The term German frame is not a building expression but a term that has become synonymous with a certain type of kit house, or modular house, that originates from Germany. Find out all you need to know about German frame houses to get you started here.
By Gordon Miller
The most popular German kit house manufacturer in the UK is Huf Haus. The Huf Haus and other German and Scandinavian kit house are invariably post and beam construction with a high design ideal – all open living spaces, exposed ‘blond’ wood and often with large expanses of glass windows beloved of the style conscious among us.
Technically speaking, Merry Albright, creative assistant at Border Oak Design & Construction, a family run business based in rural Herefordshire, says, 'The main difference, for example, between German/Scandinavian and British frames is that the priorities are different.'
'Frames from Germany and Scandinavia tend to be pre-packaged with everything from the frame to light switches all in together. In the UK there is more focus on individuality and more appreciation of the historical craftsmanship.'
The beauty of the Huf Haus and several other Germanic- and Nordic-inspired kit house builders such as Scandia-Hus and Weberhaus is that the homes are constructed off-site and can be assembled in seven to 14 days, depending on the house’s complexity.
In these environmentally conscious days the added benefit of offsite construction is a reduced carbon impact. A spokesman for sustainable development portal www.whatgreenhome.com, which profiles eco-homes for sale in 25 countries worldwide, says, 'Kit and modular houses have less of an environmental impact than conventionally built houses. For example, there’s less onsite waste to be cleared and carried off-site because wall panels, for example, are cut to length in a controlled factory environment and then brought to site and positioned. Increasingly, building homes in such a way is considered to be the future of housebuilding in the UK.'
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