Hamish Boden from Studio Hardie talks about the challenges of fabrication and installation of a Douglas Fir timber frame farmhouse in one of the remotest parts of the British Isles.
The house was designed by Cameron Scott and
was a contemporary take on a traditional four bay farm house, using douglas fir
and larch. The brief was to build something that was both eco friendly and
robust (considering the regular storms gusting up to 80mph) whilst making the
most of the epic landscape.
(This time lapse video has no soundtrack)
The main thing that attracted me to this build was the location. Eigg is a remote island on the west coast of Scotland at just six miles long by four miles wide, with a population of fewer than 100. Everything about this place is dramatic from its sweeping mountain-scape to its expansive views and often turbulent ferry crossing, all adding to the islands rich history. Therefore it is only right that the farmhouse exude a similar kudos.
The main thing that attracted me to this build was the location. Eigg is a remote island on the west coast of Scotland at just six miles long by four miles wide, with a population of fewer than 100. Everything about this place is dramatic from its sweeping mountain-scape to its expansive views and often turbulent ferry crossing, all adding to the islands rich history. Therefore it is only right that the farmhouse exude a similar kudos.
Another major attraction to this project is
that my family live here. My Father and
Grandfather have both built houses on the island. I couldn’t pass up this
opportunity, whether I liked it or not. Naturally my competitive side is to build
something bigger and better so the Studio Hardie team and myself set off on the
600 mile journey to build the house of all houses.
We built the frame off site in our
workshop. It meant that we weren’t
exposed to the elements during winter and could give the extra attention to
detail that it deserved. Logistically it
was ambitious. Transporting the timber
to the island was the first major hurdle. The articulated lorry was full to the
roof and it literally wouldn’t have taken another piece of timber. We had to
use a specialist boat for carrying the freight and lastly a tractor and trailer
for the last kilometer on the island. It was a relief to get the project to
site.
I’ve
done a few small projects there previously. I started with building a little
shepherds hut that taught me a lesson on being prepared. You have to be militant
in planning and it helps to be resourceful.
The closest builders merchant is in Fort William so any materials take a
week to arrive. You can’t just nip out
when you have forgotten a box of screws. Problem solving is as important too. I know my
tool kit better than I know the back of my hand and probably spent more time
with it than I have my own family.
Like any project thinking through every
process is key. Knowing what happens
next and what you will need in advance. I guess this is something that comes
from experience, both good and bad. There’s nothing like getting something
horribly wrong to teach you a lesson. Its
how you recover from that situation that really sets your principles.
Another challenge is the lack of and
limitations on access to modern luxuries like a crane or access equipment. We didn’t even have mains electricity so had
to rely on generator. We resorted to the medieval technique of raising the
building by hand. In some ways it’s the most pleasurable way to put up a
building. It’s slow but you can be
methodical and finesse things as you go.
Eigg is one of the first communities in the
UK to produce all of is electricity supply locally with renewable resources so
building a house out of renewable timber seemed like the obvious thing to do. For me timber framing is the essence of
carpentry and teaches you so much about wood. I really think it’s a good
starting point for any carpentry discipline. Being able to read a piece of
timber to knowing what the grain will do over the years and how it will be affected
by shrinkage. You don’t get many second
chances with green oak as its not like you can cover up a mistake with a bit of
filler or paint. One thing it also
really helps with is getting good at using hand tools. The timber is often so
large and difficult to move hand tools are the only option, You learn to use the
circular saw in all directions and sometimes even cutting upside down.
I think the highlight of this project for
me was seeing the frame slowly take shape. It took around 2 weeks to erect. Each day you would see a little progress and
begin to see how the house is going to sit in the landscape. It was every bit
as fun, challenging and hard work as it looked.
i want to built a hut for my indoor plants can anyone make for me a hut house i want to propagate monstera plants in it because the leaves are damaging.
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