I am designing a house, my house. I am a newbie to Timber framing, but before you jump on me let me say that I am an ME and have artistic ability. I have managed many large projects and am accustomed to the kind of work large projects entail. Now here's where you'll probably jump on me...
I am planning my house to entail one large great room that is (at present) 40X46. This great room is sub divided into 6 spaces - 6 16X16 foot rooms at the four corners, 2 14X16 rooms in the center on each side and a central hall that is 7 feet wide the lengh of the room(46ft). when I say room or hall, I don't mean there are any interior walls. The center of the room has 4 posts that create the so called division of the rooms(also necessary to support the weight of the 2 center bents). They are really just spaces that will each be used for something different. The room will also be used for family holiday parties. We typically have 40-60 guests. The ceiling in the center is 18feet. The roof is broken and from 18 feet up is a bonus room with 7 foot knee walls(if you can call them knee walls). The peak of the roof ends up at 32 feet. The bonus room is 15 feet wide and 46 feet long(can be divided). Breaking up the roof with the bonus room allows for 16 foot roof rafters on the lean to's and 12 foot on the bonus room.
The point of this structure is to have one large room on one level for family get togethers and so that activities are done in one area - living room with TV, Office, kids play area...what what ever else is decided. One level so there is not constant going up an down stairs - let kids do that, when I'm old, I want only 1 level living.
This structure looks like a tall barn with lean to on each side. The outside lean to walls are 10ft. I am just in the creative stages of this structure now. I am also looking at doing a basement whereby large concrete cylindrical piers will rise from the basement floor to the main floor providing support for the posts. I envision coating all of the concrete as well as cladding the peirs in wood from floor to ceiling much like an oak barrel with steel bands. The posts and beams will be grand too. Attached to this grand structure will be another timber frame where the roof is 90 degrees to the 1st structure. This will hold the large kitchen, bathrooms, master bedroom on 1st floor, kids bedrooms upstairs, Mud room, foyer. I'm not sure if this will house the garage or if it will connect to the garage/shop. I already have a Steel I beam frame workshop ready to assemble(which will be assembled first on the site).
I can dream big can't I? The grand hall will be framed with very large recliamed clear non-barn beams, the bonus room above will likely use reclaimed barn beams, and the living space attached to the grand hall will as of now use reclaimed barn beams.
This is the initial thinking. It will likely be revised as I'm still sketching it up and working out details. I'm not ready to post pics yet, but will in the future.
Some have called me nuts, but then had to take it back when I did what I said I was going to do...
