Macdonald & Lawrence Timber Framing Ltd.

This truly unique residence is beautifully located, looking west over Trincomali Channel in the Gulf Islands of BC. The owners wanted something very special and were attracted to M&L for our handcrafted European timber frame designs.

M&L provided a full design service to include architectural and structural drawings and a building permit application. M&L also supplied and installed the timber frame and large glazed panels on the West elevation. General building work was handled by the owners and their sons in a very successful family collaboration: one of the owners’ sons is a skilled craftsman and joined the M&L crew for cutting and raising the frame.

The timber frame is very traditional in both its design and details. It was made from sawn red cedar, natural curves for the bracing in the frame, and cypress (yellow cedar) for the accents here and there (including the arch braces in the truss over the living area).

The timbers are joined using an ancient method known as “scribing” to mark the mortise and tenon joints. The glazed panels are applied directly on the frame for a very clean look and maximum light transmission.