Single Storey Oak Frame Barn

Marcia Candy’s second self-build project was a labour of love, project managing her own build despite very difficult circumstances. Her successful application for planning was the result of working with the planning office to ensure approval without a hitch. Sadly though, her late husband Will passed away just weeks before planning was approved. Marcia, however, was determined to realise their dream of building a single-storey oak frame home. She continued with the self-build, armed with a background in property development and a vast network of contacts. Her first stop was Fleming Homes for assistance with the building regulations process. It was at this stage Marcia encountered a snag; the house was too close to the main sewer so digging was going to be held up. “The footprint needed to be moved by a meter” Marcia notes “and Fleming Homes dealt with this within hours which was just amazing” minimising the impact on the build schedule. As the planning department had suggested a barn style home, Marcia chose Carpenter Oak to design and craft the oak frame and Fleming Homes to design and manufacture the timber frame component. Both teams worked carefully with Marcia to realise her vision.

Collaboration was key
Marcia was very clear on what she wanted to achieve from a design point of view. “We worked closely with Marcia’s chosen oak frame supplier,” said Fleming Homes’ Richard Simmonds “to include all her requests. The house has several interesting features that challenged the interface between the hardwood oak members and softwood timber frame. It was a collaborative approach that enabled us to create this stunning property” he added. The two systems worked in tandem; the oak delivering the structural integrity and design features of the property while the timber frame ensures its thermal performance.

Bespoke design
All the accommodation in this three-bed home is on the ground floor. The vaulted ceilings in the public rooms showcase its impressive oak frame structure which is distinct in its design. The single-story property spans multiple levels with a relatively shallow-pitched roof, aspects which all had to be accounted for in the frame design.

Oak frame features
The entrance of Marcia’s oak frame barn is surrounded by an open porch with curved tie beams and gunstock jowl posts. Through the door, you step into a spacious hallway with a staircase leading up to a mezzanine walkway supported by the oak frame. The drawing room showcases a sling brace that arches across the room and a curved minstrels gallery, complete with wrought iron balustrading, offers a secluded, elevated position. The ideal place to read or for contemplation. The frame also accommodates a change in level between the kitchen and garden room. To achieve this design aspect, the roof drops in height and is supported by a straight sling brace frame with passing principle rafters which forms an attractive cross.

A home that’s economical to run
The bespoke timber frame designed and manufactured by Fleming Homes included factory fitted insulation delivering high thermal efficiency. This combined with the latest renewable energy solutions makes the house very economical to run. Underfloor heating powered by an air source heat pump used in conjunction with a mechanical ventilation heat recovery system regulates the temperature throughout the home. Photovoltaic panels supply electricity to the house and return an income through the Renewable Heat Incentive for the air source heat pump.

Of her completed bespoke new build home Marcia said “I really couldn’t have built this beautiful home without the amazing support that I received from the team at Fleming Homes. It didn’t matter how many times I either emailed or called, my requests were dealt with immediately which took an awful lot of stress away. Thank you, Fleming Homes!”

You can read more about Marcia’s self-build journey which featured in the September 2017 issue of Selfbuild & Design Magazine.