Forms that relate
gravity to memory
Olympic National Forest
ethos

Drawn from ritual.

I study the natural world to loosen the bounds of time. I design to distill feeling into form. And I build to embody memory and meaning.

Every project is a new introduction into an already-unfolding story. A temporal anchor set into place and intended to remain in perpetuity — to be used, cherished, and left for the next generation.

A tree may grow no more, but its history is written in grain and figure. In a dramatic reshaping of decades of photosynthesis and adversity, I seek to awaken that heritage and give it new life.

process

Wrought by hand.

Each piece begins with wild timber — often from an old, storm-felled tree. With my mill, I'm able to unearth the grain from the very beginning of the design process.

Milled timber is left to breathe for a while — to air-dry, and to wait for the right project to call it forward. When that time does come, the crux of each build issues its challenge: breaking the slabs down into distinct components, each one responsible for bearing the weight of its share in the whole story. This is the art. No design can redeem a piece if I fail here.

Following the flow of the grain, I work to draw out the story held in its figure and character, and shape what remains into a worthy and reincarnated form. The rest is execution.

Begin a conversation

Sometimes it begins with a space that longs for presence. Sometimes with an unmet need or quiet desire. But always, it begins with a story. And I'd love to hear yours.

If my ethos resonates and you have a seed of a project in mind, I welcome you to reach out. I take on very few commissions each year, and only one at a time.

What matters most is fit. Not every story is mine to shape. But when the right one finds its way to me, I give it everything I have.

hello@westoveraustin.com