Big-Timber Artistry: Davis Timber Frame Home Earns Gold Recognition

Big-Timber Artistry: Davis Timber Frame Home Earns Gold Recognition
Reprinted with permission from Offsite Builder Magazine

A one-of-a-kind custom home in Trout Run, Pennsylvania, takes timber framing to a new artistic level. Timberhaven Log & Timber Homes (Timberhaven) in Middleburg, Pa., designed the 4365 sq. ft. home in the Allegheny Mountains for a family that likes to host large gatherings.

Soaring cathedral ceilings and massive, handcrafted timber trusses frame mountain views. Inside, a feeling of grandeur was achieved by customizing the timber trusses in the great room, using large timber materials for a more “massive” architectural aesthetic, says Lynda Tompkins, Timberhaven’s CEO and Principal. “We used a lot of larger timbers such as 8 x 12s, and integrated them with a custom ceiling finish,” Tompkins says.

The design was done primarily by the clients, Tompkins explains. “We had worked with them previously on a custom timber-frame pavilion. They initially approached us about incorporating timber elements into their home, which developed into a full timber-frame project.”

The goal, she says, was to integrate the full timber frame with minimal impact on the clients’ design. They chose a beam-and-purlin (B&P) style roof system instead of a timber rafter system. The B&P system consists of timber trusses with purlins running perpendicular to the trusses. “This can present challenges in valley areas,” Tompkins says. “Since the home was not a traditional timber frame with aligning timber bents, the truss timber and purlin depths were not the same.”

Timberhaven designed each truss to work based on its location in the design. To ensure that the components would fit together well, each valley area was cut in the company facility.
The open-concept floor plan encompasses a family room, dining room and kitchen that flow together seamlessly. On the second floor, an expansive master suite offers panoramic vistas.

Meanwhile, the exterior’s mix of timbers, lap siding, shakes and stone grounds the home in its mountain aesthetic.
Outdoor living spaces extend indoor space. A spacious stone patio invites family cornhole tournaments, and a timber-frame pavilion provides shelter for year-round enjoyment.
The entire timber frame was manufactured in Timberhaven’s facility, numbered and lettered accordingly, and erected on-site per the fabrication plans, which detailed how the frame, trusses, etc., were to be installed.

“Every design challenge — blending grandeur with warmth, scale with intimacy — was met with intentional details that elevate comfort without sacrificing elegance,” says Tompkins.
Susan Bady is a freelance writer based in Chicago, Ill., who focuses on residential and commercial design and construction topics including sustainability and building technology.