“At the end of the day, when you build houses wisely — with more energy efficiency — you give future generations a chance to experience things in nature that have been significant throughout time.”
George’s passion for home building and the natural world first cross sectioned through his work as a builder and hunting guide in the wide open spaces of Montana and Alaska. Upon returning to his home state of New York, he began experimenting with his “green” timber home ideal.
“In its infancy, creating a timber house meant putting up a timber frame with a stick house around it. While it looked awesome, it didn’t make sense. SIPs changed all of that. When we combined the two we had a winner. And as we built, we refined the process making houses that are off the charts efficiency wise — using the panels to their insulating strength and the timbers to their structural and esthetic strengths.
From there we wound up with the great benefit of super energy efficiency and more flexible interior spaces. In turn, we could install smaller heating and cooling systems — easy keepers — which made the houses more cost effective to build and operate.
Longevity is also part of the green thing. When a house or a building lasts, it’s for a number of reasons. It’s made from materials that are durable and will last, like timbers. It’s manageable to maintain and operate, so it doesn’t require an overwhelming amount of work or money. It’s design is based on a combination of form and function. These are the elements of a Timberbuilt that make our clients love their homes and in the end, people take care of what they love. ”
George adds a final step to his green building ideal that completes the cycle.
“And when the day comes when the house is no longer viable, you take it down and repurpose the timbers and recycle the rest. Living in a wood home is a lifestyle. It isn’t about having a shinier home than the next guy; it’s about nature, being environmentally respectful, and seeing the bigger picture.”