The formative beginnings of this bespoke Oregon cabin were first outlined in our Beetle Blog, and we are happy to report the results of our collaboration. The timber frame for the custom backcountry cabin rebuild, now cut and raised, is a woodsman’s family dream fully realized, and we feel darn good about the results.
On our client’s parcel of land in the lush backwoods of the Pacific Northwest their original small family cabin had fallen into a state of disrepair and the homeowner’s desired to erect a new hybrid timber frame in its place.
The timber sourced for the project was harvested right from the client’s property. Their long-standing attachment to the old cabin, and its natural surroundings were going to be expressed through the new structure. (You can read this part of the story, and the design impetus in Tucked In the Trees, Steps from the Shore)
Our West Coast timber framer Seth Douglas was the lead on the project and recalls, “our client felled and milled the trees used in this project into rough-sawn timbers that we planed and joined in our McMinnville shop. The trees were selected from the family property in the Oregon Coastal Range where the cabin is located. The homeowner also cut and milled his own lumber for some portions of the frame that were stick-built by another contractor. This contribution made for a highly personal project where the client had a direct role in selecting material for the final product.”
“Our team was excited to find that there were a few pieces of timber with striking old-growth grain patterns. The clients wanted these pieces highlighted, and we made sure to get those pieces front and center where possible. It's always rewarding to work with folks who are passionate about trees, lumber, and the land.”
This reciprocal passion is what makes projects like this so special. Clients become friends and the homes we collaborate on become an enduring representation of these newfound relationships.
Douglas continues, “working with timber harvested on site is definitely unusual for us! In this case, the frame was cut green, which can pose some additional challenges for assembling since the timbers continue to dry and move after joining. Despite the challenges, I think that having the opportunity to work with timbers cut and milled by the client was an incredible experience for all of us, and really emphasized how much personal history, love, and care the family have for their land and home.”
The clients wanted the timbers as a design element as well as a structural element. The more wood, the better and the greater the connection made to the property and the family’s history. Because the frame was raised on the original cabin’s footprint, space was limited and our team worked very close together. (Which thankfully wasn’t an issue as their relationships are as tight as our joinery.)
Douglas says, “small sites just require careful planning like anything else. Small sites mean less room to maneuver, fewer opportunities to second-guess decisions already made, and less window for error. It can be a challenge to fit tools, equipment, an unassembled timber frame, and four timber-framers into a small site…but our crews are pretty good at setting timbers down on a dime. And most of us like each other well enough to work shoulder-to-shoulder.”
“It's rare to say that any raising is perfect, but this one was pretty close. The beautiful weather, old-growth hemlock shading the work site, the Nehalem River running through the backyard, foxgloves and shasta daisies starting to bloom; you couldn't ask for a better place to spend a few days. The frame itself went together well, came up without a hitch, and set down in place about as perfect as I could have hoped for.”
The joy in watching clients witness their frame rise into the bluebird sky is so much of the reason we do what we do. As is the satisfaction of completing a job well done. There are some pretty special moments for everyone involved.
Douglas continues, “the clients were incredibly gracious hosts. They made dinner for us one night and brought us home-smoked cheese each day. One evening, the homeowner drove us up to the top of the mountain behind where we were building the house to show us his sawmill and workshop.”
“We’re always privileged to work with any client on any project, but especially on projects like this. The Oregon family cabin was a true pleasure to work on, rooted as it is in a multi-generational relationship with a piece of land and a family home. This was one of those jobs where even before the first bent went up on the crane, the frame already felt lived in.”
Lived in by a story yet to be told by family, friends, and a forest that provides. The raising of a frame like this represents different things to everyone involved, but most importantly it’s a tangible representation of a client’s dreams and our contribution to fulfilling them.
