Image

"The client was a referral from my son who is a structural engineer in Denver. That’s where this project started around 2017,” says Drake Ambrosino New Energy Works Midwest sales representative. “New Energy Works did the timber frame for the client’s home in 2019 and since the client was thrilled with the work, we did on his house he said, ‘I want to build a barn.’”

Only a stone’s throw from their home on the same acreage, the client’s legacy barn will consolidate their land’s livestock, hay, and farming implements under one sturdy timber frame roof. “It’s a ten-acre site in Lafayette, Colorado which is northeast of Denver. The client is a commercial builder, so he’s got experience – he knows what he’s doing,” says Ambrosino. “He raises goats and chickens and cuts his own hay on the property, so this is going to be a working barn.”

“It’s what we call a six-bent barn from front to back. The end gables, the number 1 and the number 6 bents are a king post and queen post combination; they are on the ends because they will also have gable doors installed on them,” Ambrosino says. The truss is a bit of an amalgamation, as Ambrosino explains, “There’s a short king post (center to peak of the truss), two queen’s posts (on each side of the king), the rafters and the bottom cord. For the middle bents 2,3,4, and 5 the client wanted head room, especially 4 and 5 for the loft. If they were conventional trusses, it would have been a head knocker for anyone up in the loft.”

Ambrosino continued, “We were stumped for a little while on how to create the head space in the middle, so I suggested to the client, ‘Why don’t we do the scissor trusses like the ones that are in your house? We can just mirror them’, and that excited him.” So, bents 2,3,4, and 5 became scissor trusses.”

Image

“Seven years ago, the place we’d eventually ended up buying was for sale—though we were not in the market at the time. It is two pieces of property and there was a house in the location where we would rebuild and also a little cabin and they were both available, says homeowner Barb Loughran. “I’ve been going up to the Adirondacks for 50 years now. My parents have a summer home nearby, that we now call ‘two docks down,’ so for a number of years we’ve been going up there and opening up their cottage.”

Located just outside of Indian Lake, NY, the Loughran’s home, lovingly referred to as Sunset Lodge, is nestled on the shoreline of one the Adirondack’s thousands of pristine jewels of water. 

The Loughran's weren't in the market for a second home at the time. But once another buyer showed an interest in the cabin portion of the property, the Loughran’s had to make their move as both the house and cabin shared a driveway. So, the decision was made to buy both pieces of land and to build a brand-new structure in the place of the older house while using the “guest” cabin as a basecamp.

“Once we started, we got this fantastic architect out of Saratoga Springs, Brett Balzer. It was during Covid, and we worked with him over a year because everything was so delayed, says Barb. “Once we do something we’re the type to do it at highest quality. I love curves and that’s how we connected with New Energy Works. Brett knew that was their specialty, so we started to bring them into the whole design. It was an iterative process we enjoyed.”

A recent addition to Yosemite National Park, Firefall Ranch is a 300-acre natural hub of woodland recreation and quality mountain time. Though the upscale resort buildings are new, the ranch has deep historic roots as a stage station for the original stagecoach route to the park in the late 1800’s.  

"Firefall Ranch is unlike anything travelers have seen in the Yosemite region," Joe Juszkiewicz, the manager at Firefall Ranch, told Travel + Leisure. "It has a gorgeous design aesthetic indoors and out, and its public spaces, cottages, and villas are grand and elegant. Yet the Ranch is intimate, warm, approachable, and relaxed. That's the magic."

The property is named for the annual February phenomenon in the Yosemite Valley when the sunlight shines perfectly through the frothy cascade at Horsetail Fall resulting in a resplendent orange and red waterfall falling off of the face of El Capitan.

In addition to its abundant natural wonders, New Energy Works partnered with UNUM Collaborative and Boyer Construction to raise two high craft timber structures at Firefall including a bar and a prodigious heavy timber event center.

The tavern is a perfect spot to gather after a long day outdoors for specialty drinks, craft beers, fine wine, and backcountry company. New Energy Works’ scissor-trusses add structural support and open aesthetics to the space allowing for easy access to the pool area while surrounded by the park’s heady atmosphere.

The event center is a multi-use space for both corporate gatherings and weddings. The facility seamlessly fits into the surroundings via its large viewing areas and curated wood materials. New Energy Works raised the arched timber frame trusses, framing the scenery and rustic elegance with a sylvan look.