2003 Western Conference

The Guild's 2003 Western Conference was held at the spectacular Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California, on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula. The California State Parks Web site gives directions and other information.

Conference photos

Conference Arrangements

Asilomar is Spanish meaning "refuge by the sea," and is a unique combination of forest and white sand beaches along the shoreline of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, California. Its 105 acres of pristine natural beauty is ideal for bird watching, walks along the beach, and is minutes away from world-class golf, wineries, missions, sea kayaking and the spectacular Big Sur coastline. Neighboring Monterey, Carmel and Pebble Beach are famous for attractions, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, Fisherman's Wharf and the scenic 17-Mile Drive.

Originally a YWCA facility and now a California State Park, Asilomar represents the largest collection of work by architect Julia Morgan in one location. She designed over 800 buildings during her 49 year career, and was the first woman to be licensed as an engineer in California and to obtain an architectural certification from the L'Ecole de Beaux Arts in Paris. Twelve of her buildings here are on the Registry of National Landmarks and demonstrate her skilled interpretation of the Arts and Crafts style which was sweeping California in the early 1900s.

As in our 2001 Conference, we will draw on the talents and resources of Guild members in the Bay area to highlight the Asian influence on American timber framing.

Pre-Conference Events

• work alongside temple carpenters from Japan
• learn knots, rigging and ropework for the timber framer from a Merchant Marine Master
• find out about Computer Aided Design and Drafting Software as two leading developers will give you three days to test-drive their products and learn about their capabilities.

Main Conference

• Jay Van Arsdale, who will give two presentations - one on nokogiri (the care and use of Japanese saws) and another on the evolution and details of Japanese joinery. Using 20 samples he will demonstrate the clusters of shapes and patterns in their use. From simple to compound, a language of joinery results from the interplay of ideas, the development of technique and a more refined use of technology.
• Matt Connorton and Harrelson Stanley will explain how to make and maintain Japanese wooden planes (kanna), plus give sharpening demonstrations using waterstones.
• Chris Hall will survey the development of the traditional Japanese roof systems and how the Chinese and Korean antecedents were refined over the millennia. The use and construction of the double-roof, a great triumph in wooden architecture, will be examined. In a second presentation, Chris will explore sori yane, the upward curvature of the Japanese roof and how it can be laid on a hip rafter. He will also demonstrate the koh-ko-gen method, whereby various angles on the hip rafter can be determined using the framing square (sashigane). Chris spent five years studying carpentry in Japan and now lives in British Columbia.
• Ryosei Kaneko will show the way Japanese carpenters do layout on round logs.
• Ted Haendel will lead an outdoor demonstration on the tricks and techniques splicing braided line.
• Broadening our international scope, Richard Wiborg and Ma Bing-Jian will show us Chinese timber framing, particularly temple roof framing.

• Anders Frostrup from Tonsberg, Norway, will give two presentations. One will be on the timber frame construction of stave churches and will feature slides of 28 built from 1100 - 1300 and still standing today. These small masterpieces in wood are some of the oldest all-wood buildings in the world today. His second talk will promote building timber frames with small timbers, and will question the notion of "big is beautiful." Anders is a master carpenter and has written several textbooks on carpentry, drawing and building. He runs the only timber framing business in Norway.
• Witold Karwowski: "Annihilated Heritage" will show the only remaining knowledge about 17th century wooden synagogues of Poland completely destroyed during World War II. He will also outline a planned international project of reconstruction with potential Guild assistance.
• Guild President Rudy Christian will give a half-day workshop on the principles of the Square Rule technique, one of the basic layout methods used by timber framers today. This workshop is ideal for those who are new to the trade or those who want to learn more from one of the masters of the craft.
• Les Jozsa, the "Wood Guy" from Forintek, Canada, will present a humor- and illustration-filled examination of the nature of wood from tree growth to wood properties, plus a demonstration on carving and the decorative uses of wood.

• John Mumaw will show us various timber frame design tactics from a designer who works with a variety of companies.
• Brenda Baker will lead a panel "Learning from our Mistakes"; hear from seasoned folks who have been in sticky situations on site or in the shop and learn how they recovered.
• Mike and Sandy Koness from Centennial Timber Frames in Montana will show us techniques for running a small timber framing company.
• Jerry Rouleau will reveal marketing techniques to match consumer trends.
• Terrence Wagner on the work of Bohlin, Cywinski & Jackson architects, including glimpses of their part of Bill Gates' complex.

Other Conference Events

Travel Arrangements