Glulam extension to a listed building, Suffolk

Built using a combination of off-site manufacturing and site construction, the exposed frame supports an asymmetric standing seam zinc roof and bespoke glazing. The external walls are finished in handmade brick slips in a mix of stretcher and herringbone bond.

The new kitchen is flooded with natural light from the bespoke windows and skylight, and is orientated for views out to the mature walled garden. Glazed sliding doors open out on to the paved terrace, providing level access from the garden to the kitchen, through to the dining room within the main house. The bespoke shaped skylight positioned above the internal doorway brings light into the previously dark dining room.

The listed building is formed of several timber framed bays ranging from 15th to 17th century in origin, behind a Georgian red brick facade. The differing structures tell the building’s history through its expansion and alteration, of which the new glulam structure is the latest chapter.

Collaborative working between Superstructures (structural engineering), Timber Engineered Structures (fabrication drawings), RC Mumford (main contractor) and TAS ensured that the glulam frame could be delivered to site pre-cut for joining. A skilled on-site team assembled the frame and hand-cut the angled rafters to complete the structure. The frame is small but complex, with angled joints and exposed base plates – all finished to an exceptional standard thanks to the fabrication process and carpentry skills of the team.

As part of the works, two 20th-century extensions, which were not of an appropriate quality for the context, were removed. The replacement is a beautiful, warm, family friendly kitchen with a much stronger relationship to the existing dining room and the garden, which sits comfortably with the listed building.

Annual CO2 data was not provided