The Timber Framers Guild has a special council, the Traditional Timber Frame Research Advisory Group (TTRAG), that emphasizes documentation and preservation of historic timber framing. While there are many timber frame companies dedicated to developing new structures, there are also companies committed to preserving historic ones. Today, timber frame construction offers the strength and beauty of the timber frame tradition with modern improvements in insulation, design, and more. In the 1970s, a group of dedicated builders revived the timber frame tradition and started building structures in historic fashion. Instead of timber frame construction, this type of lumber led to “light frame” construction, or “stick building,” where a series of small pieces of lumber made up the structural frame. Timber framing was one of the major building models in the United States until the early 1900s when the industrial revolution met the demand for housing by producing smaller, dimensional lumber from its new mills. In this way, barns and town halls were constructed relatively quickly with the help of fellow citizens. Under the timber framer’s direction, the farmer and his neighbors would raise the structure together. Farmers in need of a new barn would spend the winter gathering wood, and the spring preparing the wood for a master timber framer. Diaries of early Americans in New England describe the culture surrounding timber framing as one of community-driven labor. However, before the advent of the industrial mill, timber framing was a solely handcrafted process from the ground up. Modern timber framing has capitalized on technology, using industrial mill processing to speed up the production and reduce costs. In an area prone to typhoons and earthquakes, stone buildings would crack under stress, while the timbers shrugged and bore the weight. Japanese builders also discovered the strength and dependability of working with wooden joints and fibrous timbers. In India, timber frame construction dates back to 200 BC, with teak timbers that were shaped and connected with simple joinery and bamboo pegs. Ancient stone temples, such as Stonehenge, employed joinery details similar to today’s timber framing wood structures. Timber frame buildings are built to last, which means that many historic timber-framed structures are still in use today. Prior to timber framing in the United States, many other cultures worldwide capitalized on this building method. Today, timber framers integrate modern building techniques and technology to enhance traditional methods. The joints used to construct timber frame structures appeared as early as 200 BC. Found in archaeological sites in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, timber framing has a history throughout the world. "The traditional carpenters had a lot of that in their head - they had sketches," says Henrikson.Timber framing comes from a long traditionīuilding a timber frame structure means participating in a longstanding architectural tradition. It's fascinating to, you know, when I'm here cutting joinery, you know, swinging my mallet against a chisel, just think about there were medieval carpenters cutting this basically the same joint 900 years ago."Īrtisans are using some modern technology to speed up reconstruction, including computer images to ensure their hand-chiseled beams fit together perfectly. Henrikson says, "It's a little mind-bending sometimes. While it would be faster to use power tools, workers say doing it by hand pays tribute to the craftsmanship of the cathedral's original builders. "I think it's amazing that people in 1100 could do all this," he says. They're getting help from timber framer Peter Henrikson from Grand Marais, Minnesota, who says it feels like a trip back in time as he uses some of the same tools and techniques of his medieval predecessors. Four years in, architects are celebrating a huge step toward restoration as they raise the first portion of a massive oak framework in a workshop in western France. When flames engulfed Notre Dame in 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to resurrect the iconic cathedral within five years. A devastating fire tore through the roof four years ago. A carpenter from Minnesota is using his woodworking skills to help rebuild the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Minnesota timber framer helping to rebuild Notre Dame Cathedral 01:53
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