My morning routine is not exciting. I get up, start the coffee, and sit down at my computer for some inspirational reading, then move on to check email and the “social scene” (Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn).
This morning my email had a pleasant surprise. A client emailed that they had listed their existing home on Tuesday and sold it on Wednesday…in today’s tough real estate market. In the past month, we had two clients become “homeless” when their homes sold sooner than expected. Now that’s a good problem to have.
Our hope is that this is a sign of an improving economy. As existing homes begin to move, those people who have waited to build a new home will be in a position to do so, and the construction trades will begin to move forward. Since we design homes, we are usually one of the first trades to get started on a project. The contractor, working with all the trades from the foundation up, follows quickly.
Who knew that an early morning email would be the bearer of such good news not only for our client and for Goshen, but for our nation? We all knew that things were on the rise, but seeing them in a concrete way is rewarding.
So, move forward, build and build boldly. Begin your new timber frame home journey and know that it will all work in good time.
Tags: economy, real estate, timber frame homes
Designing your new timber frame home is a journey of sorts. You’ll bring all the luggage you’ve gathered along the way. Homes you’ve seen on television shows, homes you’ve seen in magazines, homes you’ve driven past, homes you’ve lived in and visited…they’re all packed neatly away, waiting to be sorted and reviewed upon arrival at the design desk.
Interestingly enough, drawing timber frame house plans is not much different today than it was centuries ago. You decide how you live and you design your home to work around your lifestyle.
In 1852, American sculptor Horatio Greenough used the term “form follows function” as he was explaining the organic principles of architecture. Almost 50 years later, in 1896, architect Louis Sullivan wrote and article, “The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered” and expanded on the concept. He actually wrote “form ever follows function” a more emphatic phrase. He was adamant that this was the “rule that shall permit no exception”. He wrote:
It is the pervading law of all things organic and inorganic,
Of all things physical and metaphysical,
Of all things human and all things super-human,
Of all true manifestations of the head,
Of the heart, of the soul,
That the life is recognizable in its expression,
That form ever follows function.
This is the law.
Today we need remember that rule and to keep function at the forefront as we design our timber frame homes. The way you live, the things that make you comfortable, the necessary space to live with ease…these are the first things to consider as you lay out your new timber frame home.
So take time to think about how you live as you begin designing your new timber frame home. And remember Mr. Sullivan’s words “form ever follows function”. Let your life direct the design of your home and always Build Boldly.
Tags: Timber Frame Design, timber frame homes, timber frame house plans, timber frame plans, timber frames
Timber frame homes are beautiful, inspiring, charming, and all of the wonderful words that you can consider. And, when properly designed and constructed, they are also amazingly energy efficient. This doesn’t happen by accident, but with intentional design and construction.
Designing for not only beauty, but also for energy efficiency, should be goals from the start. You will need to consider size, style, orientation, daylighting, and all the other subtle ways that you can plan forward. Make it known early in your design meetings that you want your home to be sustainable and to minimize energy usage.
Plan forward for energy efficient fixtures and appliances and to use energy efficient bulbs. Don’t save money with inefficient appliances and windows. They will cost you daily.
Structural Insulated Panels are the enclosure of choice for many timber frame companies. Timber frame homes and hybrid homes work well with panel systems. A tight home and a well insulated home don’t necessarily go hand in hand, but a well installed panel system covers it all.
We not only promote energy efficiency, but we live it. Our own 1700 square foot timber frame home, with lots of windows and vaulted ceilings, uses only $2.34 per day ($835 for the year) in electricity. We heat and cool with a heat pump and don’t have a fireplace or any auxiliary heat source. We have an electric dryer and a dishwasher.
Last year our energy usage was $3.08 per day ($1,123 for the year). We had a much colder winter, but we also made some common sense changes. We don’t run the dishwasher until it’s full. We hang some clothes out to dry. Simple choices have saved us almost $300 per year.
So think forward. Plan your home to save those energy dollars and to be comfortable. Build a home you’ll love and whatever you do, Build Boldly!
Tags: daylighting, design trends, energy efficiency, sustainability, Timber Frame Design, timber frame homes, timber frames
Timber Frame Homes should be the first option for everyone (in our humble opinion), but many see them as a more expensive option. That doesn’t have to be the case. There are several paths to building more affordable timber frame homes.
- Build Smaller – A smaller home doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice luxury or space. It means you get rid of the excess area that you don’t use, don’t want to heat and cool, and don’t want to maintain.
- Build Simpler - Corners cost. This has been a construction truth for centuries. Looking back for centuries you’ll find simple, elegant structures that have few corners. Complex roof lines increase the cost every step of the way. Don’t give up style, work with textures (and timbers) to enhance your space inside and out. Change the ceiling heights to define space. Don’t think you need lots of hips, valleys, and corners to build an amazing home.
- Build Hybrid - Hybrid timber frame homes can be the perfect trade-0ff. Fully timber frame the more public living spaces (great rooms, porches,etc) and use heavy timber rafters and trusses on walls built with structural insulated panels in the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens. You save not only in the cost of the timber frame, but the space can be built out without working around posts and braces.
Tags: design trends, hybrid home plans, Hybrid Homes, small homes, sustainability, timber frame, Timber Frame Design, timber frame house plans, Timber Frame Photos, timber frame plans, timber frames
Green Building (grēn bild ing) noun
1) The practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and their use of energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on human health and the environment, through better siting, design, construction, operation, and maintenance.
2) Timber frames
I guess that says it all. Timber frames were designed and built green long before building green became buzzwords. Timbers are a renewable resource. Enclosing timber frame homes with insulated panels ensure that the energy used to heat and cool them will be minimized. That is a huge step in building green.
So if you are thinking about building a sustainable, energy efficient home, your best first step is to build an original green home … a timber frame.
Tags: design/build, energy efficiency, green building, sustainability, timber frame homes, timber frames
You must have seen and admired pictures of timber framed homes. Maybe you’ve even visited someone that had one or wished that you could have such a unique home. Maybe you’ve even been lucky enough to have owned one.
The appeal of a timber framed home comes in many forms from the strength of their timbers to the elegance in which they all come together to form a hand crafted structure. Each home is unique to the owners that have had it built and is a testimony to the longevity and beauty of that structure. It has been crafted to last for many lifetimes, which is a feature that all can appreciate. That attribute still rings even in today’s world.
Timber framed homes have been around for hundreds of years. My home in the Bahamas is a timber framed home and is well over 100 years old. No small feat considering that it sits on a cay ( small island) of approximately 40 acres and has been through numerous hurricanes in its lifetime. Just this year we were hit by Hurricane Irene with winds over 140mph and true to her nature, she stood proud through another storm. Our home has all the original Roman numerals from the original builders of years gone by showing their hard work and dedication to their craft. We have made changes and updates but the structure itself remains the same as when it was first built many years ago.
Homes like this, and in those in less hostile environments, have and will withstand the tests of time. A true testament to their strength and ability to withstand years of various owners and the forces that nature can throw at them. They have proven their lasting value and continue to do so even in our present throw away society. A timber framed home lives on for many generations to come and for many generations of different families.
Guest contributor Todd Vendituoli owns and runs Todd Vendituoli Construction in W. Burke, Vt
Visit his blog: http://thebuildingblox.
Follow Todd on Twitter @TALV58
Sometimes you just have to step back and marvel at the beauty of a timber frame home. When Neal and Pam started their timber frame journey, they had a vision….a vision of beautiful, elegant, rustic mountain homes that brought together strength and character of timber frames with the charm of the mountains of Western North Carolina. To say that they succeeded would be an understatement.
The Pond and the Cottage are beautiful examples of timber frame homes. They are both available for sale and for rent here in Franklin, North Carolina…just west of Asheville.
So today we’re sharing videos of these beautiful homes. Walk through them and enjoy the beauty…it is certainly worth sharing.
Thank you for allowing us to share the beauty!
Tags: design trends, small homes, Timber Frame Design, timber frame home plans, timber frame homes, timber frame house plans, timber frame videos, timber frames, timber framing, Tour of Homes
As you move forward in planning your timber frame home, you’ll likely look at timber frames from more than one company. That’s the easy part. Then you’ll begin to compare what you are purchasing from the company.
You’ll find that each company has a slightly (and sometimes drastically) different package. And then you’ll find that many companies will sell a partial package and some companies will only work with you if they are providing all the items that their timber frame kit includes.
You should question what materials and services are included. Some of the items that are necessary and may be included in your agreement with the timber frame company…or outsourced, either by you or by the company are:
Customer Service/Sales – You can work with a salesperson who will hand the project off to a designer at another location and the fabrication is handed off to yet another facility. Or you can work with a company where the sales person is the customer service person and is the person who will be very hands on during the design, development, and completion of your home. That person will have full responsibility for your new timber frame home, from soup to nuts.
Design – You’ll find some companies have designers on staff. These designers can usually work with a plan from their portfolio, revising it as needed to make it work better for you, or they can custom design a home. Other companies will work with a designer (either local or at a distance) or will send you to a designer or architect. Email us for a look at a full set of builders plans that you can expect with a Goshen home.
Timber Frame – of course.
Decking – for the ceiling and loft, if called for in the design.
Insulated Panels – Panels can be used to wrap a timber frame or to be a structural part of a hybrid home. What is the insulating material? Polyurethane, expanded polystyrene, polyisocyanurate…and variations of these are most common. Are the panels prefabricated? Are they sheathed on both sides…or on one? Do they have conduit and junction boxes built in (wherever you and your contractor/electrician specify) or do they just have chases for wiring?
Installation – Will the raising and panel installation be performed by their own crew, will they subcontract it, or will your contractor be responsible for this step?
Some companies have dealers/representatives who are contractors and you will purchase your package from them and they will complete the home. While this may be an option for some, if you aren’t building where they are located, it may be problematic if they are subbing to a contractor who has never worked with timber frames and he/she is expected to raise and enclose your home. If you are working with a company who has no contractual ties to the contractor, you can be more selective in choosing your contractor and can make sure that they are a good fit for you…not just for the timber frame company.
Other companies will ship their package and you are own your own. They will send a manual and your contractor will need to raise and enclose your home.
Some companies will send an experienced crew…the crew who has cut and/or pre-assembled your timber frame prior to delivery and who has installed insulated panels on their frames for years.
So..you can see that comparing apples to apples is not an easy thing to do. On top of all these differences, you have to ask how they will communicate with you..telephone, online, mail, etc.
We definitely don’t want to discourage you, but we do want to encourage you to ask questions and consider your options. At Goshen Timber Frames, we’ve created our entire process to be client-centric and to be flexible enough to allow for individual decisions. While our three favorite words are plan, plan, plan, we also live by “the buck stops here”.
You can visit our new FAQs page for an overview of what a Goshen Timber Frames’ package includes. And you can always give us a call at 828-524-8662 or drop me an bonnie@goshenframes.com, too. We’re here to help.
Tags: Construction Costs, design/build, hybrid home plans, Hybrid Homes, Kit Homes, timber frame addition, timber frame packages, timber frame plans, timber frames
Planning your new timber frame home is a journey. Seldom does someone look at one plan and say “that’s it”. Nor do they work with a designer or architect and get to the right plan in one step.
Your mission will be to develop a plan that will live well, serve you well, be efficient, and be beautiful. That’s not a small task. You’ll need all the help you can get to find just the right timber frame plan. Some home plans will work in one way and others in another.
That’s where our latest plan book comes in. The timber frame photos and timber frame home plans included will give you a place to start. You can narrow down what you like and what doesn’t work for you. Then you can begin to work toward the perfect home plan. And the talented Goshen team is ready to work with you to design that perfect home.
Goshen’s CD has small home plans, large home plans, fully timber framed plans, and hybrid home plans. You can peruse them at your leisure and print them to share with others. (But remember they are all Goshen copyrighted plans, so don’t ask someone else to build them for you.)
Also included are three videos to show you how a timber frame comes together. That’s an exciting day for most homeowners.
So drop us a note at plans@timberframemag.com and we’ll get a CD off to you. Or, if you’d like, we’ll send you a download link to the files on the CD.
These plans are the perfect first step on your journey.
Tags: Timber Frame Design, timber frame home plans, timber frame homes, timber frame house plans, Timber Frame Photos, timber frames
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