Zero metal, absolute timber

Solid timber expands and contracts perpendicular to its grain lines across annual atmospheric shifts. Rather than resisting movement with rigid hardware, our mortise-and-tenon connections calculate hygroscopic deflection to ensure permanent mechanical equilibrium.

Hand-riven wedge keys and sliding dovetails permit controlled tangential expansion while maintaining rigid axial lock. Structural members are paired along corresponding growth rings to prevent checking, splitting, or warping over generations of indoor exposure.

Flitch selection and burnishing

We select whole air-dried white oak, black walnut, and sugar maple boles straight from regional sawmills. Each slab rests in atmospheric equalization racks before dimensioning with hand planes, Japanese rip saws, and heavy mortising chisels.

Finishing rejects polyurethane and synthetic varnishes. We burnish dry end-grain with raw timber shavings and saturate the wood fibers with pure cold-pressed walnut oil and beeswax, yielding a tactile, breathable surface.

Quantitative joinery precision

0.5 mm

friction-fit tolerance

0%

synthetic materials

100 yr

structural design life

We accept six architectural commissions each calendar year. Discuss site dimensions, timber provenance, and scheduling directly with our master joiners.