Modern Style Timber Framing
Modern: Crisp, Clean, and Edgy with a Surprise Twist
Included Styles:
Industrial, Contemporary, Mid-Century Modern, Vintage, and Scandinavian
Common Timber-Framing Characteristics:
Boxy, angular geometry; small/medium timber sizes;
No detailing, scroll cuts, or chamfering;
Sparse timber population density;
Space volume which is high, airy, and buoyant.
If “modern” were a person, or a client of yours, you would probably notice a restless, curious openness- a desire to try new things.
You would probably see formal, cutting edge attire with a flash of color or some other form of surprise.
“Modern” might be accompanied by a Chihuahua or bull terrier and be very interested in art, civic duty, or fundraising for charity.
If “Modern” had a pet peeve in might be: Apathy or lack of daring. Or perhaps simply clutter?
As you know, Modern, as an architectural style, can be very touchy. For starters, the definition and perception of Modern is always morphing. It changes much faster than other styles because boundaries are constantly being tested, resulting in ever-expanding categories or definitions. Yet we, as people, all crave some degree of familiarity, so capturing the right balance with the new and familiar can be a delicate dance.
In a general sense, Modern is associated with chunky shapes, clean lines, single plane roof slopes—often oriented in opposing angles—a large amount of glass and natural light, irregular-shaped windows, sparseness, and splashes of surprise with color, texture, geometry, flooring, lighting, etc. For these reasons, Modern style is perhaps the most loosely defined and most misunderstood of all style descriptions.
