November Archive

Carpenter Oak & Woodland’s blogs on timber frames, building, design, architecture and timber craftsmanship.

Design and Build

November 12, 2008 · Posted by Scott Fotheringham

The Roman Architect Vitruvus in his Ten Books of Architecture (circa 25BC), the oldest known text on the subject, defines the essence of architecture as a synthesis of "utilas, firmistas and venustas", variously translated as firmness, commodity and delight (Sir Henry Wotton 1624) and strength, function and beauty. For Vitruvius, architecture requires balance between intellectual and manual, between theoretical and practical, between design and construction. John Da Silva of Polhemius Savery DaSilva Architects Builders makes the point about traditional Architect and Contractor relationships where one can profit by proving the other wrong are rife with mistrust and contentiousness. Designing and making allows the integration of theory and craft providing the best chance at approaching Vitrivius?s balance.*

I liken John?s words to the business practices of our own organisation. We are passionate about serving our Clients through the understanding of their needs, with integration into the design team at the earliest stage of the project concept. This approach to construction removes entirely the potential opportunity to profit from the errors or omissions conveyed by a set of rushed incomplete drawings, further exacerbated by a rather pathetic attempt at descriptive text made up by inexperienced college graduates. When the specialist contractor knows more about the construction than the project procurement team, that knowledge is the power to profit.

I recently was advised by a dishonest procurement practitioner that if our company provided the information from which he could put together a meaningful contractual document, we would be "nominated" to carry out the works. Alarm bells rung, as we had no knowledge of this practitioner and he had no experience of working with us and, by complete chance, we learned that he had made the same promise to two other specialists. How did he ever think that this dishonest approach would ever produce a successful project?

* Architecture of the Cape Cod Summer by Michael J Crosbie

More blogs by Scott Fotheringham

UK Timber Supply

November 12, 2008 · Posted by Tim Burrell

I frequently find myself reflecting on the fact that there is such a clear and compelling case for building in timber, and that post and beam construction has so many advantages, but the forestry industry in Britain just doesn't support it.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Forestry Commission. I like their cycle tracks through forests and their maintenance of areas such as the New Forest. But what I do find disappointing is that as a supplier of timber to this industry, it just doesn't happen. It's not just that we often struggle to find a contact to source timber for one of their own projects, as reasonably specified. It's that there is no sign of them responding to the obvious demands for building materials in this country - at least not that we, or our British sawmills can see.

The French do this really well - oak is a commercially grown crop there, and organised harvesting and replanting is commonplace. Is it any wonder then that British oak is so expensive and difficult to find, but that it's readily available from the other side of the channel?

OK, so I'm ranting. But if we, as a commercial organisation (albeit one with a strong conscience) can operate net replanting schemes which won't benefit us financially, isn't it reasonable to ask others who operate with public money to have a serious look at this problem?

More blogs by Tim Burrell