One of the most unique connections we've done - a purely mechanical connection of a undercut dovetail for slender vertical tension members.
Full scale testing of a segment of a much larger hanging porch for a project in northern IL.
Reciprocal roof framing at its finest, in Cannonball, ND.
We sometimes tell people our primary business is reflected ceiling plans. And cupolas fit in quite nicely.
It is nice to work on real timber frames for real people.
We have a lot of interesting stories about this project, which consisted of British Columbia logs fabricated and then shipped to a market just outside of Frankfurt, Germany.
Nothing quite as exciting as seeing a freshly repaired covered bridge flying back over the abutments to its new (old) home.
Not much to say, other than three layers are better than two.
Timber framing can spiff up a strip-mall storefront - especially when a few keyed beams are thrown into the mix.
Timber structures go hand in hand with golf clubs.
Full dimension 11x17 rafters seem a bit bigger in person than they do on the screen. Curved glulams, anyone?
Building a house in the winter in a ski town is a snap, if you first build a scaffold tower over the entire site.
In a hidden connection, getting enough bearing for steel plate washers can sometimes be problematic. One option is to install fully threaded screws and then bear a plate washer on their heads - more uniformly distributed load throughout a timber.
Fun juxtaposition of some curved grain-matched glulams (each side of the hallway) with a sawn curve tie beam.
Everybody needs a grilling porch overlooking a lake in Whistler.
Moment-resisting connections are notoriously tricky to do in timber. They aren't perfectly rigid, wood shrinks/swells, and they can often impart all sorts of nasty cross-grain tensile stresses. But, sometimes you hide what you can where you can.
A spectacular project, and not just because of the site, but, the framer, the wood, the client. With hidden framing under the bench to help brace this wall of direct glazing, there is a lot going on behind the scenes as well.
Turned yellow cedar logs at various angles, acting as cantilever masts to support decorative metal panels on an Ontario college campus. Adjustability of these base connections is critical in making sure this all fits.
With a nearly 90 foot clear span in the middle opening, continuous bottom chords aren't that easy to ship, so they were split in half width-wise and length-wise (at mid span) with a few novel connections. We threw a few boslter beams into the project too, just because.
Sometimes less is more. Using timbers to define the space, with minimal bracing, keeps the timber frame being overpowering.
Timber in commercial spaces can take on a modern feel when properly detailed.
An interesting office mezzanine in an upper floor a Chicago high-rise (helicopter required to get the materials onto the roof...). The lattice is structural, as it supports Lignatur floor planks.
Larch is one of those species we love working with - great from an engineering standpoint (on par with Doug fir) - but more durable in exterior environments.
Adding a mezzanine inside an existing industrial space can be tricky - especially when fire separation requirements need to be met. Luckily, timbers can be designed for up to a 2-hour fire rating, making it surprisingly versatile.
Floor framing for a loft needn't consist of rectalinear grids. Using European spruce glulams fits with the non-traditional look.
When you have this view, living indoors and out meld together.
A small cottage on a rocky bluff in British Columbia required plenty of glazing, and a unique solution to cantilever stair treads.
Iconic round barns are harder and harder to find on the Midwestern landscape. This one was taken down, restored, and put back up on a county fairground.
Just because you can't get FSC certified South American hardwoods to your site that are long enough doesn't mean you can't have big spans. As long as you are creative with bolsters and keyed beams.
When building in termite prone regions (like Costa Rica), putting your post bottoms in a moat of oil to keep termites from crawling up the timbers isn't that far fetched.
20' plus keyed beam cantilever
Great bracketry on this BC residence.
A barn from the outside, a concert piano hall from the inside.
So much we could say - but, the photo speaks so much more eloquently.
BC Doug fir logs provide a nice contrast to this suburban natural foods grocery store just outside of Frankfurt, Germany. FTET provided engineering for this log structure, including design of connections and roof framing to support the living roof system.
Barns don't have to be just for agricultural storage.
