Going beyond the guidelines...

      The Neve House is a 2,500 square foot residence in Walnut Creek, California.  This being Pure Wood Solutions first project in the United States the product had to be shipped from the Holz100 plant in Germany.  Our goal with this model was to work with the product and see how it incorporated into US construction methods.  We were pleased to find Pure Wood Solutions accepted by the local building department, the permitting process and the on site labor.  All building code compliances were met by the product, including safety features such as earthquake resistance.

The construction process took 6 days. (Click on photos for a larger view.)

    Construction of the house began on Monday, April 2, 2007 and the entire frame, including all floors, walls and ceilings, were constructed in just six days.  The contractor estimated that the total time to construct the same frame using stick-built construction methods could have taken up to eight weeks.  Typically, a PWS building system this size would take approximately 2-3 days for construction.  However, the limiting size of shipping containers created more panels to work with. 

The results are beautiful! (Click on photos for a larger view.)

   To show the many design possibilities with PWS structures, both interior and exterior, we used an array of design elements through out this house.  The wood, in its natural state, is a feature in and of itself.  However, the surfaces also did well with paints, plasters and wallpaper.  The outside is adorned with both wood siding and natural stone.

    Of the many design options for a Pure Wood residence, this one takes a traditional approach to fit naturally into an already developed neighborhood.  Where as many panelized systems have been stigmatized by catering to only modern architecture or limited features, this house shows the wide range of opportunity for personal influence on a green building system with design options.