2023 Annual Conference

Chris Koehn

Timber Framers Guild, President

Over the years, Chris Koehn has had the great fortune to wear lots of different hats within the timber framing universe. He's worked with companies that transitioned from hand-cut to automated operations with the advent of the Hundegger. He's worked with start-ups that are hyper-local, done historic restoration, and worked for himself in partnership with his wife Ruth, a talented designer. In truth, Chris has done as much general contracting as he has hands-on timber framing, and that balance has always felt right to him. Of late he's formed a partnership with a local design/build carpentry firm, doing fun and challenging stuff for good folks, including lots of traditional and contemporary timber work.

The consistent theme throughout his career has been to identify how timber fits into the entire build program: what are the client’s goals; what is the budget; how does the team interface and harmonize with other elements of the build while being sensitive to the vernacular mores, local conditions, and materials that (should) drive the design and the build.

Presentation

TFG Community Builds
A discussion of the development and execution of the TFG Community Building Projects Program. What are Community Building Projects and how do they happen? How is the Guild delivering on its mission through these projects? How can members and friends of the Guild develop a Community Building Project and bring it to life? This session will feature a lively discussion regarding this essential Guild program, with a focus on interesting recent projects.

The Forces at Work in a Truss
Join us for a panel discussion and Q&A centered on a working understanding of trusses, why it is important for a timber framer to have that understanding, and how these lessons can be applied to understanding other structural components. The panel will be made up of working timber framers and timber frame engineers.