Timber Frame Workshop 2024: Hands-On Class

2024 workshop dates now available!

Timber Frame Workshop 2024

Ever wonder what it’s like to build a timber frame from the ground up? Join The Year of Mud this summer for an all-inclusive 7 day Timber Frame Workshop. In this introductory class, students will use timeless techniques and traditional hand tools to lay out, join, and raise a beautiful timber frame structure. Learn valuable new carpentry skills in a gorgeous setting, and discover how to build a long-lived timber structure using mortise & tenon joinery. We promise you’ll catch the timber framing bug and take home a host of new skills with you.

Workshop Info. at a Glance:

Workshop Dates: August 3-9, 2024 (Only 1 space remaining)
Location: South Slope Farm, Berea, Kentucky (map)
All-inclusive: Workshop includes camping accommodations, and 3 delicious home-cooked meals a day
Instruction with Ziggy Liloia & Blain Snipstal
Homesteading Experience: Get a glimpse into homestead living with tours in our community
Cost and Discounts:
$1580 Early Bird Discount (register 30+ days in advance)
$1680 Regular Registration (register less than 30 days in advance)
Families with children are welcome! Please contact Ziggy for more details

We’ve Got You Covered: Food & Dining

Unlike other natural building workshops, we provide all meals during our courses. The lovingly prepared meals will primarily consist of organic vegetarian dishes featuring local ingredients. You won’t go hungry with us! In fact, many participants remark that the food is one of the best parts of our workshops. Note that we do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions and food allergies. (We’ll follow up after registration to make sure we have your preferences on file.) It’s recommended that participants bring snacks and specialty items only if they wish (example: your favorite tea or coffee, any food you can’t live without) to supplement the otherwise complete meals.

Accommodations During Your Stay

All accommodations are included in the cost of the workshop. Here is what you can expect during your stay:

Ample camping space close to facilities
Access to composting toilets
Outdoor shower facilities
Phone and internet available on-site
Library with large collection of natural building and permaculture titles
15 minute drive into town for whatever needs you might have

Note: unfortunately, we cannot accommodate pets during this workshop.

Workshop Location

The Natural Building Essentials Workshop is located 15 minutes outside of Berea, Kentucky (map) at our land, South Slope Farm. We live in the gorgeous Clear Creek Valley on 30 acres of hillside pasture and woods. Our farm sits in the middle of a rural community with many folks dedicated to art, music, community building, permaculture, and activism. We are pleased to be surrounded many motivated friends and neighbors who want to live creative, heartfelt lives.

Berea is a small town in central Kentucky with an active population of craftspeople, artists, woodworkers, musicians, social activists, and homesteaders. The town has a longstanding tradition of diversity, social justice, environmental responsibility, and community service. The historic Berea College is the first interracial and coeducational college in the South, and its influence on the town remains to this day.

Workshop Schedule

Students must arrive the afternoon prior to the official workshop start date. For example, students must arrive on August 2nd for the August 3 – 9 workshop. We’ll start with a leisurely dinner and introductions around 6 p.m. The workshop will end around 4:00 p.m. on August 9. Please factor this in to your travel plans!

Our daily schedule will follow the same general structure each day:

7:30 A.M.: Breakfast
8:00 A.M.: Begin morning work session
12:00 P.M.: Lunch break
1:00 P.M.: Afternoon work session
5:00 P.M.: Free time, shower, relax
6:30 P.M.: Dinner
8:00 P.M.: Evening presentation or activity

I'm Ready to Register!

timber frame workshop - boring machine 01

Timber Framing Skills We’ll Cover

How to acquire timbers and select material
Joinery layout using the square rule method
Emphasis on hand tool use for cutting joinery, including hand saws, chisel and mallet, hand plane, axe, boring machine, etc. (hand tools give you the best chance to learn about working wood)
Power tool techniques including chain mortisers, circular saws, and drills
Fitting and assembling a timber frame
Finishing timbers with natural oils
Frame raising methods
Hand tool restoration & sharpening (including restoring old tools so they work like new again)
How timber framing relates to other natural materials, including straw bale and clay construction

Other Course Highlights

South Slope Farm land walk
Field trips to see other natural building projects in the community
Natural building presentations with examples of our work over 10 years
Some of the best home-cooked food you’ve ever had… including a cob oven pizza party! What could be better?

Praise From Our Students

“I don’t know where to begin. The workshop was incredibly informative but the experiences and the atmosphere were truly a gift. It was such a model for joy and what could be if we took some time to slow down and see it all. The food was amazing. Not in a “I have to say this because she fed me” way, but really, truly amazing. At the risk of this turning into a novel, I’ll just say that you have something special there and I hope to come back and experience more of it. I learned a lot this week and have been further shaped by the space you provided.”
Christopher M.Timber Frame Workshop 2022

“I have had the chance to recollect... & it is only now that I can see the whole breadth of what we learned, but most importantly how we were taught. You & Blaine & Fred presented information ( a lot of it) plainly & clearly, but also made time to talk about mistakes, side tracks & dead ends, & how important all of that is to learning such a nuanced skill.... You three were the teachers, but never from a point of all knowing, dictating, only from a point of genuine joy at opening doors. I never had an experience anything like the time spent with you, Blaine & Fred, & the entire group of other students. The place you have created is extremely special & is an excellent, prime example of a HOME, not just a house. I feel honored & lucky to have been able to share that space for a small period of time.”
Walt H.Timber Frame Workshop 2022

“The timberframe workshop at Year of Mud offered everything I needed to wet my feet and gain the confidence to tackle a timberframe project on my own. We learned the basic skills for layout, as well as cutting the joinery using everything from antique hand tools and to modern electric tools. The workshop brought together a great group of folks with diverse skills and we enjoyed the wholesome food, beautiful setting, and rigorous building schedule. Many thanks Ziggy!”
Christoph H.Timber Frame Workshop 2019

“The workshop was incredible. I loved the way you taught us about the building and then allowed us to sort out problem solving for ourselves with patience. It created a working knowledge for us to utilize immediately. April was an amazing hostess and the food! Wow! Thank you for sharing your wisdom.”
Lynne J.Timber Frame Workshop 2018

“Loved learning things I never knew before, working with other folks, accomplishing things together that we could not do alone, [and] seeing something big come together before our eyes. Ziggy and April were wonderful organizers and hosts. Lots of thought and preparation!”
Margaret W.Timber Frame Workshop 2013

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Meet Your Timber Frame Workshop Instructors

Ziggy Liloia

Ziggy Liloia jumped in the deep end of timber framing back in 2011. As time went on, timber framing became a cornerstone of his building work. As much as he enjoys cutting joinery and seeing a frame come together, he loves the workshop experience of constructing a frame with students. Ziggy teaches timber framing in The Year of Mud natural building workshops and builds frames on a contract basis. Nothing makes him weep like a well-done timber frame surrounded by natural plaster.

Blain Snipstal

Blain Snipstal is a timber framer and worker-owner with Earth-Bound Building, a cooperative specializing in timber framing, custom carpentry, & natural building. Prior to his work with the company, he was a full-time organic farmer for 10 years. Blain loves to teach all things construction and farming, and he has a background in popular and adult education. Blain has taught timber framing with Yestermorrow Design/Build school, the Timber Framers Guild, Earth-Bound Building, and The Year of Mud.

Discover Your Community Today

Time and time again, participants have commented on the powerful community-building experience of our workshops. Participants appreciate the feeling of connection within the workshop, and the opportunity to meet our local community as well. Consider this an invitation to connect with a lovely bunch of like-minded individuals. The Year of Mud workshops are life-enriching experiences that you will cherish for countless reasons beyond the chance to learn new building skills.

Our workshops are family friendly. Please contact us about rates for children if you’d like to bring your family along!