Dan Wise of State College, Pennsylvania has been an independent Lindal dealer for over twenty-five years. He became passionately involved in green building and certification on the local, state and national levels when the National Association of Homebuilders Research Center developed its green building standard.

Dan championed Lindal’s effort to be the first Green Approved building system under the ICC National Green Building Standard and became a vocal supporter of the Lindal-sponsored program for dealers to receive additional professional training and testing to become NAHB Certified Green Professionals in 2009.

Dan is an accredited verifier for the ICC Green Building Standard and has verified homes from Rhode Island to Ohio. He will also serve on the ICC Green Building Code Devolvement Committee for the 2015 code development cycle.

Dan is available to serve as green consultant to Lindal clients and their builders. He can be reached at 877-491-1854 or at dwise@granddesigngroup.us

We interviewed Dan to help you gain a better understanding of the Green Certification process and its benefit to homeowners.

Lindal Cedar Homes: What is Green Certification?

Dan Wise: Certification is a process that verifies that a newly constructed home meets certain minimum standards in several areas.  Those areas include energy efficiency, water consumption, indoor air quality, the efficient use of resources during the construction of the home, and site development that is in tune with the existing site.

Another area that is an important element of a meaningful Green Certification is homeowner education. This largely involves the homeowner receiving operations and maintenance instructions  for all the water, HVAC and appliance systems, including local resources to service and repair these systems. Home owners are also instructed in exterior maintenance practices for both the home and surrounding site that maintain the original green practices used to build the home. These must all be provided in a well-organized fashion from the general contractor.

LCH: When should the homeowner decide to pursue Green Certification of their new home?

DW: The decision to become certified must be made early in the design process. The overall siting, solar performance, and the efficient use of materials and the house’s energy efficiency are determined in great part by the homes actual design. Making the decision after ground is broken and/or the plans have been permitted isn’t impossible; it must be done before any drywall is started, since the ability to inspect and verify certain details will affect the overall as-built verification of the house.

The selection of fixtures, appliances, and in essence all of the materials used to build and finish the house also affect the house ‘s green performance, since the use of sustainable material and efficient systems and fixtures is critical to certification. Many of these decisions are made during the design process. The as-built score and how it compares to the required number of points determines whether or not the home will be certified.

LCH: What does the Green Certification process involve and who manages the process?

DW: The certification process begins with the completion of a design report. The design report is a listing of all the specifications that affect the building’s performance. Every item is scored and a certain number of points are required for certification at various levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Emerald). The design report is interactive, so it’s easy to see the impact different products and systems will have on the overall rating.

There is no requirement as to who fills out the designer’s report. In some cases the builder and homeowner will work on the design report together. Ultimately the builder is responsible for making sure the details of the report are carried out correctly. The homeowner’s involvement helps ensure a working knowledge of the process and how their own decisions on systems and finishes will affect the final score.

The actual certification requires verifying that all of the items listed in the design report (and their point scores) were in fact utilized and installed properly in the completed house. An accredited verifier, who inspects the house at various stages, does the inspections and calculates the as-built score.

LCH: Does the homeowner benefit from building a Lindal with regard to Green Certification?

DW: There are a number of ways in which the homeowner benefits from building a Lindal.

One benefit of working with Lindal is the company’s dedication to energy conservation for decades and the fact that the details and materials used to construct Lindals have been continually refined as new constriction standards and materials have been developed.  Elements of construction critical to performance, such as windows and doors, are supplied at performance levels that exceed those found in typical new home construction.

Just as every Lindal’s Lifetime Structural Guarantee assures that every Lindal is designed and engineered to meet or exceed  the structural requirements of the local  codes where the home is to be constructed, Lindal’s Green Approved mark is verification that every Lindal’s Green Coast to Coast specification meets the requirements of that green practice.

One green benefit of building a Lindal is the efficient use of material and reduced waste in the factory and on-site. Wood is a renewable resource and, properly managed, will continue to be for centuries to come.

Lindal’s use of engineered woods, such as laminated beams and engineered floor joists and other similar construction components earn Green Approved points in another area of the standard.

Lindal earns the most green points using one Sir Walter Lindal’s earliest design techniques, the 5’4” building module. Incorporating a design practice that Lindal used starting back in the 1960s now accounts for the green approved mark for seven different green practices.

LCH: Isn’t it difficult for a builder or homeowner to know all of this when completing the design report?

DW: Yes, there is a learning curve that almost all builders go through as they learn the practices and procedures. Lindal anticipated this, and the Lindal Building System was the first building system to apply for and receive the Green Approved designation under the ICC Building Standard.

Listed on an online directory, this designation means that all of the green practices claimed are  automatically awarded points when building a Lindal. Using green-approved products in general greatly simplifies the entire process from design to verification.  The Lindal Green Specification accounts for more points towards Green Certification that any other single product.

LCH: Then if the house is designed and specified to qualify for Green Certification, isn’t that sufficient?

DW: I think it makes better sense to have a new home verified and certified. Completing the certification process will provide you the knowledge that your home has met the expectations you set during the design process, and that, properly maintained, you will realize the benefits of that in the form of reduced lifecycle costs.

LCH: Does it cost more to build a green home?

DW: Not necessarily. Properly siting a house to maximize energy efficiency and reduce disturbance to the site may well save you expense. In the last few years, the public has become more aware of the responsibility to build green, and building component producers continue to upgrade their products and introduce new green products at competitive prices. We might be talking a few percentage points, a small initial cost for years of savings.

The verification process varies by location but typically costs $1000-$1500 in today’s market.

LCH: What are the benefits of Green Certification to the homeowner?

DW: The benefits of Green Certification can have some immediate financial benefits in the forms of tax credits and rebates. One additional benefit that can be realized immediately is reduced energy costs.

In certain areas of the country, green home values have increased more than conventional homes of the same size and design. I believe that over time, we’ll see homebuyers insisting on buying green, if only to reduce energy costs, giving green homes a real market advantage. Written certification that a home incorporated the acknowledged best practices of the time will be a valuable document.

LCH: Any other benefits to certification?

DW: When your home is Green Certified you have the peace of mind of knowing that it was built to exceed current standards.

You have the peace of mind of knowing that you and your family live in an energy efficient healthy home that is going to perform well year after year.

You have the peace of mind of knowing that you are protecting your investment with written verification if your home’s performance.

And, finally, you have the peace of mind of knowing that you are safeguarding the environment for future generations.

Four of the six planned articles are now “live.” Starting with a two-part history of prefabricated homes (did you know that their roots are in the mobile home?), Michael has also written about how to site your prefab home to maximize eco-efficiency, and also how to choose a prefab home that fits your lifestyle. Future articles over the next several weeks will focus on budgeting for a prefab home project and a discussion on whether time can be considered a renewable resource when building a prefab home.

by Michael Harris

From the Lindal Cedar Homes Flickr Photostream

Canada has always been important to Lindal Cedar Homes. Sixty-six years ago, Sir Walter Lindal founded the company in Canada, and we have always maintained a facility in Canada to process and ship our legendary lumber components to clients on six continents.

Lindal’s Canadian clients have traditionally been design innovators, and the homes they have created with our talented Canadian dealers have graced many of the most beautiful pages of Lindal planbooks.

Still, I wondered, why has Lindal’s nascent modern design program been so embraced by our Canadian clients? I set out to learn the answer by dialoguing with four owners of the first finished Lindal modern clients anywhere, spanning Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland.

The Spirit of Warm Modern

Four Lindal clients with four very different lifestyles. Four vastly different modern Lindal designs in settings that share only the fact that they are all built on bodies of water. But the spirit of these Lindal clients and their homes enjoy many more similarities. Each client sought to create a home environment that is tranquil, and that tranquility is achieved through clear organization, natural light, and the absence of superfluous adornment. Daily life is demanding, complex, and chaotic. The natural environment is rugged, sometimes threatening and overwhelming. But home is, by contrast, an orderly and soothing refuge, I heard repeatedly.

When these clients speak about their sites, their thoughts go well beyond capturing views. They speak of the natural environment with reverence ands a sense of obligation. They don’t talk “green lingo.” But they all express the understanding that a home should not challenge the grandeur of nature nor should it consume nature’s resources thoughtlessly.

Inconspicuous, simple, well organized, efficient, responsible. Descriptors of a new consciousness, of the modern American (and Canadian) home. But this soulful austerity is balanced with the soulful warmth and radiance of the cedar and fir that form the rugged but refined post and beam structure, trim the interior, and frame the purposefully placed windows that welcome in the sun to warm the environment and brighten the spirit. These conversations kept circling back to these Lindal hallmarks. To these Lindal clients, like many others, Warm Modern is not a slick marketing contrivance; it is a joyful way of life.

Read their stories:

Nature’s Roommates in Woody Point, NF

A Lakeside Urban Loft on Lac Magog, QC

A Green Family Homestead in Georgian Bay, ON

A Retreat Where Living Life Upside Down is Easy on Gambier Island, BC

From the Lindal Cedar Homes Flickr Photostream

For years, Gary embarked on Friday for the one-hour cruise to Gambier Island and a weekend of camping in an environment free of cars, crowds, and stress. A Vancouver resident who works long days evaluating businesses embroiled in conflict, the island has been his long-time weekend refuge.

When a small number of building sites became available on the island, Gary saw it as a rare opportunity to enjoy the solitude of the island in the comfort of a modern home with a free-flowing open interior, uninterrupted walls of glass that captured views of the water and dappled sunlight through the dense foliage. “I was inspired by the houses in Dwell, but concerned about the logistics of building on an island with no bridge or ferry connection to the mainland and no resident builders,” recalls Gary. “Then I discovered the Dwell Homes Collection. My partner and I explored how the Turkel Design collaboration with Lindal simplified the design process, the process of producing and delivering a precise package of extraordinary materials to a remote site, and the fact that the local Lindal dealer, My House Design/Build Team in Vancouver, was experienced in building on island sites. We felt comfortable proceeding.”

The home is sited with minimal disturbance to the hillside. Only 6 trees were removed in order to build the home.

Gary had a number of other practical priorities, including minimizing disturbance to the rocky shoreline site, presenting itself inconspicuously to other island residents, and being energy efficient and self-sufficient during prolonged power outages caused by winter storms.

The house certainly presents itself humbly to passing joggers and cyclists and is woven into the hillside and hidden by the tress it delicately avoids. “Joel Turkel so carefully sited the house, utilizing computer-aided mapping. And changes made on-site, suggested by our incredible construction foreman along with my partner Johnny’s selection of exterior colors made ours so much more subtle than any of the other homes on the island,” marvels Gary. “The house is really upside down and backwards. Since access to the site is primarily by water, the ‘front’ entry is on the waterside of the lowest level. You work your way up three levels to the primary living spaces on the top level where the filtered sun moves from east to west through the day, continually changing the warm ambiance of the interior.”

The living room with iconic modern furniture.

Make no mistake, however: while the house is inconspicuously sited, this Lindal is stunning in every way. “I was pleasantly surprised at every turn”, muses Gary. “ The interior volumes are wonderful relief from the tightly packed exterior foliage. The Lindal materials add such warmth without being cabin-like and the quality is remarkable. Windows strategically placed to capture small but important exterior features. Light passing over the wonderfully textured tilework and fireplace mass… smart and modern but rugged and edgy, like the jagged stone hillside site. River stones spread above the flat roof surface—my foreman’s brainstorm—so in keeping with the aura of the site.  And the filtered sunlight from dawn to dusk adds a natural rhythmic serenity. It’s just wonderful!”

Building a house on an island is a challenge, but the way the Lindal materials were packaged and delivered made the process surprisingly efficient. Some crewmembers and subs arrived each Monday and stayed on the island for the full workweek. “But in an environment as wonderful as this, it’s hard to leave,” says Gary. “I am going to try and work from the house a few days a week so I can spend more time here. My one concern is that even though we built this house to entertain weekend guests, they may never leave!”

This post is one of a 4 part series, “Oh Canada! From Sea to Shining Sea,” showcasing how Canadians have embraced the new, modern home collections from Lindal Cedar Homes.

“I had always wanted a home with exposed beams, warm and rugged. But at the same time, I was attracted to the modern edge of New York’s urban lofts. I could never find a design that offered both until I saw the Turkel Design Lindal. And I knew at that moment I had to have it!” exclaimed Dany. The low-pitched sweeping roof, and particularly the vast expanses of glass with all the horizontal and vertical elements perfectly aligned spoke to him of a striking sense of organization. “This was my builder’s first Lindal. He told me he had never built a home where the solid walls were organized around such meticulously organized windows, rather than individual windows being fit into large forgiving openings poked into walls. He also told me that this could only be possible with the quality of lumber he has only seen in my Lindal package.”

Dany selected the model TD3-2990 from the Dwell Homes Collection, and his caring and attentive Lindal dealer, Raymond Lesperance of Quebec Cedar Homes and Cottages, facilitated the planning process. “We made relatively few changes to the standard house design, but we spent considerable time with Joel Turkel in on-line design review meetings, during which he made sure that we fully understood every aspect of the design,“ recalls Dany.

The conscious desire to create a “warm modern” home—an efficient and practical retreat with an urban edge, warmed by its relationship with the natural environment and the natural Lindal materials—guided many of Dany’s finish decisions. “The radiance of the post and beam roof system and wood ceilings is balanced by three foot square charcoal gray concrete tiles used throughout the ground floor. The warmth of the cedar windows and welcoming 10-foot high entry door are countered with the bold grey acrylic stucco exterior and the freestanding steel staircase leading to the second floor. Even the custom zebrawood kitchen cabinets blend warm golden and striking graphite grains.

Still, there is no mistaking the fact that Dany, a dentist who practices locally, chose to build his primary home here to enjoy the natural environment. You can hear the joy in Dany’s voice: “The house is so perfectly sited that it is filled with natural light from dawn to dusk. And the serenity… The house is so solid that when the windows are closed you do not hear a sound, not even the passing recreational boaters on the lake. But, ahhhh, when we see the magnificent sunset and open the twenty foot wide Lindal accordion door to the patio, the entire house becomes a nature sanctuary with the rose colored glow, the sound of the birds, and the fragrance of the wildflowers.”

Now, I ask you, where could you find that in a Soho loft?

This post is one of a 4 part series, “Oh Canada! From Sea to Shining Sea,” showcasing how Canadians have embraced the new, modern home collections from Lindal Cedar Homes.

A welcoming community of only 400 full-time residents—“after knowing you for only six days”, marvels Rick, “they offer you the keys to their pickup trucks to retrieve supplies!”—with a writer in residence, summer writers’ and musicians’ festivals provides us the perfect cultural retreat.”

A site that remote, they knew, required a method of construction that was tried and true. “We wanted to create something rugged and pragmatic, but not cottage-y,” remarked Rick.

Rick and Sandra were attracted by the strength and character of the Lindal post and beam system. They met with John Axmith, the accomplished Lindal dealer near Toronto. Together they created a modern Elements design. The flat-roofed design is composed of three elements: a generous living and entertaining element with an enormous artist loft above, linked to a remote owners’ suite by an entry element.

During the next several weeks they fine tuned the design and ordered their Lindal package, which was delivered, across the continent, only six weeks later. The house was built during the brutal Newfoundland winter, but still its modern form and lofty perch attracted the admiration of local residents of all ages: it became the subject of many children’s drawing projects.

Today Rick and Sandy’s Elements home, now stained a deep shade of green, has become part of the Gros Morne landscape, which Rick and Sandy share with a stunning array of wildlife. With full 360-degree views, they watch the tides flow in and out, the humpback whales, dolphins, seals, and grazing moose, with a mesmerizing soundtrack provided by the herons, gulls, and the blustery winds.  They put a lone bed up in the loft for the most serene and inspirational wake-up surrounded by nature. “The true impact of the natural panoramic viewed through the uninterrupted glass surround actually surprised us, along with the rugged richness of the cedar which makes us feel secure and warm. It is impossible not to feel creative in an environment like this!”

This post is one of a 4 part series, “Oh Canada! From Sea to Shining Sea,” showcasing how Canadians have embraced the new, modern home collections from Lindal Cedar Homes.

Their Turkel Design Lindal, in Georgian Bay, 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Toronto, is built into the sloping shoreline in order to minimize disturbance to the site’s natural environment, reduce energy costs, while enjoying a sweeping view of the water. “Our Lindal dealer, John Axmith made certain that the house placement preserved mature trees, and Joel Turkel made certain the roof overhangs were positioned to protect the house from hot summer sun and to welcome the warming sun deep into the house in winter. His computer modeling was right on,” marvels Will.

From the street, passers-by are treated to what looks like a one-level home with a single sweeping roof that, like the surrounding treetops, rises gracefully as it moves away from the shore, giving the appearance of being formed by the winds blowing off the bay. “We had no interest in having the largest home or the grandest home in our community,” muses Will. “But still the exterior is so bold and well-suited to the site that locals continue to stop abruptly and admire the house in passing.”

“Growing up in Sweden,” reminisces Katarina “in a rugged home built of fine wood, like our Lindal, teaches a reverence for the enduring quality of natural materials and our obligation to protect and renew them. Our girls are learning that in our new home, just as they are learning about the power of the sun. To them, every day is like summer camp, but we know that they are learning, too.”

Will and Katarina, whose families visit from long distances, wanted to make certain that several families could visit at the same time and be accommodated by the communal spaces but, as importantly, have places to retreat as family units for private time and sleeping. “We want our girls to really know their cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents, and the house enables that by sleeping over twenty people in five family units in small suites and private areas.”

The construction may be complete, but the work continues as Will and Katarina carry out plans for green certification in the various local and provincial programs. “We set out to build an environmentally responsible family home,” Will explains, “and carrying out the certification process as a family is an important part of our vision.”

This post is one of a 4 part series, “Oh Canada! From Sea to Shining Sea,” showcasing how Canadians have embraced the new, modern home collections from Lindal Cedar Homes.

by Michael Harris

Imagine….

• The marriage of leading edge modern design and the confidence and experience of over 50,000 completed projects…
• The resource efficiency of a disciplined building system and the guidance of a local expert…
• The broadest portfolio of modern design, personalized for you through a modern and cost effective process…

…predictable and enjoyable!

Lindal Cedar Homes is building a true collaborative with leading regional architects throughout North America. Working closely with Lindal design pros, the architects are creating wonderfully original warm modern designs that efficiently and faithfully utilize the refined Lindal post and beam building system to enable the fasted possible design and pricing turnaround times. Your Lindal Architects Collaborative design will be personalized to celebrate your site and inspire your lifestyle, making the most efficient use of material, your time, and your financial resources.

The first four Collaborative architects, and their Lindal designs, were introduced at Lindal’s annual dealer conference in Seattle on January 28. Additional architects will be added each quarter so that we may offer you the most complete portfolio of warm, modern Lindal designs at cost that only a systematic approach can enable.

The charter members of the Lindal Architects Collaborative are:

• Altius Architecture: Toronto ON
• Bates Masi + Architects: Sag Harbor, NY
• The Frank Lloyd Wright School Of Architecure: Scottsdale, AZ
• Marmol Radziner: Los Angeles, CA

Begin your exploration of the LAC by attending a live online Webinar or by contacting your local Lindal dealer. 

Scott has been at Lindal for over thirty years, since he was 19 and fresh out of college with a degree in Building Science. With encyclopedic knowledge of the Lindal post and beam building system and its every detail, his role in the formative stages of the Lindal Architects Collaborative has been to share the major system parts and assembly details and to convert the architects’ concept drawings into efficient on-system Lindals. His role with client is to prepare the hand drawn floor plans and elevations for each Elements and Architects Collaborative client design, again to make improvements to the requested modifications, where necessary, and to make sure the design maximizes the use of on-system parts and details, maximizing efficiency and controlling cost. Scott’s knowledge and thousands of houses worth of experience, his kind generous manner and ability to listen enable his to transform good designs into great ones.

Bret, another Lindal veteran, put his architectural training to work creating electronic renderings to complete the clients’ vision of their Lindal design. An innovator and very organized thinker, Bret was the Lindal lead in creating a new pricing system that makes the pricing of on-system houses a quick process.

Both key members of the Lindal Architects Collaborative, they began their drive for maximum efficiency designs and process in 2010 with the development for the commemorative Modern A-Frame program and in 2011 the Lindal Elements program, the pilot program to field test the disciplined systems approach with dealers and clients before inviting independent architects to utilize that system in designing the new and very diverse Collaborative houses.

A significant part of the success of achieving truly collaborative experience in working with the out-of -the-box thinking architects is the self effacing, warm and respectful manner Scott and Bret have in common. Their approach breaks down any barriers and makes it difficult dismiss their guidance.

by Michael Harris

For over thirty years, Maggie has built her career as a world-class creative director, collaborating with renowned visionaries in fashion, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Instantly recognizable industry icons—champions of change—rely on Maggie to translate their visions into well-understood motivational communication to thousands of employees worldwide—designers, production engineers, marketers—in order to build the universal understanding, enthusiasm, and momentum required to transform the vision into successfully launched reality.

But Maggie had never faced the challenge of translating her own personal vision into reality until she transformed her Lindal into an Industrial Buddhist Barn.

Today, high atop a windswept ridge in Central California is the stunning result of decades of formative thinking about her concept of “home,” her ability to create community, and the work of her own two hands. In each of the images shown here are treasures from her past, carefully designed elements of daily living, and ample opportunity to nurture future passions and pastimes. Maggie’s Industrial Buddhist Barn.

"View side" of Maggie's home... although, the "view" is 360 degrees!

Maggie’s earliest recollection of Lindal goes back to the 1960s, when, as a young girl, she accompanied her father on weekend outings to a Lindal model near Toronto. Together, father and daughter marveled at the obvious enduring strength of the post and beam system and the expansive window walls that invited nature to stylishly decorate the interior.

Years later, in 1984, on weekend retreats from her intense work and urban home, Maggie and her artist mentor watched the construction of a Lindal with mixed wonderment. Dominating the highest ridge in the area, the house was larger and very different from the diminutive Victorians that dotted the countryside. While some questioned its size and siting, Maggie recalls being “taken by the strength of its glorious structure, its bold modernity, and its courageous ridge top perch.”

The house changed hands before it was completed, and the new owners planted over 300 trees on the ridge, half of them fruit bearing, giving the house a wonderful softness and a home in a beautiful young orchard. For years, they nurtured the landscape but never completed the house. For years, when Maggie returned, she admits “It remained the most glorious structure around, and its unrealized potential kept haunting me.”

Maggie's home on the ridge

In 2005, long enamored with the idyllic local lifestyle, Maggie began to look for a home of her own, and at that very moment, the ridge top Lindal was listed for sale. On her first visit to the house, she recalls that, “When I walked into the house and closed the door behind me, I was immediately taken by the absolute quiet of the interior of the massive structure on the windswept ridge. The warm and clean fragrance of cedar greeted and enveloped me, welcoming me home for the first time.  I had never experienced such bold transparency. The security of a massive structure in contrast to its expansive openness to the natural world beyond, a front row seat to the ever changing light, the forces of nature, the bucolic landscape. It was providential: I would make this house my home.” Maggie moved into her Lindal, obtained copies of the original plans from Seattle, and for two years planned how she would make this Lindal her own.

She shared her notes and sketched with friends—architects, artists, and local craftspeople—who encouraged her, and when asked to describe her vision she always referred to her mission as an “industrial Buddhist barn.” The post and beam structure, systematic and factory-fabricated, were industrial.  The absolute solitude and the enduring strength of the timeless temple-like structure encouraged disciplined spirituality, creativity, learning, and introspections. And its architectural form and location in the center of the grove, spoke to nurturing, working the land, and the bountiful blessings of manual labor.

Installing the built-ins to display books and artwork.

A year of manual labor, led by an incredibly gifted, thoughtful, and dedicated craftsman and crew with whom the notion of the industrial Buddhist barn resonated, transformed the vision into stirring reality. A new entry with double glass doors was positioned to enable an immediate and awe-inspiring view all the way through the massive home to the landscape beyond. Built-in bookcases for treasured books and artwork, divided into intimately sized grids, add color, texture, and an autobiographical spirit. The lovingly wrought oak floor with its own warm palette “grounds” the interior while creating a natural continuity between living areas in the open plan. The interior doors with barn-latch hardware are crafted of wood recycled from the original interior walls. “It’s like a wooden jewel box,” remarked Maggie, “made of honest and natural materials, lovingly constructed to protect life’s cherished creations and treasures.”

Stairs to master suite loft, with corrugated wainscoting behind woodstove.

Corrugated aluminum wainscoting, furniture purchased at local estate sales and from her own family’s past, covered in soft and deeply hued fabrics coexist in ying and yang contrast consistent with the vision. Like the Lindal model in Maggie’s childhood memories, the signature prow reaches heavenward and gently bathes the interior with the changing light of each day and hue of each season. And after dusk, soft pools of light create personal retreats and a miniature 4″ crystal fixture lends a whimsical air of formality.

View from deck

Attention to detail is evident on the exterior as well.  The finish on the siding was painstakingly created to simulate a venerable old barn by staining each board by hand with a slightly different blend of color applied over a subtle white wash. The technique was created and executed by Maggie and a local master painter. Even the decks that wrapped all four sides of the house and were originally of uniform width were rethought: narrow walkways for circulation only and wider expanses positioned for entertaining and lounging.

Even the most ardent modernists cannot help but appreciate and admire Maggie’s fulfilled vision. Her work created community among the locals who once considered it an oddity. And most importantly, it is her haven for learning, introspection, and hosting treasured friends.

Reflecting on her Lindal Experience, Maggie concluded,  “This house is the largest investment of my life, and I am sure for many Lindal clients. Lindal honors clients by providing a structural system that is enduring enough to merit that investment, while still being flexible enough to accommodate—to celebrate—the personal individuality and values of those unwilling to accept bland anonymity.”

View the full slideshow of Maggie’s Industrial Buddhist Barn on the Lindal Cedar Homes Flickr Photostream. Photos by R. Valentine Atkinson, www.ValAtkinson.com

Every Lindal client begins with a vision, a hope that the effort to create “home” will be an inspiration for daily living and future growth. The enduring Lindal post and beam system provides a framework for realizing visions of every sort, an organizing element that exudes stability, longevity, and warmth. Every year it is our privilege to work with clients who entrust us with their visions and work with us to shape them into satisfying and joyful realities. -M. Harris