Building More Than Shade: Our Timber Frame Guidelines
There’s a line of thought that says architecture is only about shelter. Four posts, a roof, a function. But anyone who has stood beneath a Western Timber Frame® pergola knows it goes further.
Craft draws people together.
Timber listens, steady and unspoken.
Design outlives the moment it was signed on paper.
This is why our brand isn’t just a business model—it’s a way of seeing. Every beam and brace carries the promise of permanence. Every project is a conversation between heritage and innovation.
The Principles We Build By
We don’t hide our philosophy—it’s revealed in every timber joint, from Douglas Fir to Redwood to Cedar. Our brand is simple: to serve first, to host well, to craft for generations. Every timber we shape carries the weight of this promise.
- Hospitality First – Every project begins with people, not measurements.
- Strength Without Compromise – From The Dovetail Difference® to the size of our posts, durability is designed in.
- Timeless Design – A timber frame should never chase fashion. It should outlast it.
- Commercial or Residential – Whether it’s a backyard hideaway or a university pavilion, our guidelines hold the same: handcraft with precision, engineer for legacy.
These aren’t rules on a clipboard. They are the spine of every drawing, the grain beneath the finish.
A Pergola in Prescott, Arizona
Take one of our pergolas, installed in Prescott, Arizona. A traditional 6000 Series structure, eight feet by twelve, cut from Douglas Fir, finished in Beach Sand stain. Roosevelt Step beam profiles. Legacy knee braces—eight of them, steady as anchors.
Notably, the pergola was secured with knife plates rather than footings, because the ground was ready. Out-of-state. Out of ordinary. Now a freestanding timber frame rests at 90 inches high, an 8×12 canopy where there was only open sky.
It’s not just another pergola. It’s a gathering place. A backyard structure transformed into a centerpiece of daily life.
The Human Hands Behind the Work
We mention guidelines, but the truth is: guidelines are written in sawdust and sweat. They are carried forward by people like our design manager, who ensure every line in a drawing has a reason and every decision respects the craft.
This is how a project moves from opportunity to structure: signed contracts, stamped drawings, knife plates delivered, timbers lifted into place. But what remains is more than process. What remains is a space that holds stories, laughter, healing.
Why We Call It Timber Frame
Timber frame isn’t just a category. Instead, it’s a declaration. In fact, it means our structures can expand from backyard quiet to commercial ambition. For example, they might rise as outdoor dining pavilions that become social hubs after dark. Indeed, sometimes—like a handcrafted pavilion in Prescott—our designs weave heritage and innovation, carrying the story of timber into tomorrow.
Moreover, commercial timber framing carries its own weight of responsibility: safety, longevity, aesthetic harmony. Therefore, every Western Timber Frame® project—residential or commercial—follows the same guidelines: design with integrity, build with permanence, serve with heart.
A Voice from the Homeowner
“We are so impressed with Western Timber Frame! Our Pergola is just beautiful! From our first interaction with Chase, our design manager, to the crew that installed our Pergola, the process was flawless! The quality, communication, & professionalism of this company is among the best we have ever seen! The pergola has not only added another ‘room’ to our home but it is the center piece! Thank you so much for a perfect transaction from beginning to end!”
— Read the full review on Google
The Measure of Legacy
In the end, the value of a mass timber frame structure can’t be calculated in square feet or schedules alone. In the end, it’s measured in the shade it offers, the conversations it shelters, and the years it will still stand when the first story told beneath it has long been forgotten.
That’s the Western Timber Frame® way.
