Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Timber frames are personal

I have had the great fortune of being able to assist those in need.  I am privileged to do some volunteer work as a member of the Lions Club, here in Golden, Colorado, which I must admit is not so bad.....pouring beers at big outdoor events for instance.  A lot of people contact and a good outpost to view humans in their native habitat.  It is an enriching experience.

I am also privileged to design homes and timber frames in very scenic and rural parts of the country.  In this case, Michigan.


    I'm equally privileged to have a profession that can be instrumental in the life plans of some wonderful and patient people.  Those people are, of course, the owners of the projects that myself and all other custom home architects work for....who are in great need of someone to help solve the thousands of problems and issues that go into a real, live, genuine, custom timber framed home... not the out-of-the-book variety.  With a custom, it's hard to get out of the gate for many people. We architects get them out the gate and keep the project moving.


    My recent site visit to this home site on Lake Michigan looking west to review a just-raised frame for a rather special project, a legacy house, underlines the importance and power of creative and very personal design, by both architect and owners.


     The owners, we'll just call him "he" and "she", have had to put up with me for 5 years of design, reviews, engineering, recession, pricing, and so on to get to the start of construction last fall, putting the frame raising in the mighty Michigan winter of early 2015. Challenging.

    She had certain reservations about the whole house thing, which was really being driven by he. And it's a big house.  When the frame went up and she visited and walked into what will be her kitchen, they tell me she went into tears, and instantly owned the place lock, stock, and barrel.  At dinner, I was honored to know how grateful she was to have me designing her dream....and they gave  me a rare bottle of exceptional whiskey......

It doesn't get better for an architect.