another grid versus 'free' design question

I know that this topic has been discussed before, but I'm still confused....

I guess the best way to frame my current question (haha...) would be a comparison of timber frame texts at the local library versus timber frame magazines at the newstand. The typical textbook contains a chapter on frame design and they almost always use photos and drawings of an example house with a perfectly symetrical frame; 4 bents, each 12ft apart with 3 bays each 8ft across, for a 36ft by 24ft frame. Then they magically fit a floor plan into that frame that has every interior wall on a main grid line.

I haven't figured out how to have functionally useful rooms with all room dimensions only multioples of 8ft or 12ft. And picking up a copy of the only commonly available magazine for ideas doesn't help. A typical issue of Timber Frame Living contains plans for several houses and everyone seems to completely ignore the buildings basic frame when laying out the floor plan. Just for fun, I've tried to determine the frame layout from the floor plans in the magazine's examples and it was pretty much impossible. (the exact opposite of the text book examples).

I realize that floor plan design should not be 'forced' by frame grid, but isn't the basic idea that the main beams and columns should 'frame' the individual rooms? (another unintended pun...) You want interior columns to come down in the corner, not the middle of a room, and you would want interior partition walls to fall under main beams; you don't want beams sitting a foot away from a parallel partition, or crashing through perpendicular partitions. The magazine homes must have either very strange frames, or incredibly minimalist frames (that would allow interior partitions almost anywhwere.)

Or have I just not learned some timber frame home design secret?

Ho Toluca,

You are on the right track with your thoughts but you should also take into account that there is historical precedent for the use of internal jetties in timber framed buildings where the upper floor appears to overhang lower floor thereby creating an extra long room on the lower floor exceeding bay length. This approach was employed in open hall design when the space above the hall was used primarily to provide relief from smoke generated by the hall fire. The area under the overhang was either used to form a cross passage with fabric or timber screens to the hall or as an area to sit on a perch behind the hall table where a persons back could lean against a crosswall divider that did not lie along the line of the cross frame (bent).

Regards

Ken Hume

Hey Toluca,

The trick is to design both frame and floor plan simultaneously. I would recommend consulting an experienced architectural/timber frame designer. It takes a lot of experience and practice not to menttion and almost instinctive understanding of the strengths of the timber frame material you're using and the loads involved in the application. Once you have that then it just a game of Tetris!

I am frequently presented with a client's floor plan design and asked to build a timber frame for it. It takes a great deal of gentle diplomacy and mental gymnastics to make it happen. It is an iterative process where you design, redesign, and let the design grow. you can't rush design, but when you get it you find things start falling into place and all of a sudden all of the puzzle pieces fit! It's really pretty remarkable how a design can seemingly take on a life of its own and suddenly mature. But it can take time, sometimes you have to work feverishly, and then set it aside for weeks or even months and then come back and see how its going. Its not like the design changed, but somehow your mind needs to forget some of the restrictions it developed in order to be open to the solution.

It's thrilling to see it come together, but even better is the relief and joy you see as your client's struggle with what at times has seemed like an unsolveable brain teaser is resolved.

What a great business this is!