The Timber Framers Guild (TFG) recently travelled to the South American jungle, where Gord, Steve and 14 other timber framers from Canada, Europe and the US joined 12 locals for the raising of a 140ft long, 3-storey frame for Conservation International (CI). CI's mission is to conserve the Earth's living natural heritage, our global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.
The Timber Framers Guild (TFG) recently travelled to the South American jungle, where Gord, Steve and 14 other timber framers from Canada, Europe and the US joined 12 locals for the raising of a 140ft long, 3-storey frame for Conservation International (CI). CI's mission is to conserve the Earth's living natural heritage, our global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.
The remote site is located on Foengoe Island, approximately 120-miles up the piranha-infested Coppername River, in the heart of a 4-million acre World Heritage Site; The Central Suriname Nature Reserve.
The frame consists of 2166 cubic feet of brownheart, purpleheart and kope timbers that were joined by Bob Smith and Donna Williams of Bear Dance Joinery, Adrienne Walker of Dark Horse Timber Framing and 3 local carpenters lead by Surinamer Jarrell Hennes. M&L was hired by the Guild to determine how best to organize the site assembly. Each of the 657 timbers (weighing up to 1800 lbs a piece!) was transported to the site by dug-out canoe, and then lifted onto the island with a 400 ft long, site-made highline system that was designed by M&L and Guild engineer Grigg Mullen. The highline was installed by Guild members Troll McCook and Adreinne Walker who worked alongside local carpenters.
The Guild team was led by Gord Macdonald, Rick Collins, John Miller and Steve Lawrence with support from 'Special Agent' Adrienne Walker. The frame was raised by hand (including 1 frame that was lifted by the light of a full-moon and to the accompaniment of live music), with single lifts up to 12,800 lbs, and we also laid over 15,000 ft of greenheart decking (all by hand), before topping-out on Suriname's Independence Day.
Special thanks to Steve Morrison
