The Portfolio · No. III

English Country II

Our most ornate timberframe — antique Douglas fir beneath a heart-pine hammerbeam ceiling.

LocationBuckhead / Sandy Springs · Atlanta, Georgia
ArchitectJohn Hillock
General contractorDave Roberts, Inc.

Back story

This project features our most ornate timberframe project to date.

Special features

  • All exterior timberwork is antique douglas-fir timber featuring authentic mortise and tenon joinery.
  • Interior timber grids are antique douglas-fir.
  • Interior hammerbeam ceiling is heart pine featuring authentic mortise and tenon joinery.

Special recognition

John Hillock

Mr. Hillock's reworked Jack Arnold plan, is English country style at its finest.

Mark A. Senn

Mr. Senn, a project manager and our component engineer shined again, putting his heart into turning highly out of square and twisted timbers, into our most formal timberframe to date.

Herbert E. Hess

In addition to Corinthian Concurrent's use of Mr. Hess's shop containing the machinery used in the past timber projects, Mr. Hess designed another one-of-a-kind mechanical fixture to manufacture the decorative pendants that hang down from the timber hammerbeam ceiling in the living room.

In pictures

In-house Herb Hess-built machine cuts accurate pendants.
In-house Herb Hess-built machine cuts accurate pendants.
The heart-pine pendants in transport.
The heart-pine pendants in transport.
Assembly crews readying the hammerbeam components.
Assembly crews readying the hammerbeam components.
Timberframe specialist and project manager Mark Senn fine-tunes a brace.
Timberframe specialist and project manager Mark Senn fine-tunes a brace.
Thomas Yinger works on a component.
Thomas Yinger works on a component.
Radius pieces were precision cut on the in-house Herb Hess-built timber radius fixture.
Radius pieces were precision cut on the in-house Herb Hess-built timber radius fixture.
An example of the complexity of the components.
An example of the complexity of the components.
Mark Senn assures tight fit.
Mark Senn assures tight fit.
Precision cut components lead to a high quality end-product.
Precision cut components lead to a high quality end-product.
Assembly of hammerbeam. Notice pendants are not visible, due to being wrapped with 1x8s for protection during assembly and installation.
Assembly of hammerbeam. Notice pendants are not visible, due to being wrapped with 1x8s for protection during assembly and installation.
Front porch antique doug-fir 10 x10 inch posts being prepared for installation. The posts are to rest on the plinths only, with only gravity and their own weight to hold them down, as per clueless decision of the general contractor.
Front porch antique doug-fir 10 x10 inch posts being prepared for installation. The posts are to rest on the plinths only, with only gravity and their own weight to hold them down, as per clueless decision of the general contractor.
The supporting posts are raised and then braced to receive the hammerbeam trusses.
The supporting posts are raised and then braced to receive the hammerbeam trusses.
Anthony Jones bores the holes for the 1 inch octagonal oak pegs.
Anthony Jones bores the holes for the 1 inch octagonal oak pegs.
The 50-ton all-terrain crane shows up for the lift.
The 50-ton all-terrain crane shows up for the lift.
Hammerbeam being carefully flown to between the existing house and the new house. Here Dave Roberts (the GC in boat shoes) finally gets a little involved on the project.
Hammerbeam being carefully flown to between the existing house and the new house. Here Dave Roberts (the GC in boat shoes) finally gets a little involved on the project.
Anthony Jones waits to receive the truss for final positioning.
Anthony Jones waits to receive the truss for final positioning.
The first hammerbeam is carefully set into place.
The first hammerbeam is carefully set into place.
View from the backyard.
View from the backyard.
Close up of hammerbeam pendants.
Close up of hammerbeam pendants.
Braces at rear porch.
Braces at rear porch.
The highly twisted and out-of-square timber transformed into timeless artwork.
The highly twisted and out-of-square timber transformed into timeless artwork.
View of the ceiling as the tongue-and-groove pine is applied from above.
View of the ceiling as the tongue-and-groove pine is applied from above.
Hammerbeam production dimensions 1
Hammerbeam production dimensions 1
Hammerbeam production dimensions 2
Hammerbeam production dimensions 2
Isometric view of hammerbeam components
Isometric view of hammerbeam components
Windbeam for hammerbeam.
Windbeam for hammerbeam.
Isometric view of ceiling
Isometric view of ceiling
Hammerbeam isometric wireframe view
Hammerbeam isometric wireframe view
Living room and porch
Living room and porch
White background isometric hammerbeam
White background isometric hammerbeam
Curved windbeam dimensioning
Curved windbeam dimensioning
Curved windbeam dimensioning 2
Curved windbeam dimensioning 2