Completed : 2014
TEAM
Architect : A-Zero Architects
Giles Bruce, Anya Thomas, Phillip Toyin
Contractor : Phillips Build Ltd.
Quantity Surveyor : Andrew Morton Associates
Structural Design: David Smith Associates
MEP Design & Installation: Solo Heating
Photographs © James Whittaker
AWARDS / PUBLICATIONS
Timber Frame House
Bedfordshire, UK
When an old farm was subdivided and sold individual plots, the walls of an old cow shed and dairy became the starting point for a new dwelling for a young family.
The design incorporates the original walls and steel frame adapting the existing materials where necessary and adding a new larch clad volume above. The rural setting is beautiful, and we wanted the character of the new and old material to feel as though they belonged to this place.
The design brief was that the new build house should be an exemplar in environmental performance both in terms of operational energy and in terms of embodied energy, whilst at the same time achieving a tight budget.
Timber for structure and character
Both our clients and ourselves were excited by the idea of using a timber frame as both the primary structure and the main internal aesthetic feature of the project. The timber frame is made of British grown green heart oak, and was installed over the course of three days. The oak frame is fully internalised within the building envelope allowing shrinkage of the frame without compromising the integrity of the air tightness of the envelope.
Reuse materials that were already on site
The original cow-shed was made of four materials – a steel portal frame brick walls, a concrete slab, and an aebestos roof. We sought new uses for these materials to incorporate then back into the new house. This approach significantly reduced the amount of waste that was taken off site, and also made economic sense in terms of reducing the build cost.
We could not reuse the roof as it was asbestos, but we were able to use almost everything else. Instead of pouring strip foundations and a concrete slab, we left the original slab where it was supporting the new timber frame structure on localised concrete pads.
The original steel structure was dismantled, although the demolition contractor could not be persuaded to unbolt individual sections, meaning there was some avoidable wastage. The majority salvaged, taken off site for shot blasting, and integrated into the new façade along with new steels. New walls were built of the old bricks, and we used a Flemish bond so that all the half bricks did not have to be thrown away.
Low Energy Operation
This house is designed to have a minimal demand for active heating. High levels of insulation were provided throughout the building envelope, with triple glazing specified throughout. Air infiltration was minimised, with fresh air provided through a MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery) system. The overall heating demand is estimated at 18kWh/m2/annum.
The residual heat that is required for space heating and domestic hotwater is provided through a ground source heat pump, drawing heat from 1.5m below the ground in the field in front of the building.
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