An oak timber framed house in Devon, England

 

 
 
 

This beautiful home in Devon, England called Seagull House, was traditionally framed in oak. It was converted from a barn in 1987 and designed by architect Roderick James who founded Carpenter Oak where you can see more pictures of the oak framed house.

A traditionally framed building like this can last for 500+ years or more. Peak acorn production for an oak tree is around 80  to 120 years. It takes about 150 years before an oak tree is ready to use in construction.
 

   

 

   
   
       
 
 
 
 


If you are interested in learning more about green oak frame design then 'Oak-Framed Buildings' by Rupert Newman is a good place to start. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout with diagrams and pictures showing examples of ancient and new homes in both interior and exterior views. The book begins with a short history of timber framing and moves on through sighting the building e.g. making a site map, site orientation, room location etc. It goes on to cover designing the frame (with clear diagrams showing component parts like jowl post, tie-beam, arch brace etc.), the structural quality of oak, cutting the frame, the tools and techniques, raising the frame and finally building the envelope (the roof, walls and floor). The book is a mixture between a coffee table book and a very practical guide to oak framing.