Project background

The clients Gavin & Linda Sinclair are in the process of renovating a large Victorian country lodge house, and wanted to add a wing that was not only in keeping with what was existing already, but would also add something to this stunning building.

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Client

Gavin & Linda Sinclair

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Architects

Mike Gallie

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At the start of April one of our crews completed the site element of a small green oak frame consisting of two traditionally jointed kingpost trusses with purlins and curved wind braces. The setting is close to the picturesque village of Fortingall in Perthshire, and the planners are extremely sensitive that any projects in this area should be in keeping with the local vernacular.

Amongst the original features of the existing lodge are beautifully crafted fascia boards and barge boards, and the clients were also keen to express some of the timber externally on the extension. We achieved this by building external colonnades of tapered posts and braces which formed covered walkways on either side of the building- not only functional for this sometimes exposed location, but also an attractive feature.

The width of the extension was also relatively large at around 7.5m, however not overly great for these kingpost trusses which are ideal for this type of span- although careful procurement of timber is essential to ensure that the timber quality is suitable for such structural role.

The trusses themselves land on oak wall plates which sit on a standard thermolite block construction which will be faced with local stone to blend in with the facade of the existing house. A form of construction that we have found very common on projects we have worked on in England but less so in timber frames in Scotland.  The result is a neat, cost effective marriage of both traditional green oak construction and modern methods of building. Impressive timber expressed both internally and externally not only giving visual impact but acting as key structural elements.