Wilma Theatre - Missoula, MT
The Wilma Theatre is one of the keynote structures in the Missoula community. Rocky Mountain Development Group hired us to perform a cost analysis on the Wilma cornice restoration. This cost analysis fed into a restoration contract. We worked with Beaudette Consulting Engineers to design a scaffolding system that utilizes an epoxy embedment strategy and cantilevered beams eliminating the need for the conventional counterweighted strategy. We also omitted the motorized raising and lowering system. These innovative strategies have led to massive savings for the project. The cornice had deteriorated to a point where it was becoming a liability for RMDG who purchased the building in 2007. Our crew carefully removed the existing cornice and is currently in the process of replacing the supporting substructure. We contracted the restoration tinwork with Western Sheet Metal who has a crew on site now. Our next step is to restore the plaster detail which will help support the new tinwork. We are utilizing the original corbels and rosettes to restore the building to its historic grandeur. This amount of planning and detail is consistent with our commitment to the quality we bring to every project.
Wildwood Brewery - Stevensville, MT
This brewery was a special project for us, we dismantled, moved, and restored a 1901 timber frame barn that was originally standing in northern Wisconsin where we grew up. Our father orchestrated the bulk of the dismantling of the barn while preserving the joinery. We worked as a team to dismember the mainframe elements. After dismantling, the barn was shipped to our facility in Montana where it was restored. The restoration included putting the entire barn back together, eliminating twist, replacing rotten members, flattening all exterior surfaces, housing and flattening all girts to carry floor loads, and refitting the entire frame. Using beams from the historic Bonner Mill we rebuilt the roof system to open up the second-story floor plan for storage. We plugged old peg holes and re-drilled all members in their new positions. We navigated the design challenges to accommodate the needs of our client. This project continued with green straw bale building elements as new life was created in the construction of the Wildwood Brewery from century-old timbers. Not only does the timber bring a piece of my childhood home to Montana but brings pride in a great example of an environmentally conscious building.
Rock Creek Countertop
We created this custom kitchen island to replicate a section of a local river called “Rock Creek”. A satellite image of the requested section of the creek was taken and traced onto the Douglas Fir countertop. We hand XXX the creek and poured a XXX acrylic over local riverbed stones to create this one-of-a-kind XXX for our clients.
Duplex - Bonner, MT
We built this duplex to provide more housing in the Missoula area with each level having 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. You can see the unique character of the horizontal band-sawn shiplap Douglas Fir and vertical rough-sawn plywood that showcase the natural wood knots. The side gables are a cedar shake. The interior includes custom flooring of smooth Douglas Fir.
Missoula Housing Authority Trellis
The Missoula Housing Authority project has a free form feeling in design and integrity. The Trellis is the centerpiece between two apartment buildings that share a common courtyard. This Timber frame triangle is supported by three log posts scribed onto three large boulders that are centered in the courtyard. The rafters splay out perpendicularly to timber beams carried by two large posts. All timer, logs, and rock were sourced locally.
Flathead Brewery - Bigfork, MT
The Flathead Brewery in Bigfork allowed us to express some of our creative passions. Pfiffner Design-Build built the Timber Frame structure, custom wood siding, interior trim work and entryway. The front doors are made from vertical grain redwood reclaimed from water tanks. The reclaimed douglas fir timbers and logs are sinker logs dredged out of the Blackfoot river.
Sapore
This project showcases our ability to design and build one-of-a-kind custom door and window packages. The antique redwood bar top and hanging shelf elements were the icings on the cake. These elements helped create a language that brings continuity to this classy establishment. We were also fortunate enough to work with the owners and general contractor in selecting the media and design features for the balconies which now adorn the front facade. The four front doors are bifold to the right side accommodating the owner’s request for an open-air feel. We used reclaimed Redwood from old pickle barrels salvaged from the Daily Pickle Factory. The brine used in that process gives the wood a unique patina and depth. We handcrafted these innovative doors in our state-of-the-art facility just outside Missoula. Thanks to the Missoula community for such a positive response, and to all artists and craftsmen who collectively created this. Sapore is now the “The Bicycle Hanger”.
Sleeman Gulch - Lolo,MT
The Sleeman Gulch Residence has been our most intricate project to date. From our visionary concept and design, we worked with our clients to construct a ground-breaking home integrating an incredible combination of green and conventional building techniques. Each unique architectural element reflects both innovative design and functionality. The home features traditional timber frame joinery, impressive structural character logs, and straw bale wall systems. With passive solar heating, earth-sheltered living space, a living roof, earthen plasters, superinsulation, and recycled ICF wall systems the home’s efficiency matches its beauty. From dirt work to the finish on the doors, our crew worked in conjunction with our client to design, manage, and build nearly all aspects of this project. We are thankful to the local subcontractors who helped us in the fields we do not specialize in. Given a handful of ideas and the land as our canvas, the Sleeman Gulch Residence allowed us to display our level of expertise and bring our most visionary concepts to life.
This home was featured in Distinctly Montana
DCI Engineering Table
This impressive table was designed for DCI Beudette Engineering for their conference room. This 14 1/2ft table was crafted from white oak with the engineering firms logo inlaid into the table. The logo pieces were created from reclaimed cherry wine tanks. A traditional tongue oil finish was used to best display the elegance of the wood.
Station Park Green - San Mateo, CA
We designed these red cedar benches for a city of San Mateo California community development project. The red cedar was a mixture of new and reclaimed lumber. We sculpted these large pieces of cedar with routers and jigs to start and finished refining the bench pieces with hand-tools.