New energy work in timber framing means the structural grid stops being just structure and becomes part of the thermal envelope. The posts and beams carry the roof, while the insulation, air barrier, and ventilation keep the house comfortable with a fraction of the fuel an older frame burns. Builders who combine an exposed timber […]
A house that works with its site instead of against it costs less to heat, cool, and maintain. The decisions that produce an eco-friendly home are mostly made before the foundation is poured: where the house sits on the lot, which direction the windows face, how air moves through the floor plan, and where the
Greening a home touches every system: envelope, heating and cooling, water, and lighting. The products available now go well beyond compact fluorescents and low-flow showerheads, and many pay back faster than homeowners expect. The catch is that not every product earns its shelf space, so buyers need a way to separate genuine savings from green-tinted
Across the mountains of western North Carolina, local craft traditions are visible in nearly every town. In communities where pottery traditions shape community and home life, builders have always drawn on nearby forests, stone, and skilled hands. That regional mindset now drives one of the fastest-growing segments of residential construction: green building. When a family
Mat and Jessica Robbins built a 2,600-square-foot timber frame home in Durango, Colorado, and the number matters less than how they got there. With three growing children they needed four bedrooms, but when they sat down to plan, square footage was not the priority. Jessica asked for three things: a huge bathtub, a huge window
Energy efficiency does not force a house into a sleek, minimalist box. A 4,172-square-foot timber frame retreat at British Columbia’s Sun Peaks Resort proves the opposite: five bedrooms, a home theater, an outdoor kitchen, a full bar, and an in-ground hot tub with a waterfall, all wrapped in an envelope built for performance. The owner
Timber framing is one of the oldest building methods in North America, and it has become one of the most discussed in sustainable construction. The appeal is straightforward: a frame of heavy timber columns and beams carries the building load with far less material than conventional stick framing, the wood is renewable, and the open
Most timber frames are cut from softwoods such as Douglas fir and southern yellow pine, but a growing share of high-end projects use tropical hardwoods where extreme durability and distinctive grain justify the cost. These dense, tightly grained species resist rot and insects without chemical treatment and hold up in harsh climates, which is why
An upstate New York timber home for a family of five shows what happens when energy performance and site response are planned as one problem. The two wings reach toward the driveway, the roof lines follow the mountain ridge, and a wall of glass opens to the pool and woods instead of the street. Township
Metal roofs are showing up on more timber frame homes, and buyers keep asking the same question: is the environmental story real? The short answer is yes, with qualifications. Steel roofing sold in North America contains recycled material, the panels are fully recyclable at the end of their service life, and reflective coatings cut cooling
