History & Legacy

Roderick James founded Roderick James Architects in 1974, and soon became a pioneering force in sustainable timber frame architecture.  With roots in eco-conscious innovation - Roderick was the first Director of the Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth, Wales - the practice has consistently championed green oak framing, natural building materials, and renewable technologies. Roderick has now stepped down from the practice, but his work continues to be an inspiration to us all.

The practice has helped over a thousand clients to design and build their timber-frame, dream home. Although regulations have become more stringent over the years, we have evolved and adopted new practices to ensure that our buildings continue to provide a harmonious blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary construction techniques.

We carefully support our clients through the self-build process and place good service at the top of our practice aims. Although our philosophy is rooted in natural and traditional building methods, we are also continually exploring and pushing the boundaries of timber frame design.

The photographs below show a small selection of projects that are an important part of the history of the practice, but are not included within our case-study pages.