Every so often, a project comes across our plate that so aligns with what we do, it’s magic. Such was the case with Starfire Lumber Company, a keystone in the lumber industry, who came to us with an exciting opportunity.
New Energy Works has worked with Starfire for years as a timber supplier. They supply lumber products all over the country and have been known for their quality since they began in 1983. They wanted to build a new corporate headquarters to replace a ranch house that they had been using for decades. Honoring the company history was an important part of the story for the new building, so heavy timbers and high-quality craftsmanship were going to be key.
With a slate of timber framers to choose from, the Starfire team – including Sean Smith, President & CEO, and Curt Bodenstab, VP of Sales - called New Energy Works and had us come right down to discuss the design work. Without a doubt, that was a big honor. We established an easy rapport and Sean said that he could tell we were good listeners.
After taking in the needs and ideas from Starfire, New Energy Works architect, David Shirley, AIA, CPHB, started designing a comfortable and efficient space that honored Starfire’s past, present, and future. While David ensures that every design he delivers satisfies the client, on this project he knocked it out of the park on the first try.
Our founder & CEO, Jonathan Orpin, recalls, “once Starfire saw David’s first schematic, they said, ‘I can’t believe you caught it all. You took all our thoughts and words and made them better.’ This spurred us to work even harder to live up to those kind words and confidence.”
Starfire provided a couple key points of inspiration. First, they of course wanted to showcase the beauty of timbers. To push this idea a little farther than usual and highlight Starfire’s quality product, David included branching post designs throughout the building to imitate trees. Lots of windows were included for ample natural light, providing both workers and visitors opportunities to see the timbers on display.
The finished exterior of the building.
Starfire also wanted to honor their community of Cottage Grove, which has been a good home for the company over the years. They asked New Energy Works to design with legacy in mind, to make sure that even after their tenancy in the space, the building would be something that could contribute to the town. The team made sure to ensure durability in the building, including protective features like a sprinkler system that went above and beyond code requirements. Finally, the building’s flexible core can be easily modified for other uses as time goes on, with a goal of making sure that the building will last for 200 years.
Warm timbers overlook the open “bull pen” space.
In addition to the timber frame, we were given the opportunity to design the interiors and specify materials for the building, which include siding and flooring from our sister company, Pioneer Millworks. Being so heavily involved throughout the design allowed us to deliver a cohesive final product, as well as bring responsiveness to the entire building process. As the project progressed and we spent time on site together with Starfire, they found they needed certain changes. With a comprehensive New Energy Works team in place, we could make those design changes in situ.
“Starfire really wanted to bring the best to the job, which is a really nice kind of client to work with,” said David Shirley. “They were equal partners in making this project as good as it could be.”
The building lobby further emphasize Starfire’s connection to forests and feature a photo of founder Francis D. Engle
Starfire had one more special request. Their sign, bearing the bright orange star logo, had been with the company for years. The wear and tear meant that it was time to redo the sign, but in the spirit of honoring the company’s history, Starfire asked if New Energy Works could turn part of it into a conference table for use in the new building.
The wood slab that made up the top part of the sign spent six weeks in the kiln at Pioneer Millworks to ensure that it had fully dried. Our timber framers built a table with insets for the slab, which was split in half lengthwise. Finally, once the logo slabs were placed inside, the whole table was topped with a solid piece of glass weighing 400 lbs. Now the “display case” table serves as another reminder of the company’s deep roots.
“The people at New Energy Works have the industry knowledge and high level of craftsmanship that we were looking for in a partner,” says Sean Smith, Starfire President & CEO. “The level of support and value they’ve provided while working on this project has been fantastic every step of the way.”
One of our core values at New Energy Works is “The Beauties of Wood.” We draw inspiration from everything it has to offer as a building material, including aesthetics, strength, and sustainability. Especially in this case, we are reminded of how it honors our history as well as the future. We are grateful to have a partner like Starfire that so clearly understands that and invited us to be a part of their story. Here’s to many more years of partnership!
