A source of customer inspiration for many design features in their projects are the structures we have built on our property.
One of the earliest of these is our woodshop. Originally constructed in 1981, it was the first real timber-frame structure we constructed. The techniques and design cues inherent in its construction have been incorporated in many more projects we have constructed since. As well as the timber framing, board-and-batten siding and original cedar shingles often reflect in our work.
The timber frame joints that went into the woodshop structure were crafted over a period of six months. The result was that everything for the structure was pre-cut, fitted and ready for assembly. Erection of the shop structure was an old-fashioned barn raising, with friends and family coming together to help out. The timber frames were assembled on site and raised in place, the structure quickly taking shape as each bent was erected.
The design of the woodshop was entirely practical in nature. The second floor is a wood store specifically designed to support passive solar drying of lumber. The insulated slab and extensive south-facing glass allows wood for future projects to naturally dry to an 8% moisture content without the use of a kiln.
The main floor features a workshop with 10’ ceilings to ease the ability to move wood around, providing sufficient space to support construction indoor construction of just about anything we can conceive.
The garage came later, in order to support additional wood storage space, provide additional parking and create a garden shed. The cupola at the apex of the roof is entirely practical, providing venting and facilitating the circulation of air through the wood loft, promoting optimal seasoning of stored lumber. The cupola design has itself become a recurring motif and oft-requested feature of garage and house clients, also appearing in a number of projects that we have designed and constructed.
Most recently, the cedar shingles were replaced with metal roofing, which will provide stylish and solid protection for many decades to come.