Trail Ridge Timber Frames, Inc.

France Tour 2007

(the mystery of the famous peg burglaries)

Vitre and Surrounding Area
 
The trail of the peg bandit had grown cold in LeMans so we headed to the town of Vitre and the surrounding area.

When in France do as the French - which means urinating in full view. Here is an undisclosed member of our group demonstrating the proper technique - keep an eye on the job at hand and keep a wary eye over your shoulder at the same time - you never know who's web page you might end up on.

I love European old world arhitecture. Was this whimsical round turret part of the original design or was it an afterthought - a place to stick grandma when she moved in? Probably the latter. In many modern home designs we try to mimic this random "add on" look, however, it often looks "planned".
How long has this wood been exposed to the elements? At least 5 centuries. "Now that's sustainable building!" Of course upkeep and yearly maintenance are the reason this building has lasted. Wait, do I see a few pegs missing? Has the peg bandit been here too?
Besides the street I live on, this is one of my favorite streets on the planet. It's like its a set from Harry Potter.
I wonder what my little girl is doing right now?
This is a great example of "jettied' timber framing - nice vibrant paint job too! Remember the proper design sequence: fear, function, form, (then forgetfulness). Usually form is dictated by structural reasons (the fear factor). However, in the case of "jettied" floors it is a case of form dictated by the function of starting with a limited building footprint that expands to allow for more space in the second and third floors.

Mansford roofs, which is a French design seen in New Orleans, is a form created by avoiding building taxes. Buildings were taxed based upon the number of floors under the roof. Builders would then add another floor (tax free) by bloating the attic space and having the pretense of a sloped roof. Of course few people remember these things - why? because of the 4th step in the design sequence. If there is one thing we have learned from history its that we have never learned anything from history.
Looks like the builder forgot his level the day they set these jettied floor timbers. Stepping back and eyeing his work he probably said to his nearsighted apprentice, "Hey Jacque, do you think those floors look level?" "No boss- they look just fine to me," the apprentice responded. I never ask an apprentice his opinion on the quality of our work, or about anything else as far as that matters.
Cobblestone street leading to the castle.

...and in the distance I heard the sound of police yelling (in English), "I think he went this way." The sounds grew closer - heading toward me! "We'll get him this time." Were they closing in on the peg bandit? Why did they speak English? Not wanting to be part of a shootout I ran as fast as I could toward the castle... a few pegs spilled from my pockets onto the cobblestone. "Where did those come from? Did someone plant them on me and tipoff the police? I'm being framed!"
Running down one street than another I come across my group as they were entering an interior courtyard. Greg (in the rear) eye's me suspicously. A compagnon leads the group to show us some restoration work he did recently. I duck into the courtyard quickly avoiding Greg. In France much of the work is restoration. There is very little new timber work going on compared to the amount in the U.S. That is why younger compagnons are willing to come to the U.S. for work.
What is this? After looking at the restoration work while we are walking to our vehicles I notice this person. An artist perhaps - we are, after all, in France. Or maybe a police sketch artist?
The compagnon takes us to his office where he shows us his bother's masterpiece. It had been chosen as the best in all of France the year he made it. As you can see there is a lot of curved work in this piece. Compound curve work is the speciality of French carpenters.
The compagnon (hands on hips) shows us some oak timbers that he bought for a great price. I was in the market for some oak timbers so I made him an offer. I figured I could fit the timbers in my carry on. From here we leave Vitre and head for the surrounding countryside to see the mysterious twisted steeples.
There is much debate as to the cause of the twisted church steeples. Some say it is caused when the timbers are drying. "Maybe it's caused by the Coriolis effect, " I suggest and a few guys snicker. "What do they know?" I think, "No way will I tell them now, what I think is the real reason: the steeples were designed this way by the priests to be used as intergalactic communicators to aliens. There is also strong evidence that they are connected with crop circles."
Looking up from the inside we see the base of the steeple which is nicknamed "the spider" or "crab" for obvious reasons. Unbeknownst to many, it was this unique configuration of timbers that allowed an exact wave length to be sent into space that only aliens understood. The sound came from, where else - the monks singing mass in Latin. It's not advisable to discuss this with other less informed people - they'll erroneously think that you are crazy.
This one looks like a witch's hat. I hope it doesn't fall down. I saw one in Rottwiel, Germany that was leaning even more than this one.
At another nearby compagnon school we see some more fabulous compound curve work. The math is based upon the geometry of a cone.
Here is some "interesting" timber framing.
At a military academy we looked in on this marvelous riding arena. The roof is support by Polonceau trusses. At Trail Ridge Timber Frames, we are currently looking into a project in Suriname, S. America. The project is up river in the jungle and would require transporting building supplies via canoes. I remembered these trusses in France and thought that they might be a good fit for S. America and the design constraints involved.

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