Project background

The building combines hand-made brick, stone and glass with the building’s oak frame to form a contemporary and stunningly beautiful home. Generous windows, framed with imposing oak beams, provide ample light to the luxurious open plan design.

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Client

Hillcrest Homes

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Architects

Calderpeel

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The house is located in a spacious south-facing garden, overlooked by the principal rooms. To the north, a landscaped entrance courtyard was created, with views through the house giving the visitor tantalising glimpses into the pool area and garden beyond.

Wrenwood features extensive glazing to provide a well-lit interior

Its brick and stone elevations are complemented by the use of a green oak frame. This traditional method of construction allows the large spans needed to create the open-plan living areas.

Oak beams are a prominent feature of the building’s design

As is often the case with bespoke building designs, some of the detail required innovative thinking to ensure the integrity of the frame. One part of the frame, the mid-rail beam, was specified as using 375mm beams – which is unusually thick; in fact large enough that the normal shrinkage of green oak (a maximum of around 7%) could potentially be unacceptable. The solution for the affected beams was to create composite beams with a softwood core, covered by an oak fascia, which provided the desired aesthetic without the risk of shrinkage.

The house has shallow pitched roofs with deep overhanging eaves. Large areas of glazing give the house a light, open feel.

The end result is a building of clean, confident design that fuses contemporary and traditional materials into a dramatic and luxurious living space.

The oak detailing is continued within the building

The property gained a Manchester Society of Architects Small Scale Residential Design Award Commendation 2009.

Frame timeline

• June-September 2008

The oak frame

• The timber frame is an integral and aesthetic part of the overall building design
• The frame was constructed during approx 2-3 weeks at Carpenter Oak & Woodland’s timber yard in Wiltshire
• The frame was erected on site in Altrincham in around 1 week
• The timber frame cost £26,620

The building

• Five en-suite bedrooms
• Four reception rooms
• State-of-the-art kitchen
• Indoor swimming pool
• Sauna
• Exercise room