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.