jhaadmin, Author at Natural Structures

Mar 28

by jhaadmin in Case Studies 0 comments tags: oak frame, stone and Oak extensions

Burghley House Oak Frame

Oak Framed House (Stone & Oak Extension) The stone and oak extensions to the existing house in the village of Pillsgate are now complete with the owners thoroughly enjoying their new space. The project added another 5 rooms to an established residence surrounded by the beautiful estate grounds of Burghley House. The main room consists of a large oak frame with vaulted ceilings, this room will become the hub of the house for the family as it not only accommodates the kitchen and a full size 8 seater table and chairs, the large room was designed to allow a third function, the “day room” which includes soft seating allowing you to relax and enjoy the natural light and warmth that the open space has created. The bi-fold doors that are incorporated into the design are manufactured here to very specific details and lead the UK bi-fold industry in specification and performance. As the summer approaches, these will be folded back to reveal the beautiful gardens and with the internal and external flooring levels being the same, the sunken running track gives the appearance of the floor continuing from the internal room out onto the York stone terrace. The other 5 […]

Mar 25

by jhaadmin in Case Studies 0 comments tags: oak frame, Oak framed extension

Minimalist Oak frame extension

We have recently completed an extensive oak frame extension to an existing property in the small Leicestershire village of Goadby. The oak framed design incorporates an extended kitchen area that links on to a day room and dining area with the main emphasis on natural materials and natural light. The oak frame also incorporates a loggia and a 1st floor landing area that doubles up as a seating/reading area. The simple use of a limited number of materials and clean lines help create a minimalist yet warm look. The cedar deck and tiled landscaping built to the same height as the interior floor help you to view the interior and exterior floor space as one. This gives you the impression of the interior floor space seeming larger as it flows seamlessly into the exterior areas. The double doors that lead from the existing house to inside the loggia gain easy access to the covered eating/sitting area. The design of the oak frame has linked the new space with the old and has transformed the family dynamic use of the entire ground floor area creating a functional kitchen area that easily flows into the day room and dining room then eventually […]

Mar 21

by jhaadmin in News 0 comments

Burghley House

Oak Framed Extension House The oak framed extensions are now completed in the beautiful village of Pillsgate which is surrounded by the estate grounds of Burghley House. The extensions comprised of one large oak framed room and five stone built rooms. These were linked to the main existing house to create a centre hub for the family to work around. The main room held three functions, the kitchen, a formal seating area and a day room that all benefited from the light open space created with the oak waisted king post truss vaulted ceiling and queen posted glazed truss. The oak frame was traditionally designed incorporating purlin sweeps and knee braces to give a very traditional feel. All the oak components were air dried for a minimum of five years to create the most stable frame to house the glazing and stone panels. Our decorator chose Farrow and Ball colours to complement the overall traditional feel and with the bespoke hand made framed kitchen and the one off Italian flagstone flooring, the end result shows off the high quality materials and craftsmanship.

Oct 03

by jhaadmin in Case Studies 0 comments

Contemporary Architecture

Modern & Contemporary Oak Timber Architecture Contemporary architecture is formally defined as the building style of the present day. Today’s styles, however, are quite varied and have a number of different influences. It is generally recognized that contemporary architecture is an evolution of modern architecture. While these two terms are sometimes used synonymously, this usage is not correct. Modern architecture refers to the building style of the early to mid-20th century. It features clean lines and an emphasis on function. Those elements that characterised modern architecture, however were also sometimes thought to be cold and impersonal. This belief lead to the creation of the contemporary style as is recognized today. Like the modern style, contemporary architecture connects indoor and outdoor spaces, but it adds some personal touches and warmth throughout the living space. The use of natural light also plays a big part in defining this style. For this reason, large and expansive windows are a common and easily recognized feature of contemporary homes.  Green building is also becoming a strong component of the contemporary style. Architects today are placing more emphasis on energy efficiency; they also are using sustainable, natural, and recycled materials, thus creating eco-friendly houses. Contemporary homes are […]

Aug 28

by jhaadmin in Case Studies 0 comments tags: Oak cruck, oak frame

Cruck trussed home, Horninghold

We have completed a full oak cruck bladed truss frame in the ancient village of Horninghold. The project has taken several months as the detail involved in every aspect of the build was of the highest specification. The oak cruck bladed trusses support the hand made ridge and purlins, with the vertical oak frame posts and floor beams completing the structural frame. Any keen viewer of Grand Designs will have heard of oak frame construction. Traditional brick and block houses have two ‘leaves’, generally speaking the outer leaf is brick, the inner leaf is block and the cavity in between the two is filled with insulation. Timber frame does away with the block inner skin and replaces it with a structural Oak frame. The outer leaf is non-structural and can be brick, timber or stone; using special systems you can even render the outside and avoid the need to lay a single brick, you can also use a combination of these materials to suit the local surroundings and your council’s planning requirements. Oak frame construction has 30%-40% shorter, more predictable construction time than brick and block. This means a faster return on investment, reduced disruption and a tidier, safer and more efficient site. A typical […]

Aug 03

by jhaadmin in News 0 comments

Hambleton Oak frame House

We recently completed this beautiful period oak frame house in the prestigious Rutland village of Hambleton, Rutland. Hambleton village is situated on the peninsula that protrudes into Rutland water , this peninsula is what splits the reservoir into two arms. The complete oak framed house was built on an existing footprint with superb views over the reservoir, by demolishing the original structure but saving the foundations and obviously the position, we are able to create this beautiful period home.

Jun 09

by jhaadmin in Case Studies 0 comments tags: oak frame, oak frame addition

Langton Grand Design

We have just completed substantial oak framed alterations and additions to a home in the Langton village near Market Harborough. We have worked on several phases at the premises for over the last 4 years with this last project being the final touch to a phased master plan. It is often the case that when clients ask us to re-design their existing homes, the completed “grand design” includes so much more than originally anticipated. This is obviously reflected in the budget figures and then often phased over time which enables the clients to reach their home’s maximum potential. Design in this way helps reduce the “hindsight” risk that is often the case when building and altering a home. The new space that we have created here takes advantage of the orientation of the plot with the majority of the glazed oak elevations being southerly facing. All of the oak frame is thoroughly air dried, minimising the risk of movement, with the external direct glaze boarding being kiln dried prime grade quarter sawn oak. This quarter sawn oak that we use in conjunction with our direct glaze system is extensively used in making furniture due to its stability and clean graining, […]

Jun 08

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Sulby Oak Extension Phase 2

We have now completed phase 2 of our contracted oak framed project in the ancient village of Sulby, Leicestershire. After completing phase 1 last year (please see Sulby extension case study) the clients were keen to complete the project with the phase 2 build. This consisted of a simple oak framed extension to their already large front room which, when complete, gave them full views of the beautiful estate gardens. Not only have they benefitted from the use of the new space internally, externally the existing house now looks more balanced with a larger footprint. With the simple elements of oak & glass ,we have created a a light functional space that helps tie the dynamic use of the floor space together with phase 1. The external existing deck was enhanced with simple oak newels and a glass handrail/ balustrade giving a contained seating area that is easily accessed through the main pedestrian hand made oak door or the oak bi-folds dependent on weather conditions. With phase 1 & 2 complete, we are now talking about the possibility of enhancing or rebuilding the adjacent garages which would really complete the entire package.

Jun 04

by jhaadmin in News 0 comments

Contemporary oak house

Oak Houses & Buildings We have just completed a beautiful contemporary oak house in the Addington villages east of Kettering. The landscaping of the gardens is yet to be done but is next on the cards and should be complete in the next few weeks. The design of the house was to be modern yet simple and using sympathetic materials we have managed to create a soft but modern look. Using just three elements – stone, slate and oak, these natural materials help blend the structure into its natural wooded background. The glazing method that we chose to use for this particular build was the direct glaze method using the best quality qaurter sawn prime grade oak we were able to keep the finish of the exterior of the Oak frame completely clean of any imperfections in the oak and also to create strong straight lines that is essential in this type of design. The large amount of glazing that we introduced into the build helps give the interior a fresh open feel and enables the clients to virtually see 180 degree views of the beautiful woods that the plot sits with in. We expect to be totally finished in the next […]

Jun 03

by jhaadmin in Case Studies 0 comments tags: oak frame, Oak framed extension

Sulby Extension

We recently completed an Oak frame extension in the village of Sulby, Leicstershire. Sulby its self is a tiny village of a handful of houses that were originally built as servants quarters for Sulby Hall which was originally built in 1793-95. The original existing house was a lovely timber framed structure so the idea for continuity of materials and design was to extend using the age old method of Oak framing. Our Brief from the clients was that they would like a room that was large enough to seat there entire family and also to house a much larger up to date kitchen with a substantial island unit with also the possibility of a wood burner and 2 comfy chairs. After several attempts the final design shone through and after 5 weeks of on site works the finished structure was complete in time for Christmas 2011. We are working on phase 2 of the Sulby project which will incorporate a similar design in materials but the functions will be different as phase 2 is more of an Oak Framed wrap around that extends around there all ready large front room giving them full view of the Sulby estate gardens. Phase 2 […]

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