Oak Knoll Hillside Deck | S. R. Freeman

The Oak Knoll Hillside Deck presented a very different set of challenges from a conventional residential framing project. Built along a steep hillside, the multi-level deck required S. R. Freeman to account for difficult crew access, expansive soil conditions, and an engineered structural system designed for the site.

Extensive scaffolding was needed to establish safe working access, while stairs were cut into the hillside to help crews navigate the slope. Below the visible deck structure, deeper piers and steel connections addressed the site's soil conditions and provided the support required by the engineered design.

The result highlights how thoughtful planning extends beyond the finished structure to include the terrain, access, safety, and structural conditions that shape how the work can actually be built.

The hillside influenced not only the structure but also how the work needed to be approached.

Before crews could efficiently perform the framing, S. R. Freeman had to consider access, working elevations, scaffolding, and safe movement throughout the site. Those logistical conditions became interconnected with the construction itself.

By accounting for how the crew would physically reach and work across the structure, the team could approach the hillside as part of the construction plan rather than as a separate obstacle.

S. R. Freeman approaches residential structural work as part of a larger construction process.

Our philosophy is to think like builders, not just framers. At Oak Knoll, that meant understanding how hillside access, expansive soil, engineered piers, steel connections, scaffolding, and multi-level framing all affected one another.

For challenging sites, looking beyond the individual framing components helps the team prepare for the conditions that can influence both structural execution and the work happening around it..