A few years back New Energy Works provided a timber frame for a new hybrid custom home in Oregon located on an idyllic eight-acre plot of land. Recently we returned to raise a matching classic timber frame barn on the property clad in reclaimed wood siding from our sister company Pioneer Millworks.
“We built a new timber frame house with New Energy Works a few years ago, it is not a totally timber frame house, it’s a hybrid, but one large section is completely timber framed,” said Ric, the homeowner and builder. “The property had an old metal pole barn on it that we used during the construction of the house, but once the house was done, the old metal barn was an eyesore, so we decided to build a new big, beautiful timber frame barn that would go with the house.”
This new addition to the acreage is a space for gardening, projects, and parties, but was designed to be easily adaptable in years to come. A labor of love inside and out, this barn is part of the long-term plan for the development of the property by the recently retired homeowners.
“This barn was a further extension of what I used to tell all my subcontractors when they used to come up to work on my house which was; this is not a construction project, it is an art project,” Ric continued. “We are doing this to create functional art. Craftsmanship & workmanship have to be at a high level, things have to go together well, look right, and feel good. And that is what I feel like we accomplished with the house and now the barn.”
“Pioneer Millworks supplied all the siding for the barn, my wife and I selected a recycled barn-wood siding called American Prairie Weathered Grey. We didn’t have any sustainability goals in mind, just the look that we were trying to archive,” Ric mused. “I don’t have a burning desire to use the term sustainability, but I am also not a wasteful person naturally, without thinking about saving the planet or anything else, it just seems stupid to waste things, so we have always recycled long before the term sustainability became popular.”
“New Energy Works is top notch, and I have recommended them many times since I started working with them,” Ric concluded. “When we began to design the main house, I was looking for a timber frame company and I looked at two other competitors, one of them had a pretty robust operation, but because of my background in the building industry I could tell that New Energy Works was the only one that could get in and do the job on time and meet a construction schedule. I think New Energy Works were on site maybe 10 days total for the house, it was phenomenal. Took even less time on the barn, it was just plain impressive.”
Project Credits:
Architect: Doyle Residential Design
Builder: Ric McNall Construction, Inc.
Engineer: Eclipse Engineering, P.C.
Reclaimed Wood: Pioneer Millworks
Photography: Kayla McKenzie
See our case study:
A Barn as Craft & Art | New Energy Works
