Project Notes

The material selection of this custom home was a key part of the design. There is an impressive amount of reclaimed materials used in this project. Sourcing and building with reclaimed materials can be tricky. As the design moves forward so does the necessity to be able to secure the appropriate materials and sizes. All of the exterior siding, except the metal shingles, is reclaimed, from the weathered grey oak board on board vertical siding, to the 2" x 14" thresher floor that was used as clapboard siding. On the interior we used 11” to 15” inch wide plank reclaimed white pine flooring throughout much of the house. The flooring is a unique product that requires a specialized use of patina, filler, sealer and wax to achieve the desired look. At certain times of the project, when wood or metal needs a distinguishing look, I am referred to as “Capitan Patina.” Years of trial and error have allowed me to produce some amazing results. Stone was another key feature of this custom design build home. After an extensive search, we were able to locate a lichen and moss covered field stone with organic edges and a great degree of size and thickness variation. 8” concrete block was extended up from the base of the footer to allow for a battered effect, the masons using the larger and thicker stones at the base and then gradually tapering the wall back into plumb as it rose up the side of the building. This stout and substantial effect offers strength and shadow lines as the sun traverses across the sky.

The design build custom timber frame of the great room and master bedroom are hand hewn beams of Elm and Ash. These beams were reclaimed from 19th century old structures. Every piece of wood has its own characteristics. Their uniqueness comes from the environment where they once lived and the personality and craftsmanship of the person that motivated the log from round to square using nothing more than an axe and an adze. For this reason, it is of great importance to spend time picking out just the right pieces for each part of the house. The material tells you where it wants to fit into the project; you just need to listen. The timber framers on the project, Bodi Johansson and Bob Newman, are true craftsmen with unique abilities. Working with only one square edge, they are able to tease these somewhat organic pieces together into a load bearing timber frame design in which the environment will be consistently pushing and pulling on the tenons pegged with a traditional dowel of oak.

The material for the design build master guest cabin was purchased before the complete design of this custom home was finished. It is often the case that specific materials need to be located and acquired in order to design them into the project at hand. In this case, a mix of white and red oak hand hewn logs averaging 17" x 10" wide came from Ohio, from a school teacher that takes down old cabins in the summer time. The Cabin material was a great addition to this custom design build project as it was transformed into a master guest suite. Over the years I have built and rebuilt many log cabins, and the loss of thermal transfer, rodents and insects finding their way in is inevitable. The cure is to cut the logs into 3” to 4” skins and apply them to a standard 2” x 6” framed wall that is insulated with foam. This process exceeds energy requirements. The remaining reclaimed oak was used to build the treads for the spiral staircase and also the stairway leading to the wine room. We were also able to incorporate the material into many of the built-ins as well as all of the island cabinet faces. Artisan Builders prides itself in being a true green builder.