Heartwood on the Road: Recap from South Carolina

By popular demand, Heartwood School brought its timber framing program back to South Carolina for 2026, teaching a full class at the shop of More Sun Timber Frames. This partnership created an opportunity to deliver our hands-on curriculum in a working timber frame shop, where students could learn directly from our instructors in an active shop setting.

Our traveling program is designed to bring our one-week timber framing course to timber framing shops across the country, making it possible for student's to learn timber framing closer to home. At More Sun Timber Frames, the Class of 2026 worked together to cut and assemble a 24 x 24 carport designed by Neil Godden, Heartwood's Executive Director.

Learning in a Working Shop

Over the course of the one-week class, students moved through each phase of the build. Instructors George Morrison, Kyle Murphy, and Emily Barkei taught the students how to layout and cut joinery using the traditional square rule method, which was developed in the 1800s. Lessons included the proper use of hand tools and power tools, how to preform tool maintenance, and shop safety were included.

Hosting our classes at shop's like More Sun Timber Frames adds another layer to the experience. Students are able to work within a professional shop environment, seeing how traditional methods translate into modern practice.

Seeing The Results: The Raising

As with all Heartwood timber framing courses, the class culminated in a full frame raising. This moment brings everything together: the accuracy of the layout, the quality of the joinery, and the coordination of the group.

While Heartwood's raisings often happen at our schoolhouse, this class offered students the unique opportunity to raise the frame on the site of it's final location! A slab had already been poured, and students learned how a crane is safely incorporated into the job to lift pieces into place for joining.

BrinGing Timber Framing to New Spaces

Taking our programs on the road allows us to expand learning opportunities into new spaces and communities, while staying rooted in the same goal: teaching durable, time-tested building skills through direct, hands-on experience. Interested in joining Heartwood on the Road for our next class? Join our waitlist to be notified when new dates are announced!