Timber Framers Guild

The three recently completed pavilions at Kayak Point: volunteer built! The Timber Framers Guild is a non-profit dedicated to teaching the craft of timber framing and we share this knowledge through regional events, technical symposiums, informative talks and community builds. We offer hands-on learning where people of all skill levels can come together and learn from each other. We build community, friendships, skills and of course, timeless structures that will endure for generations. Every gathering, every build is a little different but from North to South and East to West, you'll find one common thread. It doesn't matter who you are or why you've come...it's always a good day to cut and raise a timber frame! Join us as we rush headlong into the remaining events of the 2026 season. Coming soon! TimberFest in New Hampshire, the Upper Midwest Rendezvous in Michigan, A weeklong workshop and Raising Rendezvous in Vermont and another Canadian Rendezvous in Muskoka! So many thanks to our members, our Board of Directors and our many volunteers: we see you! There are hundreds of people working together to organize these events and bring this community and these living classrooms to life. For information on all upcoming events as well as registration and scholarship information visit: tfguild.org

Pavilions at Kayak Point photographed by Snohomish County Local hero, TFG member and volunteer, Tom Hartzell.

By now our regional gatherings are getting a reputation for being amazing ways to connect with great folks and learn about timber framing. Never held a chisel? This is your chance! We'll put tools in your hands and lead you through the process of laying out, cutting and raising a small frame. Join us this September at Tillers International in Scotts, Michigan for another fun filled event. We'll build a small frame, have demos, talks, camping and great food. All ages and skill levels welcome. We have scholarships available! Visit tfguild.org for all the details.

Call for volunteers! We still have space available on our September 13-25 build in Orange, Virginia. Come for one week or both! The Timber Framers Guild is dedicated to teaching, promoting and preserving the craft of timber framing and this is no ordinary classroom. Our Community Builds offer a once in a lifetime educational opportunity. You'll be involved in every step of the process from layout to cutting and raising. You'll work as part of a team led by knowledgeable instructors to bring a full scale timber frame structure to life for the community of Orange, Virginia. All experience levels are welcome! Camping and meals provided. To register visit tfguild.org

Coming soon! TimberFest 2026! This is going to be an action packed weekend fun for all ages and skill levels. Never held a chisel? Come and make some sawdust with our amazing instructor team! Liz, Sarah and Ariel will provide a world class learning experience no matter if this is your 1st frame or your 101st. Camp out and make new friends! For those wanting a deeper dive we're also featuring the Timber Frame Engineering Council (TFEC) and the Traditional Timber Framing Research & Advisory Group (TTRAG) who will have experts on hand to discuss and present on a wide variety of topics. Come celebrate summer with us on the shores of Lake Eileen! Registration is open. Scholarships are still available! Register at tfguild.org

Kayak Point Community Build just wrapped up a few days ago and we've all gone our separate ways now, back to our regular lives and families, back to the comforts of home. But for 8 days we worked side by side in the dust and the sun. We shared meals and solved problems, we learned a whole bunch of new skills and how to use unfamiliar tools. We learned how to see a project through as a team, how to make mistakes and recover and how to dig deep at the end of a long day and still find a smile or a story to share. In the end we did it! 3 pavilions on the Puget Sound that will capture the hearts of young and old alike as they come to these shores and stand under the shelter of these hand built timber frames. Thank you to Snohomish County Parks for this long lasting and long standing partnership. Thank you to all who volunteered your energy, your time and your perseverance! Many hands do make light work and for all the experience and memories you took away, I hope you can feel the gravity of what you have left behind.

Another great summer event has come and gone! Scenes from the BC Rendezvous this past weekend in Cobble Hill, BC. Folks came, camped out and built a small picnic shelter for the Evergreen Independent School. There were lots of new faces, lots of folks getting their hands on tools and learning and plenty of laughter and good times! Thank you to everyone who came and made this event so special. Hopefully, we'll see you all again next year!

We have so many great educational events still left in our 2026 season. This coming weekend is the BC Rendezvous on Vancouver Island and registration is still open! Come build a small frame, camp out and enjoy the summer breezes on Vancouver Island. Or check out TimberFest in August! We have two amazing technical tracks with great speakers AND a hands-on build led by an all women instructor team. There's also still time to register for the upcoming Community Build in Virginia! Volunteer to build a community pavilion and get a once in a lifetime timber framing education while you do it. There is something for everyone! Scholarships are available for paid events. Everyone is welcome! Grow your network and learn new skills with a fantastic group of people. We build beautiful things! And you can too. All the details at: tfguild.org