We are excited to share a new project that is underway in Woodside California on the property of what would have been the Woodside Estates around the turn of the last century.  We love working on older historic homes to see the craftsmanship and materials that was used in a bygone era of residential construction.

This project in particular is very interesting as the structure we are working on was once a one room building with a wrap around porch in the style of old mountain cabins and was the model sales office for a planned development of the area.  It was intended to be a community of small cabins with recreation facilities designed as a retreat for wealthy folks from San Francisco to the north.  Ultimately due to a variety of reasons including WW1 and the great depression investments fell apart and the development was never realized however the small cabin was survived.

One exciting aspect of the project is the discovery of amazing wood and timber that was used to construct the building.  We always strive to salvage and donate as much material as possible from our projects and this structure has proven to be a gold mine of Redwood and Doug Fir.  With our background in carpentry and our love for fine craftsmanship it has been a fun adventure of discovery to find the old growth redwood that was likely milled from the trees that used to grow on the property.  The plan is to find ways to use this material (old floor joists, studs, rafters, etc) in the new project to highlight and reflect to the history of the place and the building.

We’ll share more discoveries along the way and progress photos of this amazing project.

Keep Building!

Well its been an interesting journey through these many weeks of Shelter In Place and we hope that you and yours are safe, healthy, and well during this challenging time.  While we worked hard to make the best of the time at home we are also pleased to be back to work in this “new normal”.  There is lots to figure out and we are working hard to ensure we are organized and ready to work safetly with our clients, subcontractors, and all the other important folks that allow projects to flow.  

Once again the JLC (Journal of Light Construction) has some excellent resources so they are definitely worth a look – A Builder’s Guide to COVID-19

Also the County of San Mateo has released guidelines for small construction which helps to paint the picture of our new world – APPENDIX B-1: Small Construction Project Safety Protocol

We hope everyone is hanging in there and staying safe and being well!

As we all work together as a community, both as builders and as citizens, to protect our society, our family, and ourselves we are excited to share an excellent assembly of resources related to COVID-19 and the construction industry.  Once again JLC (Journal of Light Construction) has put together a very useful list of articles on this topic.  Have a look through the information and I’m sure you will find some useful and practical tips on staying safe as we navigate these unprecedented times.

Stay well and stay healthy everyone!

Just recently I was browsing back through the books I acquired during my Masters in Architecture studies and rediscovered a beautiful piece called “An Age of Barns” by Eric Sloane.

I originally found this book while I was studying timber framing and joinery techniques of traditional Finish wood construction and architecture.  This book has a section of Eric’s gorgeous landscape paintings of barns and Americana but also many beautiful and detailed sketches of barn construction.  The book explores the history of barns, construction techniques, use types, and tools and is a lovely resource for anyone with a love of craft and workmanship.

Sadly it does not appear that the book is still being published but if you can pick up a copy from your local antique book seller I think it well worth adding to your shelf as well. 

As passionate builders and innovators exploring the complicated details of buildings and how they go together, we are excited to share a resource with you that we love – The Journal of Light Construction, or JLC for short.