A rich history
Traditional timber framing, heavy structural framing, oak framing, post and beam, whatever you call it, the method of joining large section timber together with pegged mortice and tenon joints is a tradition with a long and rich history. Although timber was used in buildings for many centuries before, the level of skill and design knowledge flourished during the medieval period, from which there are still many examples to be found around the UK today. It's clear these buildings were made to last and it's a testament to the longevity of the methods used and the durability of oak that we can still enjoy visiting a place built over 800 years ago!
Today's oak framing practises borrow heavily from these traditional techniques and then adds knowledge of contemporary building materials and methods to the mix to help create a wonderful blend of old and new.
Oak frames today
Oak frames built today still provide the same functions as they did 800 years ago - they provide spaces to live, work and store things. And we're happy to produce buildings for any of these needs. We've built houses, barns, extensions, trusses, porches, cabins, even a meditation hall - the list is long! The big advantages modern oak frames have is access to large glazing panels and good insulation which when combined can create some wonderfully comfortable and spectacular spaces to live and work in.
As well as oak we commonly use Douglas Fir for our frames. Douglas is native to eastern North America but is a common plantation tree in the UK. Strong, but not as durable as oak, it is suitable to indoor and covered frames. It benefits from being cheaper than oak and also shrinks less as it dries out.
Styles
The versatility of oak as a building material is no more apparent than in the styles that it can be employed to help create. It lends itself as much to traditional characterful barn style houses as it does to clean crisp contemporary structures - it is at home in both styles and everywhere in between.
Utilising the natural forms of curved boughs of the oak tree brings an organic life to a building, almost as if it grew there. Or the use of large glazed areas and stainless steel connections give a very clean finish, albeit one with the warmth of the wooden surface that many contemporary structures miss out on.
Whatever aesthetic you want to build in we can adapt our meticulous craft and detailing to bring your vision to life.
Affordability
We believe that we can create a design brief for clients whose budgets range from modest to generous and while there is an inevitable cost to using quality materials and highly skilled craftspeople, we don't consider that a timber frame building has to be something exclusive. The same design brief could have multiple variations – essentially the more timber a design employs, the more material and labour costs involved. By designing wisely, bringing out the impact of the frame where it will really be noticed we can help keep costs down.
That's not to say we don't relish the chance to really show off when the budget allows, we think there's nothing more beautiful than a fully adorned oak frame.
Who we are
Originally starting out in 2013 in Bristol under the name Bristol Timberworks, Pennine Oak frames is owned and run by Richard and Lauren. After moving back north to be closer to Lauren's family, starting a family of our own, and renaming the business to reflect its new location, we now produce all our frames from our workshop based in the Calder valley between Hailfax and Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire.
We've been providing a high quality, friendly and personalised service to our customers for over 10 years now and we enjoy the process of getting to know our clients, understanding their requirements for their new building and delivering beautiful structures that will be enjoyed for many years to come.
We work closely with other professions - architects, engineers, builders and the trades as well as our clients to bring these designs to life. We believe that listening, openess and good communication is the key to good design and the success of a project!