Guernsey oak frame home

Having lived in a small bungalow in Jon’s grandmother’s garden for a few years, they were able to buy that bit of land from her. Initially they had wanted to extend the bungalow but planning permission was refused for this, instead allowing for the bungalow to be demolished and something built to replace it.

They grabbed this amazing opportunity to build an energy-efficient home to suit their needs: “We feel building comes with an environmental responsibility, and we wanted to do as much as we could on our budget…a responsibility to choose a design that would complement, and as far as possible enhance, the local environment and building style. Inside we wanted something that felt characterful and homely, but also contemporary and airy.” Lily & Jon Guille

The clients were drawn to the images on our website of previous homes we have built, and felt that Carpenter Oak would be a good partner for the project. They also felt confidence in our sustainability credentials, knowing our oak comes from PEFC certified forests.

Designed to maximise the space

This home was designed around the oak frame and cleverly thought out to best utilise the space by being a storey and a half. This benefits from being easier to get through planning permission, and offers a lot more floor space (a whole other level) on a budget.

As the first floor was in the attic space, a large flat roof dormer was also included in the design, which took up one of the bays, fitting exactly between bays two and three, and therefore being very economical with the amount of oak frame needed.

Supplying the frame only

Once the frame had been built in our Devon yard, it was ready to be shipped to Guernsey and raised by the team of carpenters who had handcrafted it. Unfortunately, COVID then hit and a 14 day quarantine requirement for the installation team rendered it logistically unrealistic for the team to travel to Guernsey.

At that point Lily and Jon found a local master carpenter and we supplied the frame with detailed instructions and were ready to liaise with them as needed: “We were reassured that the carpenter we arranged to put it up could give your team a call at any point if he needed to double check what to do. As it happened, he found your ‘kit’ and instructions very easy to follow and it all went without a hitch!” Lily and Jon Guille

A modern home built on a budget

As well as the materials it is made of, Lily and Jon’s home also benefits from being airtight, has solar panels and an air source heat pump. They aimed for a contemporary and purpose-built home that will have minimal impact on the environment yet is interesting, solid, warm, airy, and built on a budget.

“We achieved an airtightness rating of 1.12, so we have an incredibly efficient home, which should keep our energy usage and bills down. It isn’t the biggest house and it isn’t the most complicated layout, but the building is full of moments that make you feel joy.” Lily and Jon Guille

Photography: Alex Lacey