete for what will become the upper floor of apartments 10, 11 and 12. Make sure you check back next week as we should have the first photographs of Chalet Iskar's roof.

October 28th 2007

The last concrete floor slab has been poured; the concrete pump reaching up to the top floor must have been quite a spectacle. The first fix of the electrical wiring is now complete in the first floor, as is the interior plastering. Make sure you check back next week. We should have the first pictures of the roof being constructed.

October 20th 2007

Late october and the sun is still shining down on Chalet Iskar. We've included a couple of pictures taken from the third floor this week. One is looking towards Borovets and the legendary rock formation known as Eagles Rock. The other is taken from apartment 10 and looks down the valley towards Samokov.

October 14th 2007

The weather closed in on Beli Iskar this week with heavy, low clouds and some rain. However, this didn't dampen the spirits of the Zelnik gang! The second floor is almost structurally complete, with work on the framework for the third floor started. The internal dividing walls in the lower and ground floors are complete and work has begun on rendering/plastering. Additionally, the electrical wiring on these two floors is finished.

October 5th 2007

Work is proceeding with apartments 7, 8 and 9 on the second floor, putting in steel reinforcement and shuttering. The internal, dividing brickwork walls are under construction in the ground floor apartments. The walls of the underground carpark have been rendered and finished whilst work has started on the electrical wiring.

September 29th 2007

Back in the middle of August, we commented that, once the car park and basement were completed, progress on the above ground floors would be rapid. This was certainly true as you can see from the latest instalment of progress photos. The first floor brickwork was completed earlier in the week, closely followed by the pouring of the concrete structural foundation of the second floor.

September 26th 2007

The beginning of the week saw the concrete poured for the base of the first floor. The hot summer sun allowed the concrete to dry and work commenced quickly on the brickwork, support pillars and stairway of the first floor.

September 19th 2007

Whilst the UK shivers in the cold weather, our builders are still enjoying the summer sunshine. We have some aerial photos for you this week: the pictures were taken from what will become the floor of the first level. The builders are wiring down the steel reinforcement in time for the next delivery of concrete and work has commenced on the staircase from the entrance foyer.

September 15th 2007

Bricks, bricks and more bricks! Only a week into the ground floor build and our builders have made fantastic progress. The roof above the ski lockers is completed and apartments 1, 2 and 3 are beginning to take shape.

September 10th 2007

The underground car park is almost complete. The concrete for the vehicle access ramp was poured this week as was the first floor structural support pillars. The team had deliveries of more reinforcing steels and bricks ready for work to begin on the ground floor. Out of interest, our neighbours moved a step closer to finishing this week. Scaffolding was erected earlier in the week and the exterior render was applied. We think it looks great and are looking forward to when Chalet Iskar is at the same stage!

August 23rd 2007

Here we are with this week's installment of Chalet Iskar's progress. You can see the foundation has been laid for the ground floor, this will anchor the steel reinforcement for the walls whilst the containing walls of the underground ski lockers have been completed. Our photographer has also taken some pictures that show the fantastic location of Chalet Iskar. Can you imagine throwing back the curtains in the morning and being greeted by views like that?!"

August 16th 2007

The builders have been working hard on the roof that covers the en-suite bedrooms of the ground floor duplex apartments and constructing the ski locker area. Those of you closely following our progress will see some big steps forward in the next few weeks. Chalet Iskar's basement is almost 3 times as large as the above ground floors and we are unique in having such a large underground carpark. This will keep car parking simple and convenient (and not to mention 'snow free'!). Now the basement is almost complete, we will be moving forward with the ground floor. Look out for the next installment of pictures and be prepared for great progress!

August 1st 2007

Huge progress in sunny Beli Iskar. As you can see from the photos, the slab covering the garage roof was completed yesterday. You may be able to spot two rectangles that have been left uncovered. These will be covered with toughened glass skylights, allowing natural daylight to flood the car park area below. Work is now continuing on the remainder of the roof slab and preparations are being made for the foundations for the ski locker area.

July 22nd 2007

Under the watchful eye of 'Christo' our Foreman, whose nickname is 'x-ray' (as he never misses anything!) the Zelnik team are progressing well. The temporary shuttering being erected will form the walls of the two basement bedrooms. These are then filled with concrete and steel reinforcement. The roof of the underground, 12 space car park is also under construction.

July 16th 2007

This week saw the filling of the centre section of the underground car park floor with concrete. Other work included the construction of timber frames and ironwork in readiness for more lower level supporting walls and pillars.

July 9th 2007

This week saw the installation of the sanitary waste network and construction of the service shafts and inspection hatches. The centre section of the underground carpark has been backfilled in preparation for laying the concrete floor.

July 1st 2007

Unlike the soggy summer here in the UK, the weather in Beli Iskar is typically hot and sunny. Construction continues to progress well and the main building foundation is complete. The internal form of the building is starting to take shape and the spacious master bedrooms of apartments 2 and 3 can be clearly seen. Heavily reinforced concrete pillars and walls make up the supporting structure of the floors above and the retaining wall for the car park access ramp

June 25th 2007

Much like the weather in Great Britain, the weather in Beli Iskar village has seen some extremely heavy rain this week. Work had begun on laying the main foundational slab but things have slowed slightly, to allow the site to dry out. Fingers crossed the sun will shine next week, so be sure to come back and check on our progress.

June 18th 2007

A critical week for the Zelnik builders in Beli Iskar. The preparation for the main foundation base can be clearly seen. This giant slab, heavily reinforced with steel, forms the support for the main building structure.

June 14th 2007

Another busy week for our team in Beli Iskar. The rear of the basement is taking shape and the ground floor supporting columns and steel girders are in position.

June 7th 2007

The recent dry, sunny weather in Beli Iskar is allowing the Zelnik builders to progress with Chalet Iskar at a fantastic rate.The rear basement walls are complete, allowing final levelling of the base. The dampproof membrane and steelwork are in position and the concrete floor has been laid

June 1st 2007

Initial excavations have been completed and the first footings have been laid. This week our builders have been busy erecting the timber frames and internal iron work that will soon be filled with concrete and form the walls of the lower level. The foundations of the first concrete pillars are also visible.

May 19th 2007

Our builders have just broken ground and the fruits of their labour can be seen in the pictures below.

The excavations are at a very early stage but keep checking back as we will be updating these pages regularly!