Build Stratford
  • DIFFERENCE.
  • PEOPLE.
  • CLIENTS.
  • KUDOS.
  • BLOG.
  • CONTACT.

Fun with Timberframing

8/7/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
In March, we sent a group of our newer carpenters to Whippletree Timber Framing in Peterborough for a timber framing joinery workshop to learn a bit about this historic craft. Some of our other team members had previously taken the course and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 

As members of the Timber Framers Guild we were looking for a way to implement our timber framing skills, so we had a team building day raising a timber frame woodshed just outside of St. Marys.
​
Picture
Picture

This is an example of a building experience where a group needs to work together as a team, physically and mentally, in order to create a solid structure. The timbers need to fit together perfectly to join them with pegs; it is a lesson in precision and patience.

It was a fun and tiring day, but the woodshed is up and ready for its roof. A purposeful outbuilding with historic ties; and when the light is right, a beauty to behold.
​
Picture

​Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.
0 Comments

Invest in Design

4/25/2016

3 Comments

 
A rather important element in the construction of a new house is the very first step - design. In the not too distant past home design followed set rules of form and proportion, and the result was homes that made sense to the eye and were pleasing in form. The plans may have come from an architect, an experienced builder or even a catalogue or pattern book. Certainly there were designers who thought outside the box so to speak, but they did so in logical and thoughtful ways. More recently we have the "I can design my own house" mentality - and we certainly are not richer for it!
Picture
Bizarre mix of details add up to a poor design.
The result is homes like this - designed by builders where the bottom line is key and a draftsperson is paid minimally to design something "unique". With five different exterior wall finishes, a column holding up nothing but a stuccoed beam, and a walk out roof deck above the double car garage. How bizarre. 
Picture
Oddly sized windows, does not equal "modern" styling.
Another in the same development, oddly jutting forms, a collection of mismatched window styles and sizes, and this use of cheaper vinyl siding on side walls has to stop - we can see it from the front and it just screams "I was built on a budget". 
Picture
And right around the corner, as if to emphasize that this development can indeed have "oh so many" poorly designed houses, sits this garage with an entry way tacked on the side. I could not determine why the roofline above the garage is so high, no windows indicating living space above it - and that is another design rule - if it doesn't make visual sense to the casual observer, it cannot appeal. This one certainly does not!
Picture
Simple traditional designs that make sense.
We are drawn to houses such as these for very basic reasons - they make sense - the porch is for sitting on, the front door is prominent and logically used to enter and be greeted, the large window is a sitting room, the upper gable windows are bedrooms, etc. The detailing is pleasing and shows that these homes were built by craftsmen who were proud of their work and took care with the construction. We have so many examples of how to do it right, that our insistence on doing it poorly by reinventing the home and "improving" it is a real head shaker.

Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.
3 Comments

Designing a New Old House - Part Two

4/15/2016

0 Comments

 
Build's design philosophy is complimented by those of Architect Russell Versaci in his Eight Pillars of Traditional Design. The first four pillars were covered in a previous post, Designing a New Old House and Pillars 5 through 8 follow with examples from our portfolio:

Pillar Five: Detail for Authenticity
​

A house’s character can be defined with authentic details, it’s okay to borrow from the past and use familiar forms. Details such as type of roof, windows and moulding profiles look best in historic patterns.
​
Picture
Kitchen mouldings influenced by home's existing trim.

Pillar Six: Craft with Natural Materials

Fine craftsmanship and natural materials are timeless and are meant to endure. Less likely to be replaced by wear or trends, contributes to saving money and a healthy environment.
​
Picture
A traditional ceramic tile pattern, with vintage tub and sink.

Pillar Seven: Create the Patina of Age

The popularity of salvaged materials is proof that people enjoy the beauty of well aged and natural. New materials have a more convincing antiqued appearance if aged by natural weathering processes.
​
Picture
Reclaimed fir island with natural marble top and cast iron sink.

Pillar Eight: Incorporate Modern Conveniences

We don’t expect you to live as if it were the early 1900s! You will need your modern conveniences and there are many ways to integrate and hide them to maintain the illusion of a vintage house.
​
Picture
Modern conveniences are integrated into a traditional kitchen.
Our interest in architectural design is a large part of our work and lifestyle. We have spent years traveling and visiting heritage homes because we truly love them. If you love new old houses, our local library has a copy of Versaci’s Creating a New Old House or you can purchase it online.

Catherine Cassidy is a Designer with Build in Stratford, Ontario.
Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.
0 Comments

Designing a New Old House

4/8/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Get the details right when designing a new old house.
A new "old" house is a new home tailored for modern living but designed within the style and proportions of a traditional house. Designing and building a new home steeped in tradition is high on Build's builder bucket list. The majority of new houses lack the care and thoughtful design attributed to master craftsman of the past and instead rely on imbalanced design and cheap materials. Education and intuition is important when designing a home but there are also rules which can be applied to the process. 

Architect Russell Versaci’s Eight Pillars of Traditional Design are a helpful guide and compliment Build’s philosophy of Modern & Traditional Heritage Builders which we incorporate into all of our design projects. The following are the first four pillars and examples from our own portfolio:
​
Pillar One: Invent Within the Rules​
​
Stay within the rules of a style of architecture. Invent using this traditional language, especially with additions and restorations, follow the cues of the style and proportions of the existing house.

Picture
The original Tudor Revival details (left) are seamlessly integrated onto the new garage addition (right).

Pillar Two: Respect the Character of Place

Every geographical area has local building traditions often based on the land, climate and history of the people who migrated there, the design and materials should reflect this history.
​
Picture
This new build Ontario Cottage integrates perfectly into an older, established neighbourhood.

Pillar Three: Tell a Story Over Time

​Many older homes have alterations and additions that have expanded it’s size over decades. Done properly with a new build, a fabricated history can add a lot of interest to a home.
Picture
The original brick house's new board and batton addition feels like it has its own history.

Pillar Four: Build for the Ages

​We live in a transient society but there are many good reasons to “build to last” with durable materials and tested construction techniques. It saves money in the long run and is better for our environment.
Picture
Natural wood, stone, and cast iron, durable materials which stand the test of time.

​Stay tuned for the Versaci's final four pillars in our next post.

Catherine Cassidy is a Designer with Build in Stratford, Ontario.
Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.
0 Comments

The fate of Stratford's Land Registery / Archives building

2/11/2016

3 Comments

 
Picture
The original Land Registry/Archives building in Stratford, Ontario.
Reading that Perth County Council in all their supposed wisdom is even considering tearing down the former Land Registry Office / Archives building was enough to cause a sharp intake of breath followed by a rise in blood pressure and overall shaking of my head in disbelief.

To reflect on the shortcomings of the new building housing our archives whilst being told the original may be demolished is truly dismaying. I am no great fan of moving heritage structures from their native locations, but was this even considered before the rush to design the building which passes now as an acceptable home to our treasured collection of historical items?
Picture
The new archive building.
I cannot fathom where we as a society have gone astray in our seeming disregard for the physical built elements of our past. They are, with few exceptions, wonderful examples of the determination of an earlier generation - of their desire to build for the future while at the same time leaving a tangible example of their craftsmanship and ingenuity. These buildings have lasted the test of time in a way few more recently built structures will, and yet some consider them disposable. We need these links to our past. Its that age old adage thing again - about knowing where you've been - a prime example of something we should cherish and hold onto. 

The Perth County Courthouse is a sister building to the old Land Registry Office - sharing elements and style, let alone location, with this wonderful building. If this ones goes, is it not logical to worry about the fate of the courthouse next to it? To have three significant heritage structures next to each other, including the jail, is rare indeed, in this day and age. This needs to be nipped in the bud. Fingers crossed that the residents of Stratford, and their elected representatives, show more concern for this building than the residents of Perth County are demonstrating thru the public statements of their politicians. ​
This is simply wrong. There are innumerable examples of thoughtful and imaginative ways to repurpose and honour old buildings such as this...
Picture
, …a wonderfully crafted example of how we have strayed off the path of sustainable and thoughtful building, of proper proportion/scale, detailing and style. It is simply wrongheaded and shortsighted. Something to consider for "Heritage Day" on February 15th.
​
Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.
3 Comments

We Love Your House! - Graham St. Woodstock

2/5/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
This 1848, Queen Anne home in Woodstock, has a variety of special features. The two large verandas with decorative details are particularly charming. As well as the pretty gable dormer above the front entrance. But the most distinctive is the segmented brickwork around the central, ellipse transomed, front door which creates a perspective effect drawing you in to this grand old house.

Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.
0 Comments

We Love Your House - Hibernia St. Stratford

1/25/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ed Grundenberger, a furniture refinisher, built this house in 1899, where he lived with his wife and daughter. This Ontario Gothic Cottage has simple arched windows and a lovely rounded gable decoration. The elaborate portico is particularly nice with its double columns and turned balusters.

The one and a half storey cottages allowed for two levels at a lower tax rate which made them quite popular in Stratford and St. Marys. The symmetrical layout was also efficient and easy to build. This particular cottage is so tidy and pretty, one can not help but be charmed by it.

Catherine Cassidy is a Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom homes and renovations.
0 Comments

Really disappointing - an out building in Philipsburg

1/24/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Before: Outbuilding with traditional faux brick siding.
Picture
After: Half finished, bland board and batten, detail lost.
I think we can all agree that the before photo shows a great old building in Philipsburg, Ontario with well thought out and executed detailing. The trim board above the windows connects them visually and the red faux brick siding lends old time character to the simple barn shape.

​The second photo shows a "ruining" in progress. The bland grey board and batten as an improvement is truly puzzling. I have admired this building for many years and so it is sad to see such an interesting example of the carpenter's craft being spoiled.

Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom homes and renovations.
0 Comments

We Love Your House - Norman St. Stratford

1/4/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
David Scrimgeour built this house in 1896 where he lived with his wife Sarah, and six children. He and his older brother formed Scrimgeour Brothers Avon Planing Mill manufacturing building details. They were also contractors who did construction for businesses and residences in Stratford. He spent many years in public service and was city tax collector until his death in 1906.

This popular Queen Anne Revival style features an asymmetrical facade with a traditional sunburst patterned pediment over the front entry and beautifully detailed porch pillars. Another feature of note is the decorative yellow brick over Romanesque windows, as well as the two-storey bay.

Catherine Cassidy is a Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom homes and renovations.
0 Comments

We Love Your House - Douglas St. Stratford

12/4/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
In 1924, the owner of Rankin Ice Cream Parlour, Gordon Rankin, commissioned an architect from Toronto, stonemasons from Scotland and limestone from Indiana for his Tudor Revival house. This home is rare example of the Jacobean style in Stratford with steeply pitched roof and small paned windows. The symmetrical double gables are also very distinctive. We especially love the beautiful patina of the copper awnings and the stonework detail around the entry door. 

Catherine Cassidy is a Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom homes and renovations.
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Rory McDonnell

    I am a licensed carpenter, 
    an experienced general contractor, and a qualified architectural designer. My expertise is in building, restoring, and renovating new custom homes and heritage homes with respect for their inherent details.

    I want to share with you my impressions of the good, the bad and the ugly in the construction and renovation industry.

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Education
    Newsworthy
    Summerhouse
    The Bad
    The Good
    The Ugly
    Travel With Build
    We Love Your House

    Archives

    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    February 2013
    November 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.