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The homeowner wanted to provide clear delineation of functional areas on the
main level of the home. The main entry to the home is at one end of the
space. Entering the home and turning to the left is a comfortable
conversation space. The dining room is on the opposite end of the space from
the main entry. All three spaces tended to melt together.
The solution the
homeowner wanted to implement was to divide the space with elements of
timber framing. This approach added solid character to the space and
provided clear visual definition of the functional areas to the overall
space without creating physical constraint between the areas.
The timbers added to
the space are solid douglas fir timbers. They are not fake timbers. All the
timbers are joined with custom styled gusset plates and angle braces. The
plates and braces were drawn in CAD software for precise fabrication
specifications. A local fabrication shop used the specs in a CNC gas plasma
cutter to cut the plates from 1/4" steel sheet. All the pieces were then
powder coated with a textured, black finish.
The timbers are
non-structural in this installation, they do appear to be real
structural elements. All timbers have been quite solidly affixed to the
structure of the home, but none support the weight of the home. All timbers
are gusset joined with numerous lag bolts through the custom fabricated
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This view is from the entry of
the home, looking through the conversation space and into one end of the
dining room. The initial timber set has been placed and solidly lag bolted
to the structure of the home. The three somewhat oval plates on the face of
the far upright timer hide heavy lag bolts that lock the timber to the
structure of the home. The joints horizontal and vertical timbers have
gusset plates on both sides (and both ends) of the timber set. Lag bolts
through the plates hold the timber set solidly in place. (Click on the image
at left to open a full size view.) |
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This is the same view from the
main entry, but the camera angle has been elevated to show the height of the
vaulted ceiling. Another vertical timber will be added to the timber set. It
will stand in the center of the horizontal beam and will appear to support
the roof, and will in fact be gusseted into the ridge beam visible in this
view. (Click on the image at left to open a full size view.) |
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This is a view of the partial
timber set taken from within the dining area looking into the conversation
space. The black plates on the face of the vertical timber hide lag bolts
that secure the timber to the structure of the home. Even at this stage, the
timber set very clearly defines the two functional spaces, yet offers no
physical barrier to the flow from one space to the other. (Click on the
image at left to open a full size view.) |
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This view is, again, from the
main entry, looking through the conversation area and into the dining room.
The timber set is complete. (Click on the image at left to open a full size
view.) |
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This is a view of the entry
space from the conversation area. The horizontal beam that runs from the
corner behind the hutch over the wall at the left was added during the
project. Again, the beam is lag bolted into the structure of the home and
appears to literally appear to come out of the wall on the left and
disappears into the wall at the right. This single element gives very solid
definition and boundary to the entry area without hindering flow from one
space to the other. (Click on the image at left to open a full size view.) |
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A slightly closer view of the
added horizontal beam that helps give definition between the entry and
conversation spaces of the home. (Click on the image at left to open a full
size view.) |
