Willowplatt Barn

Achieving the ‘wow’ factor within budget

Andy and Sue had shortlisted Carpenter Oak and another major oak frame supplier, but made their decision once they had visited our Devon yard: “As soon as we walked into Carpenter Oak’s huge workshops and saw the team of skilled carpenters investing heart and soul into carving every joint of these massive frames by hand, we knew we’d found the right partner”.

The next part of the process was to work with Senior Frame Designer Paul Kirkup. Andy and Sue wanted something special but they had a very clearly defined budget. Initially they had wanted a 2-storey frame with a round column that would form a staircase, but the budget wouldn’t allow for this. Instead, they worked with Paul to design a single storey frame for the open living areas including a stairwell feature that still very much had the ‘wow’ factor they were after.

One of the main design features of this frame was a central ‘criss-cross’ atrium of diagonal arch braces above the staircase. It required complex geometry and careful detailing to achieve the complicated form required. The Perrins were delighted with the finished design: “We didn’t know that was what we wanted until Paul came up with the idea, and it’s the perfect feature to make the most of that big, open, central space.”

On-site solutions to working with old stone walls

The finished frame was ready to leave the yard on the planned date and arrived on site, ready for the installation, which was completed on time. As with the majority of our projects, the team of carpenters who had handcrafted the frame in the workshop were also the ones installing it. They came across a few challenges on site, mostly down to the old stone walls of the barn which were not precisely plumb or square, so minor tweaks were made and solutions quickly found.

It’s safe to say that the Perrins are happy with their frame and the final look of their barn. As the frame was installed they were amazed at the scale and precision of the complicated carpentry required. As it’s now a holiday home the consistent feedback is the exuberance of the oak frame on all who stay there: “We’ve been recommending Carpenter Oak to everyone who stays at the barn and asks about it – almost every time without fail, someone will say – “who made that amazing oak frame?”

Andy and Sue had set out to restore a very old barn back to something usable and to stop it falling into complete ruin. They have achieved this and created a structure of beauty that compliments and enhances the original structure. Carpenter Oak loved being part of this project. The couple found it immensely rewarding and satisfying building with oak and are confident the building will now outlive us all: “With the new oak frame at its heart, and the work of so many craftspeople that went into it, there’s no reason why Willowplatt Barn shouldn’t still be standing in another 230 years time, with people still loving what has been created here.”

Willowplatt Barn is award-winning and was chosen as Regional and National Winner in the ‘LABC Building Excellence Awards 2021’, in their category ‘Best conversion to create a single new home’. It has also been awarded Build It’s ‘Best Oak Frame Home’ 2021.

Photography: Richard Downer