This course covers the architectural and structural basics for designing timber frame structures that are both functional and beautiful. It is geared towards timber framers who want to know where to place timbers, how to size them, what wooden joints to select, and why.

We will cover design and drafting principles required of professionals working in the trade and needing to be aware of the concerns of other subcontractors. You'll discover how to apply a timber structural grid to "bubble diagrams" and see how this grid then generates working drawings from which to estimate costs and schedule the construction. Blueprint reading and standards for architectural drawings will be covered, as well as drafting principles and techniques. Freehand sketching, so necessary for communication in the shop and on site, will be practiced with joinery details as the subject. Exercises in construction geometry will give students a firm foundation in the traditional drawing techniques carpenters have used for centuries.

Principles of joinery and pegging design will be examined, and the various ways of communicating joinery specifications through callout systems. Basic timber engineering, including sizing beams, will also be covered. Determining the loads on joints will help you decide the capabilities and limitations of various mortise and tenon connections. We will look at the characteristics of the different wood species used in timber framing and the advantages of each.

The course includes a history of the craft, the anatomy of a timber frame and the development of various frame styles and layout systems.

Finally, model building techniques will be demonstrated which provide another valuable design, communication and visualization tool for your repertoire.