Log&TimberUniversityProfessor-DanMitchellDanisanativeofTennesseeandOwnerandPresidentofEagleCDI,Inc.HecurrentlyservesasthePresidentofSystemsBuildingCouncilandChairmanofBuildingSystemsCouncilaswellasPresidentofGreaterKnoxvilleHomeBuildersAssociation.
Thejourneytobecomingaloghomebuilderisrarelyastraightlineforanycontractor,andDanMitchelliscertainlynoexception.Danisathirdgenerationcontractor,wholefthisfamily’sbusinesstocreatehisowncommerciallandscapeandconstructioncompany.In1993,DansoldhisbusinessandmovedbacktoTennessee.
Likemanyofthosedrawntoconstruction,DanMitchellhasaboundlessenergy,atalentforproblemsolving,andakeenmindthatisalwaysseekingthenextchallenge.Hislifeexperienceisasvariedashisinterests,whichincludeannouncingforNASCARracesandsemi-prohockeygamesandFirstRoboticscompetition,wasawrestlingcoachforhighschoolsandyouthassociations20+years,instructorandconsultantforappliedbuildingtechniques,andrealestatedevelopment.
WhenDanrelocatedfromCaliforniahewantedtobuildanewhomeinTennessee,butcouldn’tlocateacontractortobuildthehomethathewanted,sohedecidedtobuildthehomehimself.Laterthatyear,aneighborrequestedhimtobuildahomeforhisfamily.DanacquiredhisTennesseecontractor’slicenseandstartedEagleConstruction&Development,aresidential,customhomeandconstructioncompany.
ThenanotherclientrequestedDantobuildaloghome,andthisiswhenhediscoveredthathehadapassionforbuildingwithnaturalwood.Danthenbeganbuildingavarietyoflogstructures,includingloghomesmilledfromavarietyofproducers,andahomeconstructedexclusivelyfromthetrees,hefelleduponthebuildingsite.
Empoweringknowledgethroughouttheindustry,Dancreatedanewconsultingbusinessandteachesconstructioncoursestobothhomebuildersandhomebuyers.
Dan’scompany(EagleCDI,Inc.)hasearnedseveralawardsinthe“ExcellenceinMarketingandHomeDesign”presentedbytheNationalAssociationofHomeBuilders:BuildingSystemsCouncils.EagleCDI,Inc.hasacquiredawardsnationallywithintheloghomebuildercategory,andhasalsoreceivedawardsforthebest-designedhomesconstructed,thatare2,300squarefeetorless.
SpeakersfromWoodhouse,theTimberFrameCompany
StewartElliott
AfterstudiesinArchitecture,Art,andfinallySociology(BostonUniversity),StewartElliottreturnedtohisfamilyrootsfollowinghisfather’sarchitecturalprofessionandhismother’sartcareer.Afteryearsintherestorationof18thcenturybuildingsinMaineandNewHampshirehisconstructioncompanyprovidednewconstructionusingthisCenturiesoldTimberFramebuildingsystem.
Becauseofthelackofeducationalinformationonthesubjectinthe1970s,practitionersofthisbuildingsystemhadtopiecetogetheroldrecordsandworkwithhistoriccommunitiessuchasStrawberryBank,NHorOldSturbridgeVillage,MA.Forover10yearshewasteachingthecraftsandskillsofthetimberframingthroughthedesignandbuildingandraisingofframesforhomes.ItonlyfollowedthatStewartwouldincludeauthoring3booksonthesubject;TheTimberFramingBook,TheTimberFramePlanBook,andTheTimberFrameRaisingBook.
In1978Stewart’scareercontinueditsevolutionintoprojectandsalesmanagementfornewtimberandpanelhomeswithamajorsupplier.Hehascontinuouslywrittenarticles(FineHomebuilding,MotherEarthNews,WholeEarth,SolarAge,WorkingWood,andTimberFrameGuild),madepresentations(conferences[theLogandTimbershows],EcoBuildUSA,TraditionalBuildingConference,TimberFrameBusinessCouncil,andotherprofessionalorganizations),andtaught(workshops,University,College,andCommunitycollegelevel)onthissubject.
Today,StewartcontinuesprojectmanagementwithWoodhouseandhecontinuestobelievethattheTimberFrameindustryhastheopportunitytoleadtheconversationsupportingthesensibility,sustainabilityandenergyconservationofbuildingsystems.
JeffBaker
JeffBakerwasfirstintroducedtotimberframingbythekindnessofthefatherofachildhoodfriend.Adilapidatedhuntingcabin,intheshadowoftheWindRiverRange,wasinsoreneedofreplacement.Theprojectprovidedtheopportunitytodiscoverandexplorethenewlyre-emergingcraft,oftimberframing,asasummerproject.“I’llpayyourway,providethegroceriesandbuythetoolsandtimbersyouneed.”Anendlessstreamofhamburgers,eggsandcoffee,freshchiselsandstarfilledbigskynights…asummersdreamforanyteenager.
Thefourmonthsofsweat,deerfly,sawdustandslivers,clearlystruckaresoundingchordasbuildingtimberframeshasbeenatruepassionforJefffornow,nearing40years.
Throughthoseyears,JeffhashonedhisskillsbuildingtimberframeandSIPstructuresforeveryconceivableapplication.Homes;bigandtiny,outdoorpavilions,doghousestofourstorytownhomes,bridgesandstores;aneverendingpalateofchallenges.
BeingabuilderdemandsawiderangeofcapabilitiesandJeffworemanyhats;fromthedraftingtable,totheestimatingspreadsheet,theseatofanexcavatorandbulldozer,pouringconcrete,roofing,runningpipesandwiresandcuttingmortisesandtenons;theexperiencehasbeenbroad.Encouragedbyparentstoattemptwhateverchallenge,sparkedamultitudeofinterest.Blessedwithnearlyendlesscuriosity,andtheinspirationofhissonanddaughter,Jeffcomestotheclassroomwithuniqueperspective,experienceandanswers.
