“I think if you cut me you would find bones made of oak.” This quote by Dan Trimble, one of Woodhouse’s regional project managers, sums him up to a tee.

From industrial arts schooling to years as a carpenter to now designing and building timber frame homes, Dan has immersed himself in all things wood for the past 40 years. And the material’s unique feel fuels his passion like no other: “Wood has a softness and workability and warmth that you can’t get from metal or concrete or glass or stone.”

Dan’s been building timber frame homes for 20 years and has over 100 under his belt to date. When asked what keeps him going through the decades he said, “When someone needs help, I know how to help them. I know how to get them through the process, and that’s very satisfying—working with folks to achieve their dreams.”

Given that Dan and Woodhouse share a deep passion for building beautiful timber frame homes for people, we couldn’t be more thrilled to call him one of our regional project managers. Serving New York, New England, and the greater Mid-Atlantic area, the eastern United States is as lucky as we are to have Dan’s expertise on their side. And fortunately for us, the feeling is mutual.

Woodhouse was a local company to Dan since the time he began, so he shared the Pennsylvania connection with us from the start. But more than sharing a region, Dan also shares an appreciation for our unique customer base. He recognizes that our customers are exceptionally strong believers in the majestic results of timber framing, and that’s part of what’s kept him so excited for the past two decades as a project manager. And that excitement and enthusiasm are key because a regional project manager is a big job.

Woodhouse Regional Project Managers

Regional project managers carry a lot of weight in responsibilities. For starters, they need to have an intimate understanding of the local area they work in, including the culture, the history, the desires of the community, and the sorts of things that make a locale special and unique.

Furthermore, RPMs function as a liaison between the client, the general contractor, and Woodhouse’s team of designers and engineers.  Their goal is to ensure that the design of the home meets the needs of client and that the Woodhouse portion, the timber frame packages, addresses the needs of the builder who is ultimately responsible for the finished home. The RPM must be gifted at inviting the client to open up about their hopes and dreams for the design of their home and later in the process, translating those wishes to the contractor to ensure the dream becomes a reality.

An RPM essentially functions as a confidante and well-educated advisor to the entire building process even though they are only responsible for the Woodhouse portion of the home (the timber frame package). They must have a keen understanding that a legacy home—a dream home—isn’t built or decided on in one meeting; it’s the culmination of years of wishing, hoping, and research on the part of the client. And a good RPM, like Dan, understands that, taking care not to rush the client to decisions, and instead patiently advising and guiding them to achieve the home they’ve always wanted.

When Dan’s not helping Woodhouse clients achieve their dreams, he’s hanging at home with his wife of 35 years, tinkering with his collection of European smart cars, toiling over piles of firewood to heat his own timber frame home, and staying active as a volunteer engineer at the local fire company. Oh, and he just so happens to enjoy a little paragliding when time allows.

“Timber framing allows me to meet fantastic people, design beautiful spaces and environments, and enjoy these homes vicariously through my clients’ creative adventures.”

Find and contact your RPM here.