OLD WOODWoodenit

Old techniques meets todays world

There are a variety of materials being employed for grand designs around the world: whilst some more practical than beautiful, others are simply yet surprisingly stunning.

Wood and straw have long since been the favoured building materials, however there are several properties being erected with such striking natural resources such as The Woodman’s Cottage aired on grand designs only a few weeks ago.

For 10 years, Ben lived in tents and caravans in a wood in West Sussex. As a woodsman, he needed and wanted to live among the trees, but now he wanted a house for some personal comfort. He invited volunteers to help him build one by hand, from the materials growing around him.

Ben owned a third of the sweet-chestnut woodland and rented the rest. The house he designed was to be made almost entirely of wood, with an A-frame made of tree trunks, a wooden platform for a floor and oak shingles on the roof, making this house exceptionally unique from others.

All the timber for the build would come from the surrounding trees – sweet chestnut is a strong hardwood, ideal for this kind of exclusive building. However the neighbouring woods would not be devastated by this project, as Ben coppices trees as opposed to removing them which means that new growth would quickly replace the old.

The house would boast a sizeable living room, rising all the way to the roof, including an antiquated kitchen area, a contemporary bedroom on the ground floor, and a trifling bathroom.

Volunteers were invited to come and stay in the woods and help build the house in return for food and drink and some carpenter experience. With no builders’ wages, and the wood being free, Ben aimed to build the house, complete with sun and wind powered electricity, for a mere £25,000.

The hand-crafted approach meant taking time over modest details. For instance, much of the wood was being left in the round as opposed to being cut square-shaped. This meant that the wood kept its natural beauty and strength, but special joints were required for fixing curved surfaces together.

The A-frame went up in no time at all, but adding in the rafters and internal walls involved slow and steady work which lasted several months plus there were 12,000 oak shingles all hand cut that had to be neatly nailed on to the roof.

Natural resources did not just erect the building; it was fabricated into it to: recycled newspaper insulation went under the floor and into the roof cavities, followed by barley-straw bales which were stacked in between the timber frame and the internal stud-work to create thick insulated walls.

Taking the shape of an old-fashioned home, ben decided to add in little luxuries of technology throughout time such as a wood-burning stove, a bath and hot-water cylinder which will make this house finally a welcoming home.

Utilizing clay from his pond, Ben built a fireplace and covered the internal walls with clay plaster. Finally, glass went in to the windows, the straw bales were covered with lime plaster, and the house was eventually weather-proofed.

The house runs entirely off natural energy, and even some of the technology has recycled parts. Solar panels previously used in the Big Brother house provide electricity, which is stored in second-hand submarine batteries. Together with a few wind turbines, they will power Ben’s lights, stereo and laptop. Rainwater and a nearby spring supply the taps. And soon the composting toilet will arrive.

Not only has the house been completely weather proofed: from roofing membrane to glass windows: using such an innate material has brought character to the building that is rivalled by none, and has combined a mixture of functional endeavour and artistic inspiration.

About the Author

Jade Webster is a digital Marketer researching roofing membranes

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