Macdonald & Lawrence Timber Framing Ltd.

Silven Spring Residence

This contemporary residence is the vision of architect Brian Hemingway, and blurs the distinction between timber building and timber art. Extremely high specifications for material selection, craftsmanship and detailing are the hallmarks of Hemingway's work.

The structural timber frame is made from 50,000 board feet of old-growth coastal Douglas fir that comes from a certified forest on Vancouver Island. The timbers have all been dried in a radio frequency kiln and then re-dimensioned at our Cobble Hill workshop using a sawmill that we purchased and configured especially for this project. By reorganizing our 12,000 sq. ft. workshop to suit the needs of this project we have been able to keep the re-sawing, carpentry and finishing processes all under one roof. This ensures that the valuable timber order is kept at an optimum temperature and humidity. We have also installed overhead handling equipment that allows one person to pick and roll the heavy timbers without risking damage to their corners and edges. This project demonstrates our ability to create specific solutions for the unique challenges associated with demanding projects.