Case Study
Replacement Oak Frame Sunroom For a Listed Building in Angus
Working alongside a listed building asks for restraint as much as craftsmanship. New work needs to function confidently in its own right while respecting the proportions, materials and character that are already there. For this project in Kirriemuir, Angus, WoodWorks was brought in to design, manufacture and install the oak frame for a replacement glazed sunroom, working with the architect to develop the design and work through the timber-frame details before manufacture began.
The finished room is deliberately light in character. The oak frame gives the extension its structure and rhythm, while the glazing keeps views open and allows the original building to remain visually dominant.
Project at a Glance
LOCATION | Kirriemuir, Angus
PROJECT TYPE | Replacement Oak frame sunroom
BUILDING CONTEXT | Category C-Listed Residential Property
WOODWORKS SCOPE | Main build. Foundations and roof covering by others.
TIMBER | Green Oak internal; Air dried oak external
ARCHITECT | KSA, Montrose
ENGINEER | Paramount, Edinburgh
COMPLETED | 2024
The brief
The existing timber porch occupied a smaller footprint and had reached the end of its useful life, with deteriorating timbers and leaking windows making replacement increasingly necessary. The clients wanted to replace it with a light-filled oak frame sunroom that would feel appropriate beside the listed house while providing a much more usable space.
The size of the replacement was constrained through the planning process, so the design had to make the most of a tightly controlled footprint. Working with the architect, we developed a room that remained modest in scale while using the oak frame and extensive glazing to create a much greater sense of space and connection with the garden.
Architect’s proposed elevations and floor plan for the replacement sunroom. Drawing: KSA, Montrose.
Working with a listed building
The setting meant that the new structure had to be considered in relation to an established historic building. The aim was not to imitate the original architecture, but to introduce a clearly crafted timber element that felt appropriate in scale, material and detail.
Working from the architect’s design, we developed the frame in detail before manufacture, coordinating its geometry, openings, connections and the points where the new structure would meet the existing building. This preparation is particularly important when new timber work meets old construction: dimensions, tolerances, weathering and interfaces all need to be understood before the frame reaches site.
Completed oak frame sunroom with locally sourced sandstone to match the existing house.
Developing and making the oak frame
The frame was set out and cut in the workshop using traditional timber-framing principles. Each component forms part of the finished architecture, so structural decisions and visual decisions are inseparable: joint positions, brace geometry, post sizes and beam lines all contribute to how the room reads once complete.
Traditional mortice-and-tenon joints and oak pegs give the frame a clear, legible structure. The result is not a timber-effect finish applied to a conventional room; the frame is the room’s primary architectural structure.
Oak frame components and glazing boards being dry-fitted in the workshop before delivery.
A project like this also depends on accurate preparation. The better the frame is prepared in the workshop, the calmer the site installation becomes. Components can be checked, joints refined and the sequence of erection planned before delivery.
Installation, glazing and enclosure
On site, the oak frame was assembled onto the new blockwork walls and connected to the existing building. Following construction and slating of the roof, we returned to install the bespoke oak French doors manufactured by Maddock Joinery Manufacture in Montrose and designed to integrate with our glazing system. The glazing was detailed to preserve the visual clarity of the oak structure while providing the weather-tightness and performance required of a modern living space.
The oak frame assembled on site before installation of the glazing.
Corner junction with pegs still long waiting to be cut back
Direct glazing system nearing completion.
The Finished Room
The completed sunroom is intentionally simple: oak, glass and the existing masonry each remain visually distinct. Despite the restricted footprint, the exposed frame, high roof and broad areas of glazing give the room a much greater sense of space and open it towards the garden.
The oak provides warmth and depth without competing with the original building. For WoodWorks, the project demonstrates how traditional timber framing can work particularly well in sensitive historic settings — not by imitating the existing architecture, but by introducing a clearly crafted structure of its own.
We enjoy what we do. We take pride in our work
— and that care shows in the buildings we produce.
Are you planning an oak frame extension, sunroom or replacement structure for an existing property? WoodWorks works with homeowners, architects and contractors across Scotland to develop and build handcrafted timber frames.