Lombardo

The architect on this project was working with a mixed architectural vocabulary of neo-shingle and shed styles, seasoned with a contemporary/industrial flavor. The timber frame for this project sits atop the two-story high long and narrow main living and dining areas.

The trusses are of a modified “Howe Truss” design, with steel tie-rods as the vertical members and timbers as the diagonal struts. The vertical steel tie rods terminate on the lower chord in steel C-channels that cradle the chord. The steel is painted black and the contrast between their unequivocal finish and the soft and warm oil finish of the timbers is particularly satisfying, emphasizing the contrasting materials and their mutually reinforcing functions. The purlins rest on top of the trusses, rather than being housed into the sides, so the tongue and groove ceiling boards almost appear to float above the trusses. Upward facing sconces give the whole a warm glow and dramatize the lofty space.