Mark Maxfield

It’s the start of May. Two days before the coronation, the whole world is watching London. We have an appointment with an uncrowned king of timber construction, about two hours by car to the west of London. On our way through a picturesque village in the Cotswolds, the streets become noticeably narrower and the houses increasingly English. At the entrance to our destination, Mark Maxfield is waiting for us. He is a man of impressive stature and greets us warmly. When he opens the rear doors of his van, he beams even more: There are Festool Systainers and machines, batteries and rapid chargers, extractors and multifunction tables from the floor to the ceiling; and a fixed workbench too. “Welcome to my workshop!” says Mark, explaining: “I work almost exclusively on the construction site. So I always have everything I need here with me in my van.”

The skilled joiner and carpenter is in his element when it comes to wood. He is currently working on the roof truss of a long, narrow shed, which is to be used as a fitness suite and outdoor eating area from the summer. With expertise and sensitivity, he tries to maintain as much original material as possible. “Depending on the condition, we have even succeeded in doing this with the beams and girders from the other building,” explains Mark, “occasionally we have even hollowed out the girders and reinforced them with synthetic resin or steel.” However, there was not much of the shed’s old roof truss left to save. So, for the new development, he recalled an old timber construction technique that works entirely without screws, nails or metal anchors: stands, purlins and head bands are mortised and secured with strong oak dowels.