Modern Oak Frame Extension Links Historical Barns

The modern barn extension provides a new kitchen and link between the historical and sensitive stone barn buildings.

The design uses a contemporary take on an oak frame to create an open plan, vaulted roof form. The glazed screens frame the view and aspect to surrounding gardens.

The extension was an opportunity for this home to grasp a hold on its location and setting. Adam wanted the new space to feel like a captured piece of the garden, an outside space when you were in it. The existing barn has never really offered this before.

Big glass screens that slide open between the oak posts mean that the kitchen and dining areas have much more significant interaction with outside living and eating. The family enjoy far reaching views of the sea and Dartmouth.

This Frame is not a large or complex, the success of the design is in its simplicity and meticulous attention to detail. To achieve the contemporary take, the oak frame needed to be very much engineered and not traditional.

The design resulted in some complex consideration of steel flitch plates to achieve in-line/flush connections between the timbers which then had to be engineered further to provide support for the modern glazing systems outside of the frame.

Consideration was vital for this particular design to minimise tolerances and movement, inherent with timber. The team design effort with Carpenter Oak and an appointed engineer worked very effectively to make this a success.

Each of the oak timbers are planed to ensure exact width consistency. The steel pignut bolts were designed to protrude a specified amount that repeats on the posts and trusses. The pignut bolts fix the oak and steel work to the apex, eves and foot in place of traditional joinery.

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