Frame Technologies – energy efficient and award winning timber frame home
Stone cladding doesn't hint at the timber frame at the heart of the build.
Warm stone tones in the cladding works well in the rural setting.
The detailed shape of the design as seen from above.
Dark colours with bright terracotta tones gives the kitchen a smart modern look.
A walkway leads to bedrooms above the garage.
The dramatic staircase defines the heart of the house.
Solar PV on the slate roof supplies energy for battery storage.
Chris and Jenny Shepperd had a very specific vision for their Warwickshire home, which involved complicated design features, but most importantly the build had to be highly energy efficient – so much so that it meets Passivhaus air tightness standards.
They chose Frame Technologies as its system allowed for the insulation requirements needed to achieve these high standards.
Having a timber frame also offered a flexible choice, allowing them to clad their home in a combination of stone and cement fibre cladding.
So successful is the completed home that it won the Best Timber Frame category in the Build It Awards 2021!
At 370 sq m and with five bedrooms, Gryphon House offered many challenges, not least the need to span large spaces. Frame Technologies’ TechVantage S system was the perfect choice, as it enabled the designers to create the dramatic spaces, with vertical timbers and steels used to cantilever the balcony and staircase.
The TechVantage S system is a breathable closed panel system that is highly specced and factory fabricated to deliver highly energy efficient results. It comes fully filled with 140mm 035 timber rafter batts and is lined on the inside with a 50mm PIR Liner and service batten and plasterboard with a Thermo breather paper on the outside.
This delivers a 0.15 U Value through the walls, while a Superglass loft roll was used in the roof to achieve 0.13 U value.
Superglass acoustic insulation is used in the internal walls and floor zone to deliver a well-insulated energy efficient airtight new home.
Chris undertook the role of project manager himself due to the increased prices he was getting from builders and ran the project very successfully.
An air source heat pump powers hot water and underfloor heating on both floors, combined with heat recovery ventilation and triple glazing throughout. 11kW PV panels supply electricity on sunny days ready for battery storage, which combine well with the benefits of an air tight, highly insulated shell to make a comfortable, cheap to run, but elegant home.
Chris Shepperd says: “We decided to use Frame Technologies for this important project as they offered flexible options for thickness of frame and level of insulation to achieve the kind of low U values we wanted. Frame Technologies was the only company to offer the energy efficiency we required at the right price point, while also being incredibly flexible and accommodating in their approach.
“Frame Tech MD Simon pulled out every stop to deliver on time and paid incredible attention to detail. There is a lot of value in that level of service.”