The case for timber Part 1 of 3 · 1 min readBeyond tall timberThe towers make the news. The sweet spots are smaller.Read the Field Guide
Learn the system before you draw the plans.
Thirty-two short notes in eight series, arranged in the order a project happens: from the first question to the last coat of finish. Read straight through, or start where your project is.
32 of 32 notes
01
The case for timber
Three short reads on the questions we hear first: where mass timber makes sense, whether it is the better way to build, and what it costs. Start here.
The case for timber Part 1 of 3 · 1 min readBeyond tall timberThe towers make the news. The sweet spots are smaller.
The case for timber Part 3 of 3 · 1 min readCan mass timber cost less than conventional framing?Set quality and sustainability aside for a moment and look only at the money.02
Designing for the factory
How a prefabricated timber building gets designed: the two-phase agreement, choosing what to optimize, how the model matures, and where waste hides.
Designing for the factory Part 1 of 4 · 1 min readA phased approach to prefabPreconstruction first, then supply. What each phase delivers.
Designing for the factory Part 3 of 4 · 1 min readLevels of development for a prefab timber modelHow a building information model matures from blocks to machine code.03
From forest to container
Where the spruce grows, which species and grades to choose, what shipping costs in dollars and carbon, and how a kit is nested and packed so the crane never waits.
From forest to container Part 1 of 5 · 1 min readWhere the spruce comes fromHow forest ownership shapes the CLT market on both sides of the Atlantic.
From forest to container Part 2 of 5 · 1 min readSpruce, and the other speciesNorway spruce is the backbone of mass timber. It is not the only option.
From forest to container Part 3 of 5 · 1 min readLogistics, transportation, and carbonWhat a container of timber carries, and what shipping it really costs.
From forest to container Part 4 of 5 · 1 min readPlanning and loading a containerShipping timber across an ocean starts with nesting bundles on a drawing.
From forest to container Part 5 of 5 · 1 min readPacked in assembly orderFloor on top, walls in the middle, roof on the bottom.04
Crane week
What has to be ready when the timber arrives: the foundation interface, the laydown yard, and windows crated one building at a time.
Crane week Part 1 of 3 · 1 min readReady for assembly: the foundation interfaceWhen the structure arrives, the foundation is done, anchored, and backfilled.
Crane week Part 2 of 3 · 1 min readThe laydown yard decides your assembly weekOne good decision about space pays back every day of erection.
Crane week Part 3 of 3 · 1 min readPackaging windows for the siteFifteen crates for fifteen buildings: procurement planned around handling.05
How it holds together
Connections, steel, and shear: the hardware and engineering that turn a kit of timber parts into a building.
How it holds together Part 1 of 3 · 1 min readConnections are the whole storyExpect fasteners and hardware to be 10 to 15 percent of the timber cost.
How it holds together Part 2 of 3 · 1 min readSteel, timber’s best friendGlulam is soft. Rigid connections need metal, designed into the kit.06
Closing the shell
Windows, insulation, roofing, and finish: the layers that turn a timber structure into a weather-tight home, and the stair that goes inside it.
Closing the shell Part 1 of 5 · 1 min readThe window package is part of the structureEuropean triple glazing, coordinated with the panels before fabrication.
Closing the shell Part 2 of 5 · 1 min readInsulating outside the panelWhy a continuous exterior envelope suits a CLT wall, and what the panel already gives you.
Closing the shell Part 3 of 5 · 1 min readCorrugated metal roofing on a long roofWhy corrugated beats standing seam on an A-frame, and why it does not look agricultural.
Closing the shell Part 4 of 5 · 1 min readPrefinished CLT panelsWhen labor is scarce, finish the timber in the factory.07
Small buildings, big rooms
A-frames, studios, trapezoid houses, and bathhouses: why small, repeated timber buildings may be the strongest case for the material, and how to size them.
Small buildings, big rooms Part 1 of 6 · 1 min readWhy the modern A-frame worksTowering interiors, big glass, and fewer parts per square foot.
Small buildings, big rooms Part 2 of 6 · 1 min readThe studio A-frameAn efficient A-frame kit for hospitality, repeated ten times.
Small buildings, big rooms Part 4 of 6 · 1 min readTrapezoid houses, designed for the containerFive building kits in one 40-foot box, without giving up the architecture.
Small buildings, big rooms Part 5 of 6 · 1 min readWhen mass timber is not massiveSmall, identical CLT buildings can be the strongest case for the material.
Small buildings, big rooms Part 6 of 6 · 1 min readSmall footprints without going too smallFour checks before you build a cabin, a rental, or a tiny house.08
The second building
Accessory dwelling units, barns, and barndominiums: the other structures on a mountain lot, and why they belong in the same timber package as the house.
The second building Part 1 of 3 · 1 min readAccessory dwelling units in mass timberA second small home on the same lot, built from the same panels as the main house.
The second building Part 2 of 3 · 1 min readWhat makes a true barndominiumA barn below, a home above, and a timber structure that does both jobs well.
The second building Part 3 of 3 · 1 min readA rustic finish on a barnDelivered primed; finished by the owner to look like what it is.No notes match that yet. Try a broader word, or ask Fletcher directly.
Start a Project
Reading is the first step. The second is a conversation.
Tell us where you are building and what stage the project is in. Fletcher will tell you honestly whether mass timber fits.