About Aurora Timberframes
and Our Experienced Building Team

Owner Kris Farris

How it all began...

In 1995, my wife and I searched for a house design that fit our lifestyle. We happened upon the Life Magazine Dream House designed by Dennis Wedlick. The plans suggested wonderful spaces for us, a connection to the outdoors with an abundance of natural light, and a style highlighted with architectural details that makes it unique.

The architect included many features to make the house affordable — a second story cocooned with insulation, ganged, casement windows, built-in cabinets, and rooms separated by details such as posts rather than solid walls. We had been interested in post and beam homes for a long time and modified Wedlick’s design only enough to incorporate timber frame construction and insulated panels. We have been thrilled with the results.

Since then it has been my goal to build other high-quality timber frame homes and barns for those who want to enjoy the building experience and appreciate the quality of their home long after the noise of the hammers fades.

Our Alaska crew and 89-year old patriarch

From Maine to Alaska... and back

As General Manager of a timber framing company for a number of years, I refined my understanding of the building processes and the steps necessary to arrive at designs that incorporate the customer's needs. I looked for timber framers with experience and a recognizable dedication to the craft. As a result, we hand-joined, delivered, and raised more than two dozen homes and barns throughout New England in less than two years.

Aurora Timberframes was also building a head of steam at this time. A small frame here and there and, working owners in Alaska who did the majority of the work themselves, a large barn frame with over 3,000 square feet of floor space. The raising crew included the recruitment of some local carpenters who had never built a timber frame.

What do I look for in a timber framer?

There is something about the timber framing craft that "calls" to people. Without a certain drive to make something of quality that will outlast them, our crew members wouldn't endure the many hours of back-wrenching work that goes into each timber. Standing on the concrete floors, leaning over a timber and maintaining razor thin tolerances by hand hour after hour takes a special person. There aren't many out there, but at Aurora Timberframes, I am pleased to work with some of the best.

We truly enjoy what we do! The true payoff for us is when we finish the raising and the customer sees the frame assembled for the first time. Without exception there is amazement about the structure, then an appreciation of the scope of the work, then a palpable appreciation of the crew.

A timber frame raising is always a celebration

A few years ago I worked with a crew in January on the coast of Maine. The wind blew hard and drove the rain and sleet. Every morning the floor was covered with ice which had to be chipped away. Mortises filled with water overnight and froze. The structure was large and the raising dragged on due to the bad weather. On the last evening, the owners hosted a lobster feed for the crew. At about 9:00 PM, we all went outside to view the completed frame by the light of the moon. In spite of the bitter cold, the owners and framers stood for an hour admiring the accomplishment. That is the kind of experience we want to achieve when building a timber frame building.

Our timber frame building options

We offer a variety of building methods and options to meet your goals of quality, appearance, and affordability. Choose from the Aurora Legacy ©, a custom-designed, handcrafted barn/home; the Remarkable Space ©, a custom-designed timber frame home or barn fabricated with the latest technology; or the Aurora Post and Beam ©, a hybrid combination of old and new building techniques. Contact us to find out which one will suit your lifestyle and budget.

See our Spring Specials

Shipped as kits and ready to build.