In Oregon, we have a lot of public land, much of it Federal. It is managed by both the U.S. Forest Service (Dept. of Agriculture) Or the Bureau of Land Mangemant (Dept. of the Interior).
Both agencies have been under fire by various political factions over the years, but the employees of those agencies have, IMO, done an admirable job over the years despite being pulled in every direction by opposing interest groups.
Just 2 or 3 years ago, the Willamette National Forest in the Mckenzie River drainage in the Cascade mountains was authorized to replace their old range station which was falling apart.
The following is the result…I, for one, appreciate my tax money being spent on projects that, in the end, reflect the culture and purpose of the public interest.
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I like it.
It fits the local vernacular with the totem pole style entry.
What is the shingle style?
It looks like wood shingles laid to imitate old T-locks
Excellence is its own reward!
I was hoping to see a comment about the shingles because I DON'T know what they are, but they really look nice. They ARE an asphalt shingle however. You're the roofing guy...tell me about the T-locks. (please).
Oh Man, I'm a sucker for that word, please.
http://www.roofhelp.com/interlocking_shingles.htm
If those are T-locks on that roof - and they must be, if they are asphaltic type - it is one of the worst installation jobs I have ever seen.
There is a bit of a trick to keeping those lined up so the pattern will interlock. It involves experience and skill.
Those photos show so many places that the pattern is off that I have to assume they clipped the locking tabs off because they wouldn't fit into the slot and then used a plastic cement to seal them down like three-tabs have built in.
T-locks are not a common shingle anymore. I'll bet that over half the composition shingles laid in this country were Ts before about '65 but after the three tabs started to be made with the seal down strip included in the cost, they became less favored except in high wind areas like West Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. Probably nobody in the area this building was erected had ever seen any before so they did a lot of cussing and fussing..
Excellence is its own reward!
"probably nobody in the area...had ever seen any before..."
That's probably true. I figured if you were familiar with them, you'd spot the installation flaws... (I drove truck for an asphalt paving co. for awhile years ago, and I still find myself giving the joints a critical eye....the guy with the rake is usually the highest paid guy on a paving crew).
I don't know who constructed the building or who the Archy was, but I intend to find out. BTW, the Mckenzie River drainage is a pretty dramatic landscape of wild trout streams, snowcapped peaks in the 10000ft plus range, lots of wilderness, wildlife, etc. Used to spot a lot of log and stone structures off the beaten path built by the CCC's, etc. Spent a lot of my younger life there, backpacking, fishing, hunting etc.
So, hack roof job and all, it's an improvement over its predecessor! :-)
The BLM headquarters building in our little town is also fairly new and, while it may be laid out well inside, it is just a big sprawling....building, housing 300 plus employees! (Has a standing seam metal roof).
(and Uncle Dunc) - I don't object to the ironwork. I think it makes a nice juxtaposed material to the wood, and we all know rings did (do) have a purpose. I agree it's a little "heavy" looking, but so are those log posts and the depth of the glulams. I'd say it's consistant with the scale of the framing members.
I have to wonder about cantaleivering those horizontal glulams out past the fly rafter, though. That seems superfulous to me, ornamental like many Victorian details.
Or what about the vertical framing member that goes from the ridge, down to those...I guess they're supposed to be "collar ties"? What is that whole assembly about? Seems to me that's all ornamental too.
Maybe it's just my Shaker bias showing. I absolutely LOVE exposed framing, and that is a good looking building, but I'm always bothered by wasting resources I guess. Or what about it? Are the things I mentioned necessary to the structural integrity of the building?
I dunno
I went back and saved those to file, and zoomed in to study that roof. I can't say for sure that they aren't T-locks but I think they must be some new pattern that I ahven't seen before. Too much variation in width of tabs to be T's even if they butchered them. The shingles must be made with that pattern then. There are a few places where they face-nailed though with exposed nails at the rake.
I still like it overall..
Excellence is its own reward!
I agree - don't think these could possibly be traditional T-locs - look like some kind of 'architecual' shingle - T-locs are still used around here some, including my barn and dad's house - I like the look better than 3-tab, but as in all matters of taste, others may disagree - -
Edit to agree that the building is pleasant and I'm glad that someone recognizes the inspiration such forms inspire - -
Edited 3/9/2003 8:44:42 PM ET by David Doud
Don't look to be any T loks I've seen, more like one of those designer series.
check out certainteed's Presidential or Presidential shake series and see what ya think.
http://certainteed.com/croof/crct00201pg.html
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Barry E
Well, I ended up shutting the pc down 'cause of having so many windows open trying to load those photos. I did get a glimpse of the presidential shangle and that looks like it. I alsso think the guys who did this Forest service job laid their shangles better for the random pattern than the ones shown in the Certainteed website..
Excellence is its own reward!
Being an Idahoan, I drive across Oregon frequently. The first thing a person notices when crossing the border to Oregon is that the highway has just improved 100%. I've been through the MacKenzie River area before and it is beautiful! Nice looking building, you guys can be proud, roofing goofups and all.
Okay, calwellbob, now listen brotherman, I've been seeing you post for quite a while now. And frankly, I'm more than a little surprised you'd talk all nicey-nicey with somebody WHO SOLD HIS FRIKKIN' PORTABLE BANDSAW MILL! WHAT KIND OF SELF RESPECTING (EX)NOTCHER WOULD SELL HIS SAWMILL? HUH?
I gotta go get a paper towel to wipe off my monitor...sold his mill...unbelievable...
But I still have my broadaxe and adz...
Easy, big guy, we all make misteaks now and then. The Notchman is probably looking for a bigger, better one. I saw the pics of his house. Way, way good work.
Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry Notcher, lost my head there for a second. That metal plate in my head must have shifted a little and altered frequencies.
An adze is a good thing. Got any cool slicks? Hell, I know you do...mallets too...oh boy...gonna take a while to live this one down...oh boy...where's my meds...
pif.. i'm pretty sure it's one of the new "shangles".... looks a lot like a Cretainteed..
http://certainteed.com/croof/crct00301pg.htmlMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I like to see tax money being spent on something that will last and not look like sh!t in a few years.
Looks like they achevied that here.
Nice. Thanks, Notchman.
Anybody think they have some stuff there for show, instead of because it's needed?
Some, yeah. I think a lot of the iron banding and braces are bigger than they need to be to get the job done. But I'm not sure that's a problem. As long as we have to deal with the government anyway, we might as well do it in beautiful buildings as in strictly utilitarian buildings. Now when people start putting stuff in just for show and it's ugly, that's a problem.
Besides, government waste, fraud, and abuse are your friends. Think how much trouble we'd be in if we got all the government we pay for.
Actually, the steel banding/faux ironwork is all decorative. And to the right of the 'wing' and the jumble of boulders, there is a little 'trout' stream with trout sculptures in the water, along with a little beaver lodge.
It doesn't 'do' anything, but it makes for a pleasant landscape in keeping with the local area that is enjoyable to look at.
South of this Forest Service bldg. about 50 miles, is a station recently built for the Oakridge Ranger District. It was built after the Earth Liberation Front burned the old facility to the ground a few years ago. While it has a somewhat interesting entryway with some basic timber work in an open truss, it's not nearly as eyecatching.
I would venture, however, that both facilities are well covered with hidden security cameras these days (at least I hope so).
Edited 3/9/2003 7:52:14 PM ET by Notchman
I agree. Even the copper flashing caps over the beam ends are well done and blend in.
I've been there!
Even being a Floridian, I can agree I like it. I was there a while back but seeing your photos made me remember the great trip my wife and I had out there. Thanks.
Mike
It's a piece of work!