Arrow Timber Framing adds ‘enduring elegance’

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When Bert Sarkkinen received instructions from Bethany Vineyard Co-Owner Walt Houser on how to feature the Ridgefield vineyard’s new pavilion, there was one thought that stood above all others.

“He wanted something that was kind of ‘jaw-dropping,’ something that was really stunning,” said Sarkkinen, owner of Battle Ground’s Arrow Timber Framing, referring to the vision of Houser, who owns Bethany Vineyard with his wife Bethany. “It was really fun to come up with the design.”

Houser wanted the addition of the pavilion to be used for weddings, anniversaries and other events at the vineyard. The structure will also serve as the home to a new wine tasting area at Bethany Vineyards.

“Walt gave me kind of a free hand,” Sarkkinen said of Houser. “You’ve got the lake, and the immaculate lawn in one direction, and the need for an inviting entrance in the other direction. So an entry with two high-arched frames fit very well. An arched style was also selected in order to match the existing elegance of the vineyard.”

The pavilion is a 30-foot by 100-foot structure with two 30-foot-wide trusses and one 50-foot-wide truss. It includes 1,174 of total lineal board feet with the average beam size being 8-inches by 12-inches.

”It’s been fun to erect the structure with Derek Bo and Luke Jolma of Stoneridge Homes,” Sarkkinen said. “They’ve set a tight schedule for the remaining construction, flatwork, lighting, and stonework.”

Sarkkinen is optimistic that the project will be finished within a few weeks.

The entrance of the pavilion will be sure to capture the eye of visitors for years to come.

“It’s the area people will first enter the pavilion through and that’s where the serving bar for the wine will be,” Sarkkinen said. “It’s going to kind of be an open area.”

Houser also made a prediction about the entrance to the pavilion.

“He said, ‘Over time, there’s going to be a lot of people standing there getting their pictures taken’,” Sarkkinen joked, feeling no pressure, yet recognizing the significance of that element of the construction.



The 42-year-old Sarkkinen founded Arrow Construction in 1995. He began Timber Framing, also known as Exposed Beam Construction, in 2002 and officially changed the business name to Arrow Timber Framing in 2008. The company now has 10 permanent employees and when the workload dictates, adds temporary help as well.

Sarkkinen describes Timber Framing an age old craft which is now in revival. It is often described as Heavy Beam Construction without nails.

“The thing Arrow does better than anyone else is to provide strong, creative building solutions which are easy on the eyes, with a process guaranteed to be enjoyable,” reads the company’s website (www.arrowtimber.com).

Sarkkinen grew up around construction, hanging around work sites with his father Joe Sarkkinen, the owner of Scandia Construction. When he was 16, he quit his job as a farmhand and went to work for his father as a framing apprentice, that’s when he began the journey of learning the complicated math and angles and modifications that improved the functionality and beauty of a home.

Sarkkinen got his start in Timber Framing when a customer asked him to do some work on his “shome” (a shop and home combination).

“So with the background of quality and responsibility oriented training, the love for angles and math, plus an eye for balance and functionality, the step from conventional framing to Timber Framing was relatively easy (falling in love with the beauty and lore of the old world craftsmanship made it even easier),” Sarkkinen writes on his website.

“I should clarify that,” he quickly adds. “The decision to become proficient in the art of Timber Framing was easy. And the hours spent learning the joinery was easy. And the hours spent designing and studying design was easy. But, proving myself, finding jobs, investing in tools, investing in equipment, shop, trucks, trailer and all the other expenses needed to provide great timber products without taking forever, was tough.”

Tough, but worth it.

“And, I have to say that the love of the craft was the anchor,” Sarkkinen said. “Without that passion, there is no way I could have put in the time and worked for so little, for so long, to secure the right to call myself a truly-qualified Timber Framer.”

The pavilion at Bethany Vineyards is just the latest in a line of many unique Arrow Timber Framing projects. Others include structures for Timberline Lodge and the U.S. Digital location in Vancouver.

Arrow Timber Framing is located at 9726 NE 302nd St., in Battle Ground (right off of 299th street). The office and fabrication facility are both located at the site. The office can be reached by phone at (360) 687-1868.