Bothan Nan Greag - Carpenter Oak and Woodland

CASE STUDY
Bothan Nan Greag
Building:
Oak frame
Location:
Roshven
www.carpenteroakandwoodland.com
A remote coastal location
with a heavily sloping
and a rocky plot of land
sounds like the recipe for
a construction disaster –
but proved to be the site
of a great architectural
success. The building
was designed to become
part of the landscape
without affecting it,
carrying off a thoroughly
modern design that
blends in perfectly with its
surroundings.
About the project
the environment around it.
For Helen Lucas and Malcolm
Fraser, the unexpected
availability of some land near
Roshven – between Fort William
and Mallaig – helped to shape
what is now a dream home on
the west coast of Scotland.
Right from the start, a timber
frame was the only choice for
the building, although the initial
idea was to conceal the frame,
but it was soon decided to leave
it visible – making it a key part
of the building’s aesthetic. The
site created some construction
challenges: there was no
vehicular access for anything like
a crane and everything had to be
brought on site in relatively small
sections.
Helen Lucas, an architect
herself, didn’t want to create
“another white-rendered box”
and set about creating a highly
contemporary living space that
would have minimal impact on
With steep slopes down to the
water’s edge, the site is extremely
rocky. In keeping with the idea of
making minimal changes to the
landscape, the original rock is still
there – the house itself was built on
concrete pads on which sit the 14
green oak posts that support it.
The site dictated that the building
be long and narrow. Standing tall
above the rocks it is designed to
capture as much light as possible
and provide stunning views of the
surrounding landscape. The postand-beam frame used green oak for
its external timbers. The frame was
bolted to the concrete bases, but
other joints were mostly traditional
mortise and tenon. Douglas fir
was used for the internal parts
of the build, with an oak featheredge board (chosen to become
grey with age and blend in with
the landscape) used to clad the
exterior. The house is finished with
a stainless steel roof that is both
practical and beautiful.
The oak frame
• The timber frame uses a mixture of oak and Douglas fir (oak is used where timber
is exposed)
• The frame was constructed in Carpenter Oak & Woodland’s framing yard in Angus,
Scotland, and erected over three weeks
• Adding the timber cladding, floor and windows took around ten weeks
• A 20-metre oak footbridge was constructed to connect the house with the
roadway
• Around the property, the client replanted 850 trees to offset the timber used
The building
• Two storeys high
• Four bedrooms
• Double-height living space
• Long and narrow design to make best use of the land
• Nothing was cut into the rock – the building’s 14 green oak posts were bolted to
concrete pads
• Pitched stainless steel roof
• Outstanding views across to the islands of Eigg and Rhum
• Highly eco-friendly house, designed to have a zero carbon footprint
The building is designed to be
as eco-friendly as possible. For
example, the building uses cotton
and hemp insulation, a woodburning stove is used to heat water
and provide the underfloor heating,
while a micro-turbine generates
electricity.
The architects
Helen Lucas
Helen Lucas Architects
32 Argyle Place
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH9 1JT
www.carpenteroakandwoodland.com
Contact us
About Carpenter Oak &
Woodland
Since our founding in 1987
we’ve had a passion for handcrafting beautiful bespoke homes,
preserving and restoring old
buildings, and creating magnificent
timber engineered structures.
Today, we are proud to be the
owners of 23 awards, as well as
appearing on a number of TV shows
such as Grand Designs, Homes
under the Hammer, and Build, Buy
or Restore. At Carpenter Oak &
Woodland we pride ourselves on
our breadth of knowledge of timber
framing – this experience is used to
inform both the design process and
the execution of craftsmanship.
Our passion for frames is applied
equally, whether it’s a garden room
extension or a complex geometric
structure, as we take into account
every aspect of the building. This
attention to detail doesn’t stop
at design and craftsmanship but
also to our commitment to our
customers, as we not only create a
unique character filled home, but
we also want you to enjoy the once
in a lifetime experience of building
your own home.
England office
Your next steps
Scotland office
Whether you have a set of drawings
you would like us to price, want
to sit back and have your ideal
home delivered with minimal
involvement, or if you’d simply
like to chat to us about your
inspirations and ideas, then we’d
really love to hear from you.
Hall Farm
Thickwood Lane
Colerne
Chippenham
Wiltshire
SN14 8BE
Tel 01225 743089
Fax 01225 744100
The framing Yard
Loch of Lintrathen
Kirriemuir
Angus
DD8 5JA
Tel 01575 560 393
Call us on 01225 743089 or email:
info@carpenteroakandwoodland.
com
www.carpenteroakandwoodland.com