No offense to the many highly-skilled workers who have executed our house projects over the years, but this is the very first time I was sad to see the construction crew go. Erik Block, his brother Haldan, and their team of Adam, Dave, Solomon and Ben built us a barn that is so much more than the sum of its parts;  a post and beam structure crafted entirely by hand, built in the tradition of old New England timber-frame, fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle and held fast by oak pegs.

We started the design process (yes, they do that, too) with a fuzzy idea for a two-car garage, bike room and an The E List office/guest quarters/party room. Four months later, the barn was completed on time and within the original financial agreement.

What sets these guys apart is the pride they take in their craft, a laser focus on details, a stable of dependable subs who show up when needed, and the ability to provide creative and ecological solutions to vexing design and construction problems. And they just get it, especially my rather severe aesthetic and obsession with symmetry. Oh, and the Blocks give 1% For The Planet.  We like that, too. Click here to see a short video of the barn-raising.