What began in 1991 as a small workshop in the interior of British Columbia has grown into a practice known for honoring the old ways while embracing responsible innovation.
Our founder, Thomas Whitford, learned timber framing from his grandfather, who worked on heritage structures throughout the Kootenay region. That knowledge—how wood moves with seasons, which joints bear weight best, where to place notches for maximum strength—forms the foundation of everything we build.
We source timber from certified sustainable forests and work with species native to Canadian landscapes. Every piece of wood we use has been evaluated not just for structural properties but for its environmental story.
Modern adhesives and fasteners have their place, but the heart of our structures relies on mortise-and-tenon joints, dovetails, and scarf joints that have held buildings together for centuries.
Canadian weather demands respect. Our designs account for heavy snow loads, thermal expansion, moisture management, and the thermal mass that timber naturally provides.
We mentor apprentices in traditional building methods, ensuring these skills aren't lost to industrial convenience. Several of our journeymen have gone on to establish their own timber-frame practices.
No two sites are identical. We begin by understanding your land—its topography, sun exposure, wind patterns, and relationship to surrounding landscape. A home should feel like it grew from its location rather than being imposed upon it.
Our design process involves hand-drawn sketches before digital plans, allowing us to explore proportions and spatial relationships in a more intuitive way. This approach often reveals solutions that purely computational methods might miss.
Our team includes master timber framers, architectural designers, forestry consultants, and heritage restoration specialists. What unites us is a deep respect for wood as a building material and a commitment to creating structures that will serve families for generations.