Whistler
By Robert Chambers

This is a article in the Log Building News about the 25 year anniversary conference of the Canadian Log Builders Association and American Log Builders Association. The Conference was held in Whistler, British Columbia in April 1998.

For a quarter of a century the builders of handcrafted log homes in North America have gotten together each year to share stories, photos, and tips. In April, more than 90 people gathered at Whistler, British Columbia to continue our tradition.

This conference will be remembered for its tour of fantastic log homes and spectacular setting: the fiords, mountains, and giant trees of coastal British Columbia.

The log home tour was eyeopening. Matheo and Ric Dürfeld showed us some of their current work (more photos on pages 8-9) as they led us through Whistler and Blackcomb to one astounding project after another. Their trademarks: huge red cedar logs, impeccably peeled and polished; unusual solutions to settling problems; and designs that push the limits of logs.

Allan Meckie's banquet address on the past and future of log building included a preview of two tapes from his upcoming video series. Lloyd Beckeorf, Tom Hahney, and Wayne Sparshu helped Allan reminisce about some of the earliest workshops he held.

Tech Talk featured a whole line of tools and accessories new to log building: Stanley hydraulic drills and chainsaws and more great tips from builders (full report starts on page 3.)

The trade show generated load of interest — I was drawn especially to Makita/KMS Tools table with curved-bottom planers (Model 1002BA, $285 US) and two new tools that might join the Canadian line-up this year: a 12+" hand-held beam planer and a large rabbeting planer that works straight, concave, or convex. Can't wait!

The 25th Conference had one of the best home tours in memory. Whistler is a booming ski town: 20 years ago there was little here. Now, we were told, not one vacant lot available.

These are second home of wealthy people from Canada, the U.S., and overseas. Curbside appeal figures large in the real estate market. Drew Merideth, a local Realtor, explained that the way the home looks when you drive up can be as important as what's inside. The cheapest log home in town is perhaps $450,000, while the most expensive easily exceeds $5 million.

These homes are large (3000 to 6000 square feet or so), but not huge. What sets them apart is the level of finishing: the log surfaces looked polished and nearly flawless inside and out; the doors and windows, and the way they are set into the log walls, is elegant. The built-in furniture and millwork is stunning (photo page 1.)

The homes we toured had plenty of curbside appeal. Most were build by Rick and Matheo Dürfeld, who have their building yard in Williams Lake, British Columbia.

The Dürfelds use very large, old growth, western red cedar (plenty of the trees are 24' and some posts are considerably bigger) Their crew includes many Europeans, Phil Harrison (who was also one our tour guides) is from England, though they are training Canadians on a continuing basis.

Many of the homes had designs that posed serious technical and engineering problems that they then had to solve. They did not always choose the easy solution. For example, a 2 and 1/2 story round-log 'timber' frame without settling has first floor exterior walls of horizontal, scribe-fit, notched-corner logs.

The first floor of logs settled, while nothing else would. If they had supported the posts on screw jacks there would have been dozens of them — not a good choice for a seismic zone, or heavy loads.

Between the top log of the log wall and the log plate that supported the roof, they rabbeted settling boards into the scribe-fit long groove. The log wall supports no roof or floor weight at all, and as it loses height, the settling boards gradually appear in the lateral.

Beyond the technical interest each home had for builders, the designs were unusual and interesting. One piece-en-piece house had a copper dome on post at the front door. Another had butterfly-roofed gables that were cantilevered father than seemed possible (it looked like a triple-framed roof). These are the most pointy roofs I have ever seen — butterflies on steroids. The acres of soffits were all clear fir, and the windows and doors Alaska yellow cedar.

The last house on our tour had its roofs spattered with families of gable dormers of different sizes, set almost randomly — but it looked appealing and natural — like they just spouted there in the damp, coastal climate.

It was such a pleasure to see new and different things being done with log design. The architecture might not have been to everyone's taste, but I am tired of the same old log boxes with boring 12:12 cathedral roofs and glassy gables. We have seen them time and again.

When designs push log builders to the limits, they can respond magnificently, and this was inspiring.

© Copyright 2000-2004 Dürfeld Log Construction Ltd.
All rights reserved
Web design by Edda Langworth at Elan Multimedia