This lovely air dried oak framed extension in the ancient village of Medbourne has recently been completed by our team at Natural Structures. This new space is abutting a 500 year old cottage that is literally yards from the river which runs through this little rural village.

The new space incorporates a new kitchen, day room, utility & WC.

Our brief for the team was to design a building that not only incorporated the above functions but also took advantage of the natural light that the location of the cottage offered. The materials that were chosen to run along the build design were kept to an absolute minimum to create a simplistic structure.

Oak was the natural choice to sit sympathetically with the natural stone of the cottage, where possible we left these elements exposed to help give the new structure some genuine detail. Lighting, as always plays a large role in creating atmosphere within the space and as standard all the lighting we fit is adjustable in output through dimmer switches. This again is the same for the exterior lighting as this is not only for the aesthetics of the building but also an important factor in those dark days of winter as the exterior lights illuminate the terrace and garden areas, visually creating a larger internal space.

The structure itself is created using air dried oak beams, these beams are left to dry naturally in the French saw mills for several years. This creates a far more stable beam for use to hand make into one of the many components of the build, after and during manufacture these components are fitted together to ensure a seamless integration whilst on site.

All components are coded and upon arrival are swiftly assembled in order. This reduces time on site considerably and enables a swift and efficient assembly of the frame. The roof and all of its components are also manufactured here at Tur Langton and with the assembly of the oak frame complete the roof and its components are then swiftly put into place creating a dry work space for all associated trades to follow.

Our project next to the river was a success, with all boxes being ticked, the clients and the team were very pleased with the end result.