Live Edge Altars

This commission required that I build two altars of the same design to serve a location in Sedona and another in Greeley, Colorado. Both are for addiction recovery centers with a basis in Mindfulness, and the programs at both locations include regular meditation. The owner of both centers is a Zen Buddhist teacher and his wife and co-owner practices and teaches Tibetan Buddhism. So, the altars needed to serve both design traditions without being too derivative. The construction challenge to these is that the students at both centers tend to be hard on the equipment and they don’t necessarily come to practice Buddhism per se. So, the altars needed to be built solidly enough to endure use that isn’t focused on the care normally associated with a dedicated practice center. This necessitated making sliding doors that were less likely to experiencing sprung hinges and slams in closing, as well as a very sturdy finish. Lastly, the request was to have a live edge top on both and an elevated portion to seat a piece of statuary.

Birch altar with white oak live edge top and door panels (click on image to enlarge)

I used a design for the base that I created years ago for a large stereo cabinet in my home. It offers a feeling of solidity, but the angled ends give it a sense of lift. There is a small pullout  centered beneath the top to allow a shelf for an incense burner to be used during services. The three doors glide effortlessly and quietly to reveal shelving inside. The white oak live edge tops required a number of butterfly wedges to ensure that existing checks in the slabs do not expand further. These were done in black walnut for contrast. Also, given that burning incense and a vessel containing water are both placed on the top, preventing damage to that surface required a much harder finish than would normally used. Finally, there is the shelf on the top where the figure of Manjusri is placed to elevate it appropriately. But, the combined fine finished cabinetry paired with the rustic live edge tops create a sense of both Zen and Tibetan styles, and it is sturdy and durable enough to last for decades.  The owners, Josh White and Maureen Dummigan, were thrilled with the work!