Gables Residential Vinings
Partnering for sustainable design in residential community spaces
Root-to-Fruit Story
Gables Residential, a developer whose 100% of new construction is green-certified, is designing a new residential community in Vinings, an Atlanta neighborhood tucked between Buckhead's West Paces Ferry section and the city of Smyrna.
One of the primary components for sustainable design is optimizing the usefulness and economy of materials. Thinking holistically about the local environment, Gables engaged Atlanta furniture maker Madera Arts and Eutree to help craft flooring, paneling, furniture and other architectural wood products from the salvaged timber of the trees for use in the development's community spaces.
While the removal of some trees was required to make way for the mixed-use residential community, Gables partnered with Atlanta expert arborist, David Dechant at Arbor Guard, to minimize the impact to the tree canopy and surrounding environment.
Gables worked closely with David Dechant and local Atlanta grading company to recover, store and preserve the trees from the site.
Each locally sourced tree was selected for a specific purpose. The selection criteria is a core value of the the project team that allows for intentional design of the product.
The logs were taken to Eutree's mill just outside Atlanta for materials planning and milling.
Eutree collaborated with Madera Arts to provide a detailed inventory summary and recommendation to Gables design team for how best to maximize utilization of the potential lumber from each log.
While Gables design team worked on construction drawings for the development, Eutree began to plan for use and milling of the timber from these logs.
Eutree’s chief sawyer begins to saw each log into cants and slabs on theWood-Mizer 1000 mill.
Logs with the greatest width and length are best candidates for slabs that can be used for tables, countertops and benches…
…while smaller logs are more suitable to be milled into cants that will eventually be re-sawed into boards for flooring and paneling.
Each log was milled over the course of several weeks.
Eutree’s sawyers took special care to evaluate and maximize the most material from each log.
Logs milled into cants are removed from the mill by the Bobcat.
Cants are organized and stacked to be re-sawn into boards for flooring, paneling and dimensional lumber.
Logs sawed into slabs for tables, countertops and benches are stacked, stickered and labeled.
Each slab stack is re-located to the lumberyard where they will spend several months air-drying. Over the course of several months, Eutree’s chief sawyer will monitor moisture levels and ensure each stack is getting proper airflow - critical for wood stability.
Eutree and Madera Arts worked together to ensure all wood will be dried and available for fabrication into final products; in tandem with Gables’ development timeline.
After slabs have completed air drying and moisture levels are under 20 percent, they’re then moved into the kilns to complete the drying process.
Meanwhile, cants are brought to the resaw to be sawed into individual lumber boards.
Boards are stickered (sticks) and automatically stacked on Eutree’s Woodflow boards stacker.
Stickering ensures proper airflow so lumber stacks yield straight, high quality wood boards.
Each lumber stack is tightly secured and banded.
Once all stacks have been resawed, stickered and stacked the airy drying phase commences.
Dimensional boards require a shorter air drying period than larger slab flitches.
Slabs complete their kiln drying cycle and removed from kilns via Bobcat.
Slabs make their way into Eutree’s shop for processing.
Once slabs are inside the shop, they will then be flattened and surfaced and ready for the craftsmen at Madera Arts to begin making furniture items.
Lumber boards are selected for final products including paneling for accents and feature walls and lumber for furniture pieces.
Lumber is then crafted into beautiful accent hardwood pieces such as accent ceilings, shelving, beam wraps and more!
Eutree worked with the design team to create a custom finish that paired with the lodge-inspired aesthetic in the development’s community spaces.
Atlanta Commercial Millwork installed the ceiling paneling and millwork throughout the building.
The furnituremakers at Madera Arts crafted furniture and other fine wood accent pieces throughout the space.
The character in the wood tells the story of the original trees on the property that were given a second life to be enjoyed by the community’s residents for years to come.
Simply beautiful sustainably sourced finished hardwood products without a splinter of forest!