TimberHomes recently erected a 22′ x 29′ two story great room frame in Caroline, New York. The notion of having TimberHomes build an addition to the home of owners, Rolfe Radcliffe and Erin Goodrich, started with a barn also done by TimberHomes in 2012. Aiming to maximize function and beauty, the design was largely the collaboration between the owners and TimberHomes’ Josh Jackson. In conclusion, Radcliffe offered, “we were very lucky to have the help of Josh and your team to see our dreams turn in to reality.”
As a three bent queen post, two story frame, the building is highlighted by a central nave which provides an opening in the floor system for the enjoyment of cathedral ceilings. A pair of 18′ chord trusses, which run in unison with the top plates, additionally connect the queen posts above the nave and provide the strength for the long free span, Just below curved Ash and Cherry handrails follow a floor deck, carefully cut in the shape of an oval. The concept was designed to mimic the shape of a canoe, which Radcliffe, enjoys building with his children in their spare time. Indeed Radcliffe’s intention is to eventually hang some of their canoes from the underside of the timber members.
While attractive storage was a factor behind the design, family enjoyment was the primary purpose for the addition. The first floor plan is open. There is ample space for a dining room table for special events close to the existing house. Another area offers room for couches and chairs which will make up a family room area. Here the Radcliffe-Goodrich family will enjoy time together reading, watching movies, and story telling. The family room area will also eventually include a piano, which along with a few guitars, will form the basis of the family concerts to come.
Connected to the first floor by a TimberHomes spiral staircase, the second floor has a dual purpose: a play and project area for the Radcliffe-Goodrich children on one side and an art gallery on the other. As a hobby, Rolfe Radcliffe, along with his brother Robin, have a non-profit organization named Living Fossil which promotes conservation and wilderness protection through art and science. The walls of the second floor will exhibit large format photos taken by the Radcliffes of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).
