Article by Michelle Heslop. Photos by Joel Radford.
Specialty wood and flooring experts, West Wind Hardwood Inc. was established in 1978 by Ove and Jan Nielsen, afather and son partnership under the name West Wind Woodwork. A culmination of generations of old-world woodworkers and craftsmen, West Wind Hardwood, located in Sidney, is still pursuing their passion for wood today.
So what was West Wind Hardwood doing in Palo Alto, California with 15,000-square-feet of European beech and yellow cedar flooring? In 2012, West Wind manufactured beech wood and British Columbian yellow cedar flooring destined for the Bing Concert Hall at Stanford University in California. A private research university located in the Silicon Valley, Stanford University is one of the world’s most prestigious teaching institutions, holding the top position in numerous rankings and measures in the United States.
Alex Medvedev, owner of EH Floors in San Francisco, was contracted by Stanford to supply and install the wood flooring for the stage and risers in the distinguished concert hall. Enter West Wind Hardwood. Medvedev researchedquality wood exporters from Canada and knew the team at West Wind could meet the challenge of providing quality wood in an efficient timeline.
West Wind Hardwood manufactured yellow cedar and beech stair treads with risers, with black walnut nosings, for a 2300-square-foot stage. The concert hall’s acoustician, Los Angeles-based Yasuhisa Toyota, chose cedar based on its powerful resonance. Hollow like a drum, the unfinished yellow cedar was predicted to vibrate like the back of a violin, creating a floor like a musical instrument itself. The semi-circular stage lifts are raised and lowered independently, from tiered (as seen in the photos) to completely flat.
