A fresh perspective can be life changing. Fifty-five years ago, this image met the crew of Apollo 8 as they orbited the moon. The astronauts were in awe as they scrambled to find a roll of colour film for Bill Ander’s camera…

Cornerstone’s roots run deep in the soil of traditional timber framing. From the company’s inception in 1991, the founding Peters brothers maintained a steady focus on technical excellence and quality. Complementing their deep respect for traditional skills and methods, an interest in finding “better tools”, allowed them to see that new materials, digital design and state of the art equipment did not threaten the craft but freed it to be so much more.

While visiting Germany this spring, I found myself standing at a busy intersection, waiting for the pedestrian signal to change. A large group of motorcycles approached, went past, then accelerated as they cleared the intersection. It took several seconds before I realized why the experience felt so odd… the motorbikes were all whisper quiet.

Wood is part of a virtuous, circular bio-economy and Canadian forests can play a significant role in our response to climate change…

Whenever two pieces of timber meet in timber framing, they need to be connected. Carpenters call this connection ‘joinery,’ which involves cutting specific details into two pieces to keep them together. These joinery details are usually hidden from view once the timber frame is assembled.

Free trade between the US and Canada will celebrate its 35th anniversary on New Year’s Day, 2024.

In 1982 the US unemployment rate reached 10.8%, the highest level in the entire post-war period. Over 12 million job-seeking Americans were idled. In Canada unemployment reached 13%. There was sharp disagreement about the best course of action to address the underlying economic stagnation. Unions and employment advocates called for higher tariffs and stronger trade barriers as the only effective way to protect jobs.

One of the joys of summer is being outdoors, surrounded with pleasant views, unharried by the cares of the world. If you are looking for outdoor happiness, a well-designed and properly sited timber frame structure, like a pergola, gazebo or outdoor bar can transform a pleasing backyard into an oasis of wellbeing and delight.

1. Ease of Use

No other construction material is as versatile or easy to use as wood. It can be cut, shaped, and fastened with basic tools. With experienced supervision, installation is quick and can be undertaken by a small crew with only basic carpentry knowledge. Repairs and modifications are easy and do not require heating or other special measures in cold weather.

It might interest you to know that presently, one US dollar is equivalent to 1.37 Canadian dollars. This implies that an individual with US dollars can purchase a $1,000 item in Canada for only $730 USD.

It’s like a year-long store-wide 30% discount that is likely to persist well into the future.

In one of our recent blog posts, we discussed energy efficiency by using a widely used concept in commercial construction: the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). We then examined some approaches to constructing efficient spaces but encountered three main challenges in the building product and construction spheres. Super-insulated homes often have complex assemblies that are difficult for builders to consistently achieve, many insulations have adverse health and environmental effects, and timelines for planning and building an energy-efficient home are often too long.

The conclusion from that post was that a better way is needed. To have a real impact, this better way must be simple, robust, precise, healthy, fast, and affordable. That’s quite a list! Is it achievable? Let’s find out…