Timber Frame Holiday Lodge Offers Idyllic Highland Retreat

Glasgow couple Dene and Debbie Happell had a fantastic opportunity to build a timber frame holiday lodge in a unique setting in a Scottish Highlands National Park. The gorgeous lochside 0.5-acre site is surrounded by native woodland and looks onto panoramic views of Loch Venachar. The project called for a creative solution to incorporate the dwelling sensitively into the surroundings and provide a functional and beautiful space that makes the most of the exceptional views.

For the Happells, this was a dream self-build project. Dene and Debbie are the team behind Nest, an innovative property design and building company which simplifies the self-build and renovation process to make it enjoyable for the homeowner, from inception all the way to interior design. The couple also run and manage Loch Venachar Lodges, award-winning luxury self-catering lodges set in the heart of the Trossachs which includes Coorie.

With their care and attention to detail, underpinned by specialist timber-frame construction from Fleming Homes, Loch Venachar Lodges’ beautiful ‘Coorie’ lodge was nominated for a Scottish Design Award in 2022. Their design-led build also won The Herald Property Awards for best Individual New Build or Small Development.

The site had special significance for the family, who had been spending holidays there for many years. “We’d always hoped to build something architecturally significant for ourselves in the countryside,” says Dene. “So when an opportunity came up to replace a run-down garage and workshop on our land, we were delighted.”

“We wanted to create a cosy refuge,” says Debbie, “where you can coorie in front of the wood-burning stove after an invigorating day out, and at the same time feel connected to glorious nature.” Dene adds: “We were inspired by US mid-century architects who designed site-specific houses with beautiful vistas at their heart. We wanted the views to be the star feature.”

The Happells achieved their vision with an inventive upside-down design. Downstairs, you’re welcomed with a hall for coats and boots, and two cosy bedrooms and bathrooms. The staircase to the first floor opens dramatically onto a spacious living space with panoramic windows looking onto the hills and loch, creating a feeling of immersion among the trees. The wood-burning stove, window seat nook, and luxurious kitchen-dining area make it the perfect place to relax with a whisky and movie, while watching Scotland’s weather.

For this project, Dene and Debbie brought on board their regular architect partner, Stuart Cameron from Cameron Webster. Dene says: “Stuart has a unique way of understanding form and space and a great handle on how buildings are put together. ‘He was excellent at distilling our ideas into the design we have now.”

Timber-frame construction was always their first choice for a build calling for speedy construction. Loch Venachar Lodges brought in timber-frame specialists Fleming Homes to carry out construction design, timber frame manufacture and erection.

“We chose the timber-frame build method for speed and price,” says Dene. “This is a remote location, and the weather can be wet and windy in the autumn. We want to get the house to wind-and-watertight as fast as possible. This was achieved in just 6 days,” Debbie adds: “We also meshed well with Fleming Homes, who did a great job of translating our design and understanding what we wanted. They had tremendous expertise in one-off bespoke homes and offered value for money.”

The design came with several interesting challenges for the Fleming Homes technical team, admits Debbie. “The house has a large, cantilevered balcony which is angled towards the views, and none of the rooms are quite square. In fact, there are very few right angles in the house!”

Flemings Construction Design Technician William agrees that “setting out initially proved difficult, due to most of the walls not meeting at 90°. There are also six steel columns and five steel beams within the building, each one connected to one another using varying angles, levels, and cantilevers.”

The team’s solution was to use state-of-the-art software to design the entire building in a 3D environment, William explains. “The steel elements were then exported to a steel software package that dealt with the connections. This provided digital files for cutting the steel, and detailed drawings for fabrication. There was some more technical head-scratching due to the shape of the roof, oriel window and weather proofing the balcony, but the software helped us to achieve everything far more easily.”

The new 3D software also helped the Happells and their team to see and walk through the design model online. As William explains, this was useful not only for the client, but also for the erectors. “They could access it while onsite for clarity on the design, adding to the information already provided on drawings sheets. This meant the erectors made fewer phone calls back to the office. It turned out to be an efficient resource for all.”

The house shell was manufactured in Fleming Homes’ factory in Duns, and arrived on site with the outside ready for cladding, and the inside ready to be battened out to run the services. The 140mm kit was pre-insulated with 120mm PIR insulation, speeding up the erection on site, and reducing waste.

The insulation, careful design and construction, and triple-glazed windows mean the house is incredibly energy efficient and hardly needs heating between March and October. The Happells were actually concerned that the house would be too airtight and were considering a vent or mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) system. A specialist air-tightness test revealed a slight loss at the roof exit of the woodburner flue, which worked in the couple’s favour.

It was then over to the team of joiners and Debbie and Dene to complete the project, which has been described by TimeOut as “the coolest and cosiest holiday rental in all of Scotland.”

The Happells are delighted with their holiday home and to have found a timber-frame construction company who share their ethos. “We’re picky about the people who work for Nest, says Debbie. “We employ the very best knowledgeable tradesmen and craftsmen to ensure the finish is meticulous every time. Fleming Homes are an amazing team – so passionate and driven!”

Want to get your dream holiday lodge project started? Get in touch with Fleming Homes.