timber frame design benefits
Timber frame homes have many benefits for self-builders and architects alike, making timber frame design construction the fastest growing method of construction in the UK.
Timber frame homes are highly efficient. The ease with which you can achieve outstanding u-values is exemplary, compared with other traditional forms of construction. Timber frame homes are also very time and cost-efficient, which is always critical within an architect-managed build programme.
Offsite production ensures a quality product that is easier to manage through the various stages of construction. Timber frame homes are also often supplied in kit packages. This can greatly benefit the processes of an architect who has the job of pulling together all the components of a bespoke one-off project.
The design possibilities of a timber frame home are limitless. Timber frame design and production can be as bespoke as your individual design perspective.
As manufacturers of timber frame kit homes for one-off bespoke projects, we’re great fans of timber frames.
Here are some other reasons why we think it’s the No 1 choice for architects:
- Timber is a natural, renewable and sustainable resource with low embodied energy – even more so when supplied locally. Every design professional has a responsibility to design sustainably nowadays.
- Timber frame thermal performance: superstructures essentially house the insulation layers within the structure of the building, meaning less impact on the overall design, and greater thermal efficiency.
- Timber is extremely adaptable, and perfectly suited to bespoke design. Timber products range from natural solid products to highly engineered timber products, such as posi joists. These products can easily interface within your design, making any design consideration possible.
- The natural aesthetics of timber are both timeless and incomparable. The wide variety of timber products give a huge range of aesthetic options, and unparalleled design flexibility.
- Offsite production requires a quality design process, so timber frame requires quality architectural services.
- Timber frames supplied as a kit package are a great help to an architect’s project management process. A kit package ensures all items in the supply package are managed by company working alongside your program (including the structural kit, windows, external doors, insulation, plasterboard, internals doors, staircases, ironmongery, skirtings, facings, and so on). This gives you more time and resources to concentrate on managing other critical aspects of the build, in the knowledge that these items are accounted for.
- Timber frame companies like ourselves work hard to ensure your architectural services on a particular project are more efficient. We do the donkey work required on a specification – for example, identify the best solutions for your design. Or we can work alongside your building regs process to provide technical detail, SAP calculations, engineering, and so on.
- Timber frame homes allow faster on-site construction, so weather is less of a problem. No wonder they’re the preferred form of construction in Scotland and Scandinavia!
- Timber frame construction allows great flexibility to suit different budgets and aspirations, from full-spec kit packages to fully bespoke designed projects.
- Timber frame is a long-established build method in the UK and throughout the world. Over 85% of homes in the developed world use a form of timber construction.
- Timber frame is the fastest growing construction method for domestic housing within the UK.
Why Fleming Homes Timber Frame?
The general benefits of timber frame are becoming better known in the UK, and especially Scotland, but there are many different types and specifications of timber frame construction. What’s particular about Fleming Homes?
We specialise in manufacturing high quality open panel pre-insulated timber frame systems.
We supply an extensive specification with a huge variety of options. This means we do the leg work on the material items for you.
For example, we work very closely with our window manufacturers. There’s no doubt that our ordered window products will fit within our structural window openings!
We can also do whole design engineering, or provide just the timber frame structural design certificate. Another item you won’t need to coordinate and manage!
We supply all engineering components required for a bespoke project, including pre-fabricated steel members. This streamlines your interface with multiple supply parties, make the overall process easier to manage.
Each project we manage is a bespoke one-off, so the panel design and specification can be adapted to suit your individual project, giving you maximum flexibility.
We can do building warrant and building regulations, if you want us to. We can supply these directly to you for submitting, or act as the project agent on your behalf. This can take the pain out of this process for you, allowing you to concentrate on design and project management.
We are members of TRADA, NacSBA, and ISO:9001 certified. The quality of our processes is assured, and you can tap into our networks for additional assistance along the way.
We have an extensive health and safety undertaking in-house. We can help with your role as principal designer, by providing a variety of resources you’ll need during this process. We can act as principal contractor through the timber frame erection phase, and contribute to your CDM process and H&S file as required.
Our traditional open panel timber frame system has significant advantages for self-builders. From our 30 years’ experience, the main ones are:
- Speed of off-site manufacture: reduced lead times and lower production costs
- Speed of on-site erection: quicker progress to ‘wind & watertight’, reducing the overall build cost
- Flexibility: from start to finish, there are no pre-defined construction constraints, so the fabrication and specification detail of your home can be designed to your specific needs
- Lightweight: far less reliance on expensive mechanical lifting
- Cost efficient: more economical to manufacture and to erect, reducing total build costs
- Sustainable: our raw timber materials are sourced from well-managed, sustainable forests, and have lower embodied carbon than other materials
- Quality: traditionally hand made in line with exacting quality procedures
Our panel systems can be manually fitted with insulation on site, or the primary layer of insulation can be fitted at our factory.
See further information about our insulation products.
Timber Frame Excellence – ISO 9001
Fleming Homes has an excellent reputation for the quality of its timber frame products. Every timber frame panel is precision engineered following a rigorous quality procedure, and individually signed off by its maker. As a company, we’re proudly certified to ISO 9001 standard.
Want to know more about our rigorous approach to timber frame self-build? Call Fleming Homes today.
Have a Question?
We’ve answered a wide range of common questions posed by architects in our Fleming Homes FAQ section,
if you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, why not speak directly to us on 01361 883785.