We worked very closely with the Abbot to achieve a sense of humility and simplicity which celebrates the grandeur of the traditional post and beam timber frame. Walk through the stunning porch and you find yourself in a spectacular atrium space with vaulted cathedral ceiling and exposed valley rafters and ridge beams, before heading off into the living quarters.
Communal living with a very light touch on the earth’s resources was the foundation for many of the client’s choices. A wood-chip boiler meant that all heating could be derived from the waste of the local Devonshire sawmill – the same sawmill which provided the larch cladding – and the 300mm (12”) thick walls of full-filled insulation ensured that no heat was wasted.