ABOUT LUMBER & LEAF
We Engineer Timber. We Build It. We Are Growing the Industry.
Lumber & Leaf is a structural timber consultancy and construction practice based in Goa, working on projects across India. We provide the engineering that makes timber structures possible — and on exceptional projects, we carry that work through to execution.
Our work sits at the intersection of structural logic, craftsmanship and site reality. From early feasibility studies through detailed engineering, construction and environmental assessment, we bring clarity to complex timber projects. And through training and industry development, we are helping build the workforce and methods that timber construction in India still needs.
From early feasibility studies to construction and site ecology services, Lumber & Leaf provides a coordinated approach that simplifies complex projects.
The Meaning of Lumber & Leaf
The name reflects the two sides of our work.
Lumber is the structure — engineered timber, structural clarity, precision and durable construction.
Leaf is the living context — trees, ecosystems and site conditions that shape how buildings should be designed and placed.
These two perspectives guide every project we take on. Structure and environment are not separate concerns — they are part of the same conversation.
Our Approach
We believe that a timber structure is only as good as its weakest coordination point. Beautiful engineering means nothing if it cannot be fabricated, transported and assembled on a real site with real constraints.
That is why our approach connects structural design, prefabrication planning and site execution into a single, coordinated process. Buildability is not checked at the end — it is embedded from the start.
Projects benefit from:
Early structural feasibility and honest assessment
Engineering and construction thinking within one team
Close collaboration with architects, engineers and consultants
Durable, precise construction methods
Responsible integration with the surrounding environment
International Expertise, Local Execution
Our engineering draws on decades of European timber construction practice — codified standards, proven structural systems and a culture of precision. But we do not import methods blindly. Every approach is adapted to what can actually be fabricated, transported and assembled in India — its climate, its logistics, its site realities.
That ability to translate international knowledge into local execution is where Lumber & Leaf creates its greatest value.
International Partnerships
We work within a network of specialist partners and manufacturers who share our standards — both internationally and locally. Our partnerships abroad give us access to advanced engineering, precision prefabrication and certified systems. But we also engineer and produce glue-laminated timber (GLT) here in India, building local manufacturing capability alongside our international supply chain. This combination allows us to deliver high-performance timber solutions adapted to Indian conditions without depending entirely on imports.
Structural Engineering
We collaborate with specialist timber engineering offices for advanced structural analysis and calculations aligned with international standards.
Technical Systems & Materials
We work with certified manufacturers and suppliers to ensure reliable, durable performance — engineered timber products, certified connectors and specialist building components.
Training & Knowledge Exchange
Our work is supported by ongoing technical exchange within the international timber construction community, bringing proven methods and modern knowledge to projects in India.
Origine Structure
Structural Engineering Partner
Origine Structure is our structural engineering partner for advanced timber projects. Through this collaboration we provide specialised timber engineering calculations and structural analysis aligned with European standards. Together, we are working toward the development of a Timber Engineering Consultancy (TEC) practice in India.
Compagnons du Devoir
Training & Knowledge Exchange
Our collaboration with Compagnons du Devoir supports vocational training and the development of structural carpentry skills in India. Through this partnership, apprentices from France gain practical experience working on timber projects while contributing to knowledge exchange and craftsmanship development.
SBL Productions
Prefabrication Partner
SBL Productions supports selected projects through precision prefabrication of timber components. When required, structural elements are CNC-machined abroad and shipped ready for installation in India, allowing high levels of accuracy and efficient on-site assembly.
Simonin
Engineered Timber Structures
We collaborate with Simonin on exceptional engineered timber projects executed in India. Lumber & Leaf provides installation and execution support for projects across South and Southeast Asia, ensuring precise implementation of advanced timber systems.
Cadwork
Design Software Partner
Cadwork is our primary timber construction design software. We use Cadwork for structural modelling and shop drawings, and we also support its distribution and implementation for timber construction professionals in India.
AccordBat
Structural Calculation Software
AccordBat provides the structural calculation tools used in our timber engineering work. The software allows efficient structural analysis and supports the development of reliable timber systems adapted to project requirements.
Rothoblaas
Technical Systems & Hardware
Rothoblaas provides certified hardware, connectors and building membranes used in our timber structures. These technical systems support structural reliability and long-term durability in demanding climatic conditions.
Prefa
Roofing Systems Partner
Prefa provides high-performance aluminium roofing systems used in our projects. These systems offer a durable alternative to traditional zinc roofing and are particularly suited to coastal and high-exposure environments.
Julien Lavoine Charpentiers
Structural Carpentry & Timber Construction
Julien Lavoine Charpentiers is a French timber construction company specialising in structural carpentry and engineered timber buildings. Their work combines traditional craftsmanship with modern timber construction techniques, including timber frames, glulam and CLT systems.
About Daniel Imhoff
Lumber & Leaf was founded by Daniel Imhoff — a structural carpenter, builder and designer who grew up in India, left to master his craft in Europe, and came back to change how India builds.
Daniel trained with the Compagnons du Devoir in France, one of Europe’s most respected institutions for structural carpentry. Over more than a decade of professional work across Germany, Austria, France, Chile, Peru and Benin, he contributed to projects ranging from traditional post-and-beam construction to modern engineered timber systems. That breadth of experience — across climates, cultures and construction traditions — gave him a practical understanding of timber that goes far beyond any single market.
Daniel is German-Indian, and he brings both perspectives to his work: the precision and engineering rigour that defines European timber construction, and a deep familiarity with Indian conditions, logistics and site realities that only comes from growing up here.
He returned to India with a clear purpose: to apply what he had learned and to help build the industries and methods that the country needs for a better construction future. Today, he works alongside specialist structural engineers, fabricators and international partners — assembling the right team, the right knowledge and the right systems to make that happen.
Lumber & Leaf is the vehicle for that mission.
Training & Industry Development
India cannot scale timber construction if it depends on a handful of rare specialists. The workforce, the methods and the culture all need to grow — and that does not happen by accident.
Training is not a side project for Lumber & Leaf. It is a strategic pillar of the company, because we believe the quality of timber construction in India will ultimately be determined by the quality of the people doing the work.
What we are building:
- Vocational training for carpenters and site teams — hands-on skill development rooted in structural understanding, not just technique
- Upskilling fabricators and manufacturers — helping workshops improve precision, detailing knowledge and quality standards
- Knowledge transfer with international partners — through our Compagnons du Devoir collaboration, apprentices from France work alongside Indian teams, creating genuine exchange of skills and methods
- Technical talks, lectures and industry engagement — raising awareness around timber-first, structure-led construction among architects, engineers and developers
- Building repeatable systems — templates, workflows, documentation standards and build methods that allow quality to scale beyond any single project or person
Our long-term goal is to help create a credible structural timber industry in India — with trained teams, established methods and a culture of precision that makes good work the expectation, not the exception.
A Growing Timber Practice in India
Timber construction is still emerging in India, but the opportunity is significant — not just for better buildings, but for a fundamentally better approach to how India constructs and integrates with its natural environment.
Lumber & Leaf exists to pioneer and push forward the industries that will create measurable change. In construction, that means better engineering, better detailing and better-trained teams. But it also means rethinking how buildings relate to the landscape, the habitat and the ecosystems around them.
We are not waiting for the industry to mature. We are helping to build it — the methods, the people, the supply chains and the standards. That is what creating impact means to us.
