We’re fortunate to have a variety of landscapes within New York State. Those who are passionate about the outdoors, mountains, lakes, and the accompanying passions of skiing, hiking, water sports, and more, can find a bit of it all “upstate”. The Adirondack Mountains, the Finger Lakes Region, and even Western NY each offer opportunity for these pastimes. Shane and his family found their East Coast calling near Old Forge in the Adirondacks.
Upon purchasing a special plot of land, planning and projects began. Beginning with a garage that included a living space, the family then spruced up the grounds, rebuilt the boathouse, and in the final stage, turned attention to creating the main house.
“I’ve known Carlton Holmes (Principal/AIA, Holmes King Kallquist Associates and Architects, (HKK) https://hkkarchitects.com for a number of years,” Shane shared. “The house was always going to be a timber frame–I’ve always liked seeing them in magazines–and I’m a fan of working with someone I know, especially with his good sense for timber construction.”
We’ve had the privilege of working with HKK on a number of projects over the years and were excited to hear from Carlton about plans for Shane’s lodge-inspired home. We were particularly keen on truss style which included angled bottom chords and curving struts. Plus, the added challenge of creating deep tones for the exterior timbers which would segue into lighter natural tones for the interior.
Shane worked closely with his Uncle, who lives locally, to manage the build from his main home near NYC. “I’ve always had a fascination with building. My Uncle handled the day-to-day coordination and subcontractors, but I was there whenever possible. It was cool to dig the foundation, put in the ICFs. It was really cool to show up to see the frame standing; it looked a bit like a church!”
“Your team handled the enclosure as well as the frame. All in all, we were 10 months to complete–with exception of a few interior details and landscaping. Your team did a great job being on time, pulling everything together, on schedule…before we knew it, the house was up.”
Inside, the open floorplan encourages flow from kitchen to great room with abundant seating for numerous multi-generational family members who journey to the lodge to celebrate holidays, rest, and relax. “Thanksgiving was our first holiday here. The great room with the antler chandeliers, moose head, and rugs we found in Colorado, was a hit. We kept the television out (it’s in the rec room downstairs) so overall the space gives us that ski lodge feel we really like.”
“The stone-work, the masonry, was important in tying everything together. Charles Tanner did a great job with the Saratoga granite, matching exterior and interior.” Fun fact: logs salvaged from the old home originally on the site were re-fabricated to form the office ceiling.
“We had you do some extras as well, like the porch and stairs. We wanted to be sure they were done right and they turned out great. We’re looking forward to enjoying this place for many years.” We’re glad to have been a part of Shane’s Adirondack build. Thanks too for taking the time to chat with us, Shane!
We caught up with Carlton who filled in some details and told us that: “By far and away, this was the fastest and most striking construction this part of the Adirondacks has seen. It was a thrill to watch the timber frame, panelized walls and roof all come together and it is a stunning piece of Adirondack lodge construction.” It was fun for us too, Carlton!
Check out the case study https://newenergyworks.com/lakefront-lodge for a few more photos and other projects. Let us know what your dream timber frame project is–we always like to chat, and we’ve become pretty skilled at video calls.
