Noka

A tranquil timber retreat

Up to 19 of your favourite people, a south-facing terrace, private lake, sandy beach, hot tub, fire pit, bar and games room, and DeVol kitchen. Sound idyllic? This is Noka, a 10-bedroom Japanese-inspired luxury lodge set in a 45-acre estate in Lincolnshire.

Purpose-built to host gatherings of family and friends and corporate and wellness retreats, Noka is the newest addition to Bainland Lodge Retreats. The king or twin bedrooms are spread over two storeys, each opening onto a sun-filled deck and lake views. The communal space has double-height ceilings and a mezzanine for relaxing or yoga. Noka’s setting is incredibly peaceful, and the lodge offers all the conveniences of staying in a place that has been inviting guests to savour life at a slower pace for two generations.

Noka, Bainland Lodge Retreats — Noka | Abodo Vulcan® Vertical Grain with a SiOO:X Light Grey coating | Bainland Lodge Retreats | Richard Gooding Photography

The search for the right materials

Finding ways to deliver a true sense of luxury while complementing the lodge’s natural surroundings was the main focus of Noka’s design. Bainland wanted the lodge to look good, but it wasn’t just about creating opportunities for amazing photos. They wanted guests to feel the quality throughout the building from the moment they arrived. Naturally, timber became their material of choice.

The lodge’s design is inspired by timber-frame Japanese barns and sprinkled with a good dose of English charm. Rather than being hidden in the structure, the beams are exposed, contributing to the building’s overall appeal. To create the desired refined and solid finish, the team at Bainland opted to use our Abodo® Vulcan Vertical Grain cladding and Thermopine® decking, in conjunction with our precision fixing systems.

Abodo: a durable and stable cladding

Abodo Vulcan Vertical Grain is a thermally modified high-performance cladding with a knot-free, straight grain. Crafted from sustainably grown radiata pine, it’s the perfect board for factory coating, as Bainland Lodge Retreats chose to do. On Noka, the Abodo cladding is mainly applied in a tongue-and-groove arrangement, with our fixings and battening system providing a seamless finish. For James Trafford, Head of External Services, Abodo’s neat and contemporary look was ideal.

“Noka is all about architectural lines, and the clear grade of Abodo allows the lines to be accentuated through the building structure, providing exactly the look we required, both from a distance and close up,” says James.

The architect used vertical fins and framing to add texture and depth to the front-facing elevations, and horizontal timbers to break up the rear façade. Trafford explains that, given the scale of the building, breaking up the large expanses was a conscious decision to avoid any hints of a commercial warehouse. The wood cladding is also interrupted by a stone wall section, which adds a classical note.

Noka | Thermopine® Decking RW214 and RW215 (anti-slip) | Bainland Lodge Retreats | Richard Gooding Photography

Quality decking fastened with quality fixings

Performance and a luxe look and feel were also key when it came to specifying the decking – particularly as it sits under the two hot tubs and so must be safe for wet feet. Thermopine’s smooth boards, combined with factory-applied anti-slip strips, provide the clean and refined look that Bainland sought. For James, it was helpful to find decking boards that are non-slip without requiring an additional coating.

To avoid unsightly overdriven screws and water traps, the decking boards were secret-fixed using the SIHGA SenoFix system, supplied by us. This process adds longevity to decking that’s already designed to be exceptionally durable: Thermopine is thermally modified to create a dimensionally stable timber that’s free from resin.

Specifier Tip: Russwood anti-slip strips are factory-bonded within the decking boards, keeping overall profile of the boards flush.

Russwood are a professional company and a pleasure to deal with. They were positive and quick to respond right from the initial contact.
James Trafford, Head of External Services

A vision brought to life

Noka started welcoming its first retreat guests in 2024. Reflecting on the design and build process, James is delighted that the completed lodge exactly matches Bainland’s vision and goals for the project. He’s particularly pleased about their decision to prioritise timber throughout the building. “The cladding and decking make Noka come to life,” he says.

And by using dimensionally stable boards and precision-engineered fixings on both the cladding and decking, guests can enjoy Noka’s design distraction-free.

“Concealed fixings were absolutely essential in achieving the seamless finish that we required and to allow the eye to only be drawn to the features we wished shown,” says James.

Project gallery

Noka | Abodo Vulcan® Vertical Grain with a SiOO:X Light Grey coating | Bainland Lodge Retreats | Richard Gooding Photography

Learn more

Abodo® Vulcan Vertical Grain is a premium exterior cladding option, known for its sustainability and high quality, making it ideal for projects where both aesthetics and environmental impact are priorities.

View Abodo® Vulcan Vertical Grain