Private Residence, Canmore, Alberta
“A WONDERFUL QUALITY”
While Rundlestone fireplaces provide a decorative element to the interior of the home, the two massive chimney towers on the exterior of the home provide anchors to the timber structure.
Browning says each is 36’ high and tapered. The mason worked with an engineer on designing the footings, which he says are capable of bearing “a couple semis” of weight.
“We definitely went down far enough with the footings,” he says. “They’re extra-wide and extra-deep. It’s definitely quite a bit of weight, but we feel we over-planned that part of the project. It was a bit of our methodology.”
And, while he adds that it’s still more typical to frame in fireplaces, he’s seeing fireplaces coming back in the Canmore area – and large ones. For instance, another one he built, at Lake Louise, topped out at 42’ in height and 25’ in width.
“That was four-sided and made of river rock,” Browning explains. “With this home, because of the traditional size, it really needed those masses on either end of the building.”
However, the use of Rundlestone doesn’t stop there. The architect also incorporated the local product into a 4’ skirting around the home, along with the walkways and driveway.
Browning says – again – that the area has a traditional of Rundlestone driveways, many with grass growing up between the joints. However, in this case, the exterior stone was set, using a mortar bed, on top of a 4” reinforced poured concrete base.
“I normally like to work up, rather than out,” says the mason. “I’d rather not be on my hands and knees that much, but we had some really large pieces we put in.”
Most of the flagstone used for the driveway varied from 1”-3” in thickness, with critical attention paid to detail.
“It was designed with the grades and swales in mind,” says Browning. “It was really tight, and there wasn’t much room for error.”
For that part of the job, Browning hand-selected much of the material used right from the quarry.
For Browning, the driveway also represents the Renauds’ willingness to go the extra mile in completing their home.
“I kept wondering if they were really serious about it,” he says. “I kept thinking they weren’t going to do it. But, with the skirting around the house and the towers and the patio, when it was all completed, I realized it had to be done that way.”
The builder, Flann, agrees.
“It has a wonderful quality,” he says.
As for the clients, the Renauds say they’ve achieved what they wanted.
“It really looks old,” says Ron Renaud. “It looks like what would have been done100 years ago. We’re ecstatic; my wife loves it, and I’m very happy.”
Client: Ron Renaud, Calgary, Alberta
Architect: Jenkins & Associates, Architects and Town Planning Ltd., Calgary, Alberta
Contractor: Sterling Timber Frame Homes, Canmore, Alberta
Masonry Contractor: Boulderworks Ltd., Canmore, Alberta
This article appeared in the October 2010 print edition of Stone Business magazine. ©2010 Western Business Media Inc.
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