Built in spring 2014 for a private client and designed by RB Studio Architects. Grasmere is a contemporary style timber frame building erected by STREIF in the village of Shillingstone in the rolling hills of North Dorset. This was not your typical self build house and the fact this was to be a long term family home for the client meant a very specific brief had been set for the design. A steep monopitch roof made for some very interesting lines with large glazing systems to soak up the amazing views. The client made the initial contact with STREIF as they liked the idea of the off-site manufacturing process, however they did not want to compromise on the striking design of the house. After reassurance as to the flexibility of the STRIEF building system any concern from the architect and client about having to change the design to suit the system was put to rest.
The 335 m² buildings main structure was erected and water tight in five days. The modern design was grounded with the local environment by clever selection of natural external finishes. These consisted of dry stone walling (using locally sourced stone) and timber cladding which was factory fitted reducing waste. The interior featured a large double height living space and a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, which is well suited to a STREIF as low air permeability results are achieved as standard.
The project was featured on BBC2’s Building Dream Homes in June 2014. ‘The series followed some of the nation’s architects leading the way in groundbreaking design, as they battle with builders, blueprints and the clients who hire them’. The programme tracked the progress on site from start to finish and highlighted the benefits of the closed panel timber frame system. The camera crew travelled to Germany to see prefabricated houses coming off the production line at our factory in Weinsheim. The crew then travelled back to the UK to film the articulated lorries arrival on site and the rapid construction of the house.
The stunning end result can be seen in the photo below.
