New England-Inspired Self-Build Home
Earnley
A bespoke replacement dwelling shaped around its owners and constructed using a specialist timber-frame system
This completed self-build home in Earnley replaced an existing house with a distinctive New England-inspired dwelling designed around the owners’ individual requirements. The clients wanted to be closely involved in every stage of the process. Together, we developed the position, appearance and internal arrangement of the house, while considering the construction system and services they wished to incorporate.
Your Home Plans prepared the architectural design and detailed Building Regulations drawings, coordinating the information needed to take the project from the original concept through to construction.
CIAT Chartered Practice · Established 2007 · Chichester & Surrounding Areas
Designing a home in close collaboration with its owners
The client wanted to convert the existing building while retaining its character and making the most of the generous roof space.
A principal part of the brief was the introduction of an oak frame. This needed to provide genuine structural support to the vaulted roof while remaining exposed as an important feature within the completed interior.
The technical design therefore had to bring together the existing masonry building, altered roof construction, new accommodation and bespoke oak frame as one coordinated structure.
Positioning the new house
The replacement dwelling was positioned further back within the generous plot and angled towards the principal entrance. This gave the new house a stronger relationship with the driveway and allowed its main elevation and varied roof forms to be appreciated on arrival.
The relationship with the existing landscape was also important. The owners considered whether the original house could remain temporarily while the new home was built, but protecting a mature cherry tree influenced how the construction and demolition sequence was approached.
The completed house now sits comfortably within its landscaped grounds, with the building’s scale broken down through a series of gables, projecting elements and changes in material.
Preparing accurately for a timber-frame build
Accuracy was particularly important because the construction combined traditional masonry at low level with a specialist timber-frame superstructure. A suspended concrete ground floor was supported above the foundations, with brickwork constructed up to damp-proof-course level before the timber-frame company erected the main house structure.
The clients engaged a land surveyor to set out the building precisely, ensuring that the foundations and supporting masonry were constructed in exactly the correct position. The self-builder then formed the foundations with exceptional care and was delighted when they were confirmed as being accurate to within millimetres.
This careful preparation gave the timber-frame company a reliable and accurately dimensioned base from which to erect the house.
Coordinating the construction
A prefabricated timber-frame system can offer considerable benefits, but it relies on close coordination between the architectural drawings, foundations, floor construction and the frame manufacturer’s design.
The Building Regulations package established the dimensions, levels, internal arrangements and technical requirements for the house. The specialist timber-frame company then designed and supplied the structural frame and its associated calculations.
Particular attention was needed where the timber structure met the suspended floor, masonry plinth, external cladding, large areas of glazing and varied roof forms. These elements had to be considered together so that the finished house would reflect the architectural design while remaining practical to manufacture and construct.
A generous central living space
The heart of the house is a substantial open-plan kitchen and dining room extending through the central part of the ground floor. Unusually, the kitchen had already been purchased before the house was fully designed. The room therefore needed to be developed around its dimensions and arrangement, rather than treating the kitchen as a later addition.
The generous central space is complemented by a separate lounge, cinema room, utility and plant room, together with flexible ground-floor accommodation. Exposed timber elements add warmth and character within the larger open areas.
At first-floor level, the raised eaves provide comfortable rooms with improved head height, including a spacious principal suite and guest accommodation.
Materials that define the house
The external materials give the completed home its distinctive identity. Natural slate covers the varied pitched roofs, while light-coloured horizontal weatherboarding provides the principal wall finish. Natural timber introduces warmth to selected elevations and helps articulate the different parts of the building.
Anthracite-grey aluminium windows and doors provide a contemporary contrast, while white fascias, posts, railings and other details reinforce the New England influence.
Large areas of glazing bring daylight deep into the interior and create a strong connection between the living spaces and surrounding garden.
Considering comfort and energy use
The clients also used the self-build process to consider how the house would be heated, ventilated and operated. Underfloor heating, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery, renewable-energy systems and the thermal performance of the timber-frame construction were considered during the design and technical stages.
A dedicated plant room allowed these services to be planned as an integral part of the house rather than accommodated as an afterthought. This reflects one of the principal advantages of a bespoke self-build: the building can be designed around the owners’ priorities from the outset.
A home realised through close involvement
This project demonstrates how rewarding a self-build can be for owners who want to understand and influence every part of their future home.
The clients brought clear ideas and an exceptional level of personal involvement.
Your Home Plans helped translate those ideas into a coordinated architectural design and technical drawing package, while specialist surveyors, engineers and the timber-frame manufacturer contributed their expertise at the appropriate stages.
The completed house retains the character and features that first inspired the owners while providing a home shaped around how they genuinely wanted to live.
Considering building your own home?
A successful self-build requires the architectural design, site setting-out, construction system and building services to be considered together.
Your Home Plans helps self-builders develop their ideas into practical, coordinated proposals, from the initial design and planning stages through to detailed Building Regulations drawings.