A love for the local and bespoke: traditional timber-framing in Wales

摘要

A modern twist on traditional, solid timber-framing is making a comeback in north Wales, creating both beautiful and well-insulated buildings from local resources. These projects are at the cutting edge of eco-building, going against the grain of using mass-produced, characterless materials with high levels of embedded energy. The system uses solid, green larch beams as a substitute for oak, held together with oak dowels. The beams are deep enough that the spaces within the frames can accommodate sufficient insulation to meet building regulations. This insulation is usually sheep-wool, which is a UK-sourced material. Walls are then clad to avoid cold-bridging. There is a wide range of cladding options ranging from rough slab-wood topped with lime plaster (internally for thermal mass, or externally to blend in with existing stonework) to systems which use higher-tech materials, such as, thermal board (wood-fibre), timber cladding, or drywall (for example, plasterboard) for a more conventional finish.