Timberstead is an efficient and thoughtfully sized home designed to complement its Finger Lake focused hills and lily-pad pond setting. Featuring an abundance of wood, including vertical PEFC-certified larch siding, reclaimed teak flooring, and custom finished Douglas-fir timbers, as well as an off-site-constructed enclosure system, this high-performance house highlights the beauty of wood, the homeowner’s detailed material choices, and the property’s natural splendor.

The homeowner says, “We wanted something substantial because we don’t live in a dainty area. We wanted a really solid feel. We wanted the sense that the house was stable and not ornate. Natural beauty is what we really were looking for. Timber was the answer.” 

The property is comfortably nestled on a high hillside meadow and is indiscernible from the surrounding vineyards, conifer trees, and rolling fields. 

She continues, “The biggest part of it is that I wanted to respect our surroundings. I always feel that a home should complement the area that it’s in. And there's so much natural beauty in our area. So, we  wanted to blend in with it and work with that.”

The best way to bring their biophilic vision to life was to find a company aligned with their vision while also being flexible and willing to collaborate. 

Set to open in the Spring of 2026 is the new Joseph P. Mack ’55 Catholic Center and William and Mary Christine Carpenter Catholic Chapel at the University of Rochester.

Following several years of planning, with funding from over 450 donors, and navigating numerous logistical challenges, the project has reached the final stage – the end is in sight.

The facility is intended to represent the over 1,800 Catholic students on the U of R campus, while providing a sanctuary for people of every background and tradition.

The goal of the campus’s master plan and the new complex is to enhance opportunities on campus for greater engagement regardless of religions faith or orientation. This new facility will provide additional ways to foster spiritual growth and a more enriched communal experience for faculty and students.

New Energy Works has played an integral part in the expansion of the Catholic Center providing a timber frame structure, and structurally insulated roof panels, for the building. 

We are honored to apply our craftsmanship to the new timber-centric foundation for an enhanced University of Rochester experience, providing new opportunities for campus faculty, staff, and students to gather together while constructing strong bonds of faith, friendship, and community.

CPL Team

LeChase Construction

“We didn’t want a log home, but we wanted something with some character to it. We saw a few examples of timber frame homes and we chose that,” says homeowner Ray Cardella. 

“We not only saw them in person, because there’s a few around here that we were aware of, but we’d also look through magazines and online,” Janet Cardella adds. “We scoured the timber framing magazines and Log Home and all that other fun stuff to get a good sense of what we wanted.”

Perched on the point of a woody peninsula jutting out into the tannin-tinged waters of Sixth Lake in Inlet, New York, the Cardella’s hybrid timber home recalls the vernacular of the famed Adirondack Great Camps.  Surrounded by forest preserve lands, the home, and accompanying boathouse nestle next to the shoreline in a symbiotic relationship. 

“We started the process pretty early in 2018 initially with the builder because getting a builder up here is a difficult thing and I wanted to reserve his time knowing we wouldn’t start anything for a couple of years,” says Janet. “The builder had worked with New Energy Works before, or was in the process of working with you on a couple of other projects and suggested that we reach out to you guys relative to some of the timber framing that we wanted done.”

“We knew we wanted a look that was hybrid timber frame, not a full timber frame, not something that was all wood,” says Janet. “We wanted to make sure that it was light and bright and also took the most advantage of the views that we have along with the lake frontage. We spent some time with Owen and some others at New Energy Works and talked about what we were looking for and worked with DMC architecture to make sure that what we desired was structurally stable.”