Project Title: Trees
Location: Ubley, Somerset
Wood Species: WESTERN RED CEDAR
Project Description
Site: ‘Trees’ occupies a large, mature and level site adjacent to the village boundary and enjoys views across open fields to the neighbouring village. ‘Trees’ replaces a 1960’s single storey dwelling that had reached the end of its natural life.
Brief: To relocate our family from Cambridge to the South West. Design a sustainable and sensitive contemporary family home that takes its inspiration from the site, harmonizes with the setting and captures the wonderful views. The dwelling should be allowed to weather in synchronicity with its immediate environment.
Concept: Trees is simply an elevated form set ‘within’ the tree canopy visually detached from the landscape below. The timber-clad canopy enclosure contains the sleeping accommodation while the ground floor open plan layout contains the living space. Full height wrap-around glazing at ground floor level removes the traditional barrier between internal and external space.
The site has a natural visual depth that is generated by the layering of the various existing tree canopies. Light and shadow interplay to create a visual filter as you move through the site. The timber clad form responds to this setting through the set back and layering of solid and void planes, punctuated by timber slatted screens. The combined effect seeks to create intrigue and soften the visual impact of the structure and thereby facilitate its integration into the site.
Planning / Constraints: The site is set within a Conservation Area and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Materials: Material choice was crucial in meeting the brief. The need to harmonize with the mature landscape setting dictated that internal and external finishes should be of untreated natural materials. External finishes of western red cedar and copper roof cladding have been allowed to weather naturally. Internal floors are oak as are kitchen work-tops, stairs and cappings.
Method of Construction: Steel frame ground floor and timber frame first floor with off-site manufactured timber in-fill panels to ground and upper floor.
Off-Site manufacture: The superstructure system was predominantly timber frame from a sustainable source, it was manufactured off-site and delivered to site in one traffic movement. The superstructure was erected and windows installed within a period of three weeks.
Natural Materials: The external western red cedar timber cladding is natural finish and does not contain any preservatives, lacquers or sealants. No maintenance is required.
Timetable: Construction took 9 months.
Budget: Actual build cost £263,766.
BUILDING OWNER: PRIVATE
ARCHITECT: RDARCHITECTS LTD
BUILDER/MAIN CONTRACTOR: JAMES & REBECCA DYER
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS: STRUCTURELLE
JOINERY: THERMATECH TIMBER STRUCTURES
