For a European client who owns an authentic Swiss Chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, building a new ski chalet in Lake Tahoe, California, reclaimed Douglas fir was the solution to their wood needs. The owners' vision was to build a new ski chalet replica of their home in Verbier. The character of aged timber construction, with the patina of antique Douglas fir, was the only answer for their family ski lodge in the United States.

Woodbank, together with the owner and contractor, evaluated the "Whole Project" reclaimed wood requirements: structural demands from 300-pound snow loads for the massive slate covered roof structure, to the warmth and character of the timber siding, and the aesthetic needs for interior paneling, doors, cabinetry and flooring.

Woodbank located 30' long, 14" x 32" and 12" x 24" purlins to support the massive roof structure, 12" x 14" rafters and 12" wide decking to create the elaborate main ceiling, all with hundred year-old antique Douglas fir. Woodbank located a building in Chicago undergoing deconstruction that could supply trailer loads of matching 6" x 18" beams to produce the authentic timber siding for the exterior of the building. For exterior decks and railings, Woodbank reclaimed a turn-of-the-century water flume in the Northern Cascade Mountains to produce weathered larch with a natural grey patina created from decades of exposure.

For authentic interior detailing, Woodbank produced 45,000 board feet of wide plank Douglas fir for interior wall paneling and ceilings. To closely replicate the owners' 200 year-old Swiss chalet, Woodbank also produced matching raw materials for exterior and interior doors, cabinets, library paneling, and even bunk beds for their grandchildren. To complete the package, Woodbank produced 9000 square feet of custom fabricated wide plank flooring, 1.25" thick and widths from 12"-24" wide, for the authentic and rustic plank floor installation over a radiant sub floor heating system.

In addition to the extensive work required in sourcing over 150,000 board feet of authentic lumber to meet the various dimensional and aesthetic requirements, Woodbank also provided structural grading certificates for the structural components, mechanical wire brushing of over 145,000 board feet of antique material, certified fumigation, and logistics to deliver the entire package to the remote Squaw Valley building site.