OAK EXTENSION
Seventeen years after first moving into their Scottish home, Alison and Colin Fayle fulfilled their wish to build a glazed oak frame extension from which to enjoy the view
HOMEOWNERS Alison and Colin Fayle
LOCATION Fife, Scotland
PROJECT Oak-framed extension
HOUSE TYPE Detached three-bedroom 1990s house
SIZE 220m²
BUILD ROUTE Architect and oak framing company
BUILD TIME Nine months
HOUSE COST £299,000 in 2007
BUILD COST £114,000
VALUE £450,000+
WORDS Debbie Jeffery
PHOTOGRAPHY Katie Pryde/Oakwrights
Alison and Colin Fayle considered 17 different properties when they planned to relocate to Scotland from London with their two children, but the only house which Colin refused to go and see was the one they ended up buying. “It was a very ordinary looking building from the outside, smothered in pebbledash and with concrete roof tiles,” recalls Alison. “Colin wasn’t keen at first when we spotted it online, but then we saw the hilltop setting surrounded by beautiful trees and countryside. And the fact that the village is near so many golf courses in Fife also helped to change his mind!”
The house, which the couple bought in 2007, stands on an idyllic elevated site and is surrounded by walking trails. It also nestles among ancient trees but the house had no windows facing north-east towards St Andrews, which meant the couple were unable to enjoy the light and outlook they craved.
“Having two children to help fund through university meant our dream of building a garden room was put on hold until our retirement,” says Alison. “Having lived in Norway years ago, we chose to work with Fife Architects because their use of natural materials reminded us of bright, pared-back Nordic designs.”
THE BEAUTY OF OAK
Opening up the gable end and extending out into the garden with a sustainable green oak frame was inspired by the close proximity to the woodland and the need to make the building lightweight in order to protect tree roots on site.
“Choosing an oak frame structure helped minimise the use of steel, which has a heavy ecological footprint,” explains Fermín Beltrán, a partner at Fife Architects, who has a keen interest in designing sustainably. “The oak stores carbon throughout its lifespan and naturally embeds this within the building, ensuring that the extension is essentially carbon neutral.”
Designed to create a glazed garden room, leading directly off from the kitchen, the Fayles’ extension stands on piled foundations with a plinth of grey brickwork extending to form an attractive planter.
