The LOTUS is a legendary two-masted wooden schooner designed by William Hand Jr. in 1916. She first sailed the open waters of the Great Lakes in 1917 and remained a strong presence there for years.

Beginning in 1971, the LOTUS was sailed by Sea Scout Ship 303 out of Webster, Rochester, and Sodus Bay, New York. Over the decades, she made port throughout Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and New York City, and became a highlight attraction at “Pirate Days” in Alexandria Bay.

In 2015, longtime captain Bob Ellis passed away. Without his leadership, scheduled maintenance lapsed and the vessel fell into disrepair. By 2016, the LOTUS was removed from service, requiring extensive structural repairs including a significant breach in the hornbeam above the rudder. She has remained out of the water ever since.

Determined to see her sail again, a passionate group of supporters worked to recharter Sea Scout Ship 303 and restore the schooner. Their efforts led to the formation of Friends of the Schooner LOTUS (FOTSL) in 2019, an organization dedicated to the vessel’s restoration and long-term stewardship.

New Energy Works’ Director of Timber Framing, Owen MacDonald, shares a personal connection to the LOTUS, “My uncle sailed on the vessel in the ’70s as one of the early Sea Scouts. My sister sailed on her in the early 2000s, and I grew up in Sodus Bay spending a lot of time around the boat.”

Years before New Energy Works became formally involved, MacDonald participated in early assessments of the vessel. By 2017–2018, it was clear the LOTUS required significant structural work. The project moved to Cayuga Wooden Boat Works on Cayuga Lake for restoration.

Every so often, a project comes across our plate that so aligns with what we do, it’s magic. Such was the case with Starfire Lumber Company, a keystone in the lumber industry, who came to us with an exciting opportunity. 

New Energy Works has worked with Starfire for years as a timber supplier. They supply lumber products all over the country and have been known for their quality since they began in 1983. They wanted to build a new corporate headquarters to replace a ranch house that they had been using for decades. Honoring the company history was an important part of the story for the new building, so heavy timbers and high-quality craftsmanship were going to be key. 

With a slate of timber framers to choose from, the Starfire team – including Sean Smith, President & CEO, and Curt Bodenstab, VP of Sales - called New Energy Works and had us come right down to discuss the design work. Without a doubt, that was a big honor. We established an easy rapport and Sean said that he could tell we were good listeners. 

After taking in the needs and ideas from Starfire, New Energy Works architect, David Shirley, AIA, CPHB, started designing a comfortable and efficient space that honored Starfire’s past, present, and future. While David ensures that every design he delivers satisfies the client, on this project he knocked it out of the park on the first try. 

Our founder & CEO, Jonathan Orpin, recalls, “once Starfire saw David’s first schematic, they said, ‘I can’t believe you caught it all. You took all our thoughts and words and made them better.’ This spurred us to work even harder to live up to those kind words and confidence.” 

This timber frame workshop, a partnership with Appel Design Group and Vanco Construction in New Jersey, brought together New Energy Works timber frame and off-site constructed high-performance enclosures. ReImagine Buildings does a deep-dive into the partnership, the performance, and the process of this innovative method of construction.

By: Sam Cole

Running a business is a balancing act – luckily, we have some friends who know a thing or two about building stable structures.

Back in 2023, New Energy Works founder and CEO, Jonathan Orpin, started a networking group called the Building Forward Collaborative (BFC). The BFC is a focused cohort of 10 small businesses in the design-build space, located in the Pacific Northwest. And, perhaps most importantly, they are all businesses dedicated to the Triple Bottom Line, a business philosophy that places equal importance on People, Planet, and Profit.

Last month, we had the pleasure of convening with the Building Forward Collaborative and couldn’t be more grateful for the time.

“Coming together with like-minded business owners like this is really powerful,” says Jonathan. “We’re all striving to run our companies with respect to the Triple Bottom Line, and having an opportunity to not just strategize together, but encourage and reaffirm one another – that’s huge.” 

The idea behind the BFC is simple: get together with these companies that not only operate in the same industry, but share goals and principles, spend time comparing notes and brainstorming, and ultimately become better businesspeople together. Each member company brings their own unique experiences and specific insights to the table, and through collaboration, remove obstacles for one another.  

“In a way it’s like builder therapy – you’re in a room full of smart and motivated people who share a lot of your same challenges,” says New Energy Works architect, David Shirley, AIA, CPHB. “Everyone brings their energy to really help one another, as well as commiserate on losses and celebrate the wins. You come away feeling equal parts exhausted and inspired.” 

The New Energy Works team recently contributed our high craft abilities to raise an exceptional structure in Buffalo, NY. The Stuart Gellman Family Pavilion is phase one of Hospice and Palliative Care Buffalo’s Pathways of Remembrance campaign. 

Kevin V. Connors, PE, AIA, CPHD,  and Principal of eco_logic STUDIO, architecture & engineering, PLLC says, “The whole concept of the original development of the project was to maximize a contact with nature for patients, families, and staff, so this, this project is kind of like it's like a trailhead or a boardwalk system that's going to go through the woods. The pavilion really helps to enhance that aspect of it.”

The landscape designer who was working with the center, Ben Hirsch from Beautiful River Landscape Design presented the conceptual architectural language that got the ideas started while eco_logic took over the design.

Conners says, “They desired a way to kind of develop the natural land that they have out there. They've got several acres of wetlands and woods and we kind of picked up where Hirsch left off and developed it into, kind of an architectural concept, as well as the siting and the size of it.”

“It’s a really tight spot. We had to work outside of the wetland area. So, you know, we come right up to the wetland with we've got perimeter rain gardens and rain chains from the gutters going into the rain gardens and then that overflows into the wetlands at one of the corners of the building. They had some space behind the Wilson Center. We oriented the building 90 degrees to the Wilson Center. So, there's a clear kind of relationship there. And it provides enclosure for the outdoor space that wasn't there before.

New Energy Works Construction Division is Rochester Business Journal’s 2025 Leaders in Construction & Real Estate award winner for home building. Our timber frame project, Inclusion in Motion, is a 2025 Top Projects award honoree. 

“We are excited to join a distinguished collection of other Rochester area developers, architects, contractors, and partners who practice innovation, forward thinking building methods with our home building leader award,” says Eric Fraser President of East Coast New Energy Works. “But the real honor is having Inclusion in Motion win a top project. This radically inclusive playground and pavilion was a passion project for our internal team with its impact on the community. We’re glad to see it honored.” 

New Energy Works architect David Shirley AIA, CPHB, is not only a traveling man, but a wearer of several hats. He recently took to the air and the road to check in on an active New Energy Works project, one that’s in the hopper, and to visit a legacy client looking to assimilate more timber into their property.

Born and raised in Tennessee, David relishes the chance to return to his home state. What makes these trips even better is when he can bundle face to face meetings with design clients with visiting his family along the way.

David’s first stop on a loop that included Tennessee, Georgia, and Texas was in the Blue Ridge Mountains where he checked in on a full-service New Energy Works project first outlined here. David flew in to discuss very specific detailing with the builder for this high craft timber frame project and to help them better understand the plans and the New Energy Work’s way of doing things.

Shirley says, “I went out there to make sure that the foundation was laid out correctly from the drawings before they poured and also to go over the connection details with the builder. I had a one-on-one with the builder to explain some of the details that New Energy Works has that he's not familiar with. As an example, there's particular hold-downs that he's never seen before. On the West Coast hold-downs are very common but not so much in the South.

“So, he wanted me to come down and explain to him how this worked. We chit-chatted about the best way install these. He asked if we were going to install them before we put down the concrete or were we going to drill and epoxy and put them in afterwards, which is the method we landed on.” 

Our fine partners at Akhurst Machinery  recently provided our NEWBeamery with a Leadermac 461 Planermac four-sided planer. This new equipment was specifically chosen to enhance our output and precision, ensuring that our timber would meet the exacting standards required.

Akhurst recently visited with us and the result was a wonderful day with Jonathan documented in the video below.

https://www.akhurst.com/new-energy-works-a-legacy-of-craftsmanship-and-innovation/

Akhurst Machinery: Working together with our customers to solve today’s manufacturing challenges is why we are here.

Building Trust. Creating together.

Image

“I love structure that is gorgeous, and the timber work on this project is form and function at its best,” says Kevin Beland of Wood and Clay Fine Homes.

There are three buildings located on the expansive New Hampshire compound where two new timber frame structures will be raised. The property includes the client’s main home, a new garage, and a new timber frame party barn. While the client’s main living quarters is getting an update from Wood and Clay, the two new structures are being raised to complete a master plan that mimics the existing aesthetic detailing found around the property.

“The idea is that all of the structures are going to speak to each other. We try to have things have logic to them,” says Beland. “The garage sits between the main house and the party barn. The garage and barn are brand-new buildings and we’re giving the main house a facelift to bring it together with the other structures. 

Shannon Robinson-Beland, co-owner of Wood and Clay, adds, “The party barn is going to be a family space for entertaining. There will be a ping-pong table, a lounge area, and a bar. Just like the name says, it’s a party barn! Adjacent to that structure there is a garage where there will be a few of the client’s favorite cars on display and an additional gym space. The garage space is more functional but still has a high level of finish both in terms of the timbers, the butternut siding on the walls and stained wood details on the ceiling.”