Haven TimberHomes are modern, economical improvements on the solid piece-en-piece timberframe buildings of the frontier. They offer First Nations a new concept: traditional timber housing that is affordable, durable, comfortable, easy to maintain, and culturally compatible - across the continent, First Nation people value the feel of solid timber buildings.  Providing this kind of housing for First Nations is our core business. (See the “Bearpaw” traditional roundhouse design under the “Products” tab.)

Many First Nations prefer log or timber homes, but find them to be prohibitively expensive.  A common alternative, panelized stick-frame home packages are also costly to build and to maintain and are prone to mold problems. The solution, Haven TimberHomes, offers to First Nations superior design, lower building and maintenance costs, First Nations employment, and opportunity to furnish local lumber and materials.   The Haven TimberHome building system can be applied to many First Nation community uses: administration and assembly buildings, recreation facilities and multi-family dwellings.  Currently, our largest structure is a 7000 sq.ft  6-plex, which has produced unprecedented savings for the First Nation builders: $85/sq. ft to “turnkey” – completely finished. Every worker on the job was a member of the Esketemc First Nation, except for our Haven TimberHomes trainer.  See photos of this remarkable project in our `Products: Photo Galleries` tab.

When we say “affordable”, we mean it – see “Testimonials” on Home Page - better yet, visit this First Nation and see for yourself. Haven TimberHomes are engineer-approved and meet national building codes in Canada and the United States and they have been accepted by government funding agencies. They are approved for year-round occupancy in all climate zones in the State of Alaska – this is as cold as you get.

A short history: While constructing his own timber-frame, piece–en–piece home, Yukon builder Dave Loeks developed what became the Haven TimberHome system and raised a family in one of the prototypes. Having used and studied most log building styles Dave wanted to economize on expensive skilled labor. He teamed up with BC sawmill designer Lindsay Flett to form Haven TimberHomes.

The results are remarkable: economical, attractive, traditionally styled and energy-efficient homes. A Haven TimberHome is comfortable to live in and is virtually draft free. No large gaps are needed above windows and doors to account for settling; no slip– joints where partitions meet the timber walls.

For the homeowner, the beauty of a Haven TimberHome is its clean, traditional style, easy to maintain and energy efficient. The planed vertical surfaces of the timbers are bright and do not collect dust or promote mold. Haven TimberHome designs are ideal for First Nation housing and for community buildings. A key advantage of Haven TimberHome’s  system is that homes of any size and walls of any length can be built from timbers no longer than 8 feet.   Our home packages have exterior walls of 8”-thick timbers. We furnish 10” walls on special order.

Our standard “Lockup Package“  provides the building plans, exterior walls, foundation timbers and fittings,  roof and truss system, floor system, doors and energy-efficient windows, gable ends,caulking, and interior and exterior finish stains. Add-ons include solid fir flooring and  beautiful 1×6 t&g pine paneling.   Of course we can build the entire project for you – our construction division will be pleased to  provide you a turnkey quote.

We foster community development.  We believe in the dignity of local labor and the value of local self-sufficiency. We help communities use building as a platform for economic development.  First Nations with sawmills can provide value-added lumber for each home: rafters or trusses, joists, paneling, flooring.  (Our sister company D&L Timber Technologies produces innovative, efficient sawmills: www.dltimbertech.com.) Locally-produced components can be readily added to a   standard Haven TimberHome package.  We will purchase dry cants from First Nations in interior BC.   Haven TimberHome designs are flexible: our 8′  panels easily make up one and two-story buildings 24′x24′, 24′x32′, 24′x40′, 32′x32′, 32′x40′.  See our stock plans under the “Products” tab.   We can also mill on-order panels of other heights and  lengths.

 

We hold housing costs in control and we hire locally. The exterior walls of the 24’x24’ home pictured here has 12 panels on the main floor.  A four-person local crew (one skilled, 3 semi-skilled) can assemble such a shell in less than a day.  Haven TimberHomes offers technical support  and training for  communities wishing to foster local employment and use local resources.  For example,  we can furnish an authorized HTH project leader to train and supervise local workers to build community housing.  Or we can be  the general contractor and hire local people

Take a look at the photos. For a builder, the beauty of the Haven TimberHome is its simplicity–it goes together like “adult Lego”; fast, accurate, solid, no heavy equipment. Each timber is precision milled and is interchangeable with others of the same kind. A Haven TimberHome package arrives at the jobsite bundled and labeled and ready for assembly. Perfect for First Nation construction crews faced with short building seasons and tight schedules.

Haven TimberHomes  stretch First Nation housing budgets because we use an abundant timber type, design innovations, and precision manufacturing instead of expensive hand labor.  Savings continue with lower construction costs, local employment, and lower total building life-cycle costs.  Yearly maintenance costs are low, mold is non-existant, and expected lifespan is 150 years or more.  According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, conventional First Nation housing in Canada lasts about 20 years.  By this measure, each conventional house depreciates some $7500/year.  These are real costs that you do not incur with a Haven TimberHome.

Haven TimberHomes’ short-log system is environmentally friendly: we are proud that we are salvaging the extensive stands of pine devastated by the mountain pine beetle in central British Columbia.

Local employment in action: this sequence of photos is of a project with an inexperienced crew supervised by a Haven TimberHomes authorized trainer.