HAAKON OYEN

Haakon has been working with wood as a medium for most of his life. Early on, he apprenticed under a luthier and later a cabinetmaker and joiner, where he developed an understanding of the intricacies of millwork, traditional joinery, and fine woodworking.

Haakon entered timber framing through volunteering at community building events hosted by the Timber Framers Guild, where he gained a deep love for the craft and its community. He soon transitioned into timber framing full-time, and after years of working as an itinerant craftsman, he now owns and operates Stowell Timber Frames, a design-build company specializing in traditional heavy timber construction.

With a particular interest in historic building practices, Haakon has taken numerous courses at Heartwood School studying various traditions of scribing, timber conversion, drawing and drafting, and design. These studies, along with others, continue to inform his work and the practices he employs in his own business. He is also pursuing a professional certificate in Stereotomy through the École Pratique de Stéréotomie, where he is pursuing a deeper

understanding of the intricacies of laying out and constructing complex roof systems using applied geometry.

“The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.” — Geoffrey Chaucer, 1380

Mastering a craft that has developed over countless lifetimes is a feat no one can achieve alone. Haakon believes in the importance of honoring and preserving the knowledge passed down through generations while maintaining a spirit of curiosity, inquiry, and open-mindedness. He approaches teaching with this same spirit of inquiry, and in honoring the craft as a living tradition, he believes every craftsperson is on their own unique journey and strives to meet them wherever they are on that path.