Andrew Hobbs
By employing structural SIPs and a rectangular design, Carpenter Oak were able to complete this stunning 186m2 home for £265,000 (£1,425 per m2), excluding the external landscaping
COLIN POOLE
Oak frame remains everpopular amongst self builders, thanks to its warm aesthetic and ability to add instant character. Traditionally, the timber is crafted while it’s still green – slotted together with tenon and mortise joints and secured with wooden pegs. The material has been used in this way for over 4,000 years in Britain, perhaps most famously in Tudor- and barn-style builds. Yet it is increasingly employed in more contemporary schemes, too, with several companies pushing its technical boundaries in new and exciting ways – to stunning effect.