3. Jason Elliott
Portfolio
1992 - 2004
“There is pride of accomplishment in the performance of whole tasks that can be held in the mind all at once, and contemplated as a whole once finished.”
From Shop Class As Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into The Value Of Work, by Matthew B. Crawford
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4. This project is perhaps my
favorite, as it neatly summarizes
my creative and technical skills
while also providing a simple
opportunity for implementing a
sustainable building philosophy.
And most important, it was built
for my family. It is a wonderful
place to relax after hiking,
climbing, skiing or fly fishing.
Although still a work in progress, it
provides basic shelter in a quiet,
beautiful corner of Colorado.
The cabin is located on 35 acres of
pinyon-juniper forest a few miles
north of Ridgway, Colorado. At an
altitude of 8,100 feet atop the Log
Hill Mesa, the property has
commanding views in all
directions.
The property is remote and
currently has no options for grid-
service electrical power. This
limitation, combined with a six-
hour drive from my primary Front
Range residence, challenged me to
build the cabin as efficiently as
possible. After installing the
foundation piers, I decided a pre-
fabricated approach was best, so I
calculated the dimensions of every
framing component and cut them
to size at home. I then loaded the
materials into a trailer, hauled
them to Ridgway and was able to
complete the framing and roofing
by myself in less than a week.
Later in the year I installed the
siding and a wood stove and we
were ready to stay in the cabin any
time of year.
Cabin - Ridgway, Colorado
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6. Ridgway Cabin
About fifty percent of the materials
used to build the cabin are
recycled in some way; many items
were saved from the dumpster
during the many remodeling
projects I have managed. The large
trapezoidal windows were salavged
and determined the roof pitch, the
siding is reclaimed redwood
decking and the corrugated steel is
100% recycled content.
The cabin is designed to accept
solar panels on the roof and is also
ready for a rainwater-harvesting
system.
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8. Unique Projects
Above: curved mahogany deck rail,
Leesburg, Virginia
1. Teahouse, Middleburg, Virginia
2. Formal garden, Middleburg, Virginia
3. 19th century French stained glass doors,
modified to create sliding window screens,
Middleburg, Virginia
4. Hill School climbing wall, Middleburg,
Virginia
5. Custom vanity sink, Leesburg, Virginia
6. Custom door, Upperville, Virginia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.6
9. Unique Projects
Above: Loft ladder, Middleburg,
Virginia
1. The Beverley Ann, a 58-foot
catamaran, Annapolis, Maryland.
First placement in water.
2. The Beverley Ann, Annapolis,
Maryland. 28-foot beam, 70-foot
main-mast, 55-foot mizzen.
3. Gazebo, Wye Mills, Maryland
1. 2.
3.
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11. I have consistently served my clients
with the highest level of craftsmanship
and quality in their homes. I have
always attempted to provide an
alternative to the bigger-is-better
approach that sacrifices quality,
substance and spirit of design.
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19. “A carpenter faces the accusation of his
level... such standards have a universal
validity that is apparent to all, yet the
discriminations made by the practioners of
an art respond also to aesthetic subtleties
that may not be visible to the bystander.
Only a fellow journeyman is entitled to say
“nicely done.”
It is in doing the job nicely that the
tradesman puts his own stamp on it. His
individuality is thus expressed in an activity
that, in answering to a shared world,
connects him to others: the customers he
serves and other practioners of his art, who
are competent to recognize the peculiar
excellence of his work.”
Matthew B. Crawford
Shop Class As Soulcraft
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