Woodhouse® Overview
A little more about Woodhouse®Woodhouse® began life with a different name — Solar Northern Inc .— in 1979 and was the brainchild of 2 partners: Steve Keller, our founder, and John Saveson, an architect and designer.
At that time there was a significant energy crisis caused by the OPEC oil embargo and the US government, led by the Carter administration, had put incentives in place to encourage people to build energy efficient homes. Solar Northern’s specialty was passive solar design — using the path of the sun to naturally heat and cool a home — and this design concept, coupled with a high degree of insulation, could earn a monetary grant for the homeowner.
The need for excellent insulation led Steve and John to the investigation of, and subsequent use of, structural insulated panels or SIPs. In order to support the SIPs, Solar Northern used traditional trusses until a client requested a post and beam structure or what is now known as a timber frame. After quotations for the timber frame came in at a very high price, Steve decided that they could make the structure themselves and Solar Northern produced its first timber frame in 1980.
As the energy crisis lifted, and the Reagan administration eliminated the grants that funded the passive solar design part of the business, timber frame building became the focus of the company which was now known as Solar Northern Post and Beam. John sold his share of the business to Steve who again changed the name of the company to Woodhouse®, The Timber Frame Company in 1986.
In 2004 Steve formed a partnership with Pat Seaman who, today, is the owner and President of Woodhouse®. The company is one of the largest timber frame manufacturers in the US shipping all over the country on a regular basis (we have also shipped to Japan, the South Pacific, the Caribbean, England, and Germany) and is growing rapidly.
Our heritage is one to be proud of—it is based on environmental responsibility and community service—and it has taken us to a leadership position in a beautifully artistic and craft-oriented industry.
Everyone at Woodhouse® is committed to being exceptionally responsive to your needs and concerns. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of satisfaction through the delivery of the most skilled custom timber frame home package design service, the finest building materials and the most well-crafted timber frame homes available. Woodhouse® has always been the first to offer the best—and we are only improving upon this standard. We look forward to being at your service.