Rooted in the forest.
Framed for generations.

Excellent trainers and an awesome experience. The right balance of supervision and freedom to work. Tools available to use, as well as some items available for purchase. Prices were good as well. Shop was comfortable with good lighting. Space was adequate for the project build.

Meals were above my expectations. Delicious to say the least.

Apologies for the long review, but I felt I needed the space to properly say what I wanted to say about the experience.

I am writing this review after attending the first two of three stand-alone courses offered by Pacific Rim Timberworks. I recently completed the Timber Framing Core Skills course with Matthew Lovemark and Kieran McLaury, and I would rate the overall experience a solid 10/10.

Matt brings a tremendous amount of practical, common-sense knowledge to timber framing. I especially appreciated that his perspective goes beyond Western timber framing traditions and includes an extensive understanding of Japanese influences on the craft. He has a way of connecting the techniques being taught with the larger ideas behind the craft, which made the course much more meaningful than simply learning how to cut joints.

Both Matt and Kieran approached the course with the attitude that the class was really about the students — learning the craft, developing skills, and becoming capable of continuing to educate themselves after the course was over.

There was a wide range of experience and ability among the students, and I thought the instructors handled that extremely well. Everyone was allowed to progress at their own pace without feeling rushed or held back. Inevitably, students made a few small mistakes while learning. Matt and Kieran handled those situations particularly well. Rather than focusing on the mistake or making the student feel bad about it, they calmly worked through the problem, found a solution, and turned it into part of the learning experience. That created a very comfortable environment in which people were willing to try things and learn.

Kieran was an absolute treasure trove of technical knowledge. He has a unique and very pleasant teaching style, and his ability to explain the technical side of timber framing added a great deal to the course.

The class was extremely hands-on. There was ample time devoted to instruction, followed by plenty of time to actually practice and develop the new skills. The course was also very well organized and progressed in a logical, orderly manner throughout the week.

Matt’s shop was excellent. There was plenty of room to work, everything was very clean and organized, and all of the equipment necessary for the course was readily available. The tools and machinery were top-notch, and there was good instruction on how to operate everything safely and efficiently.

The hospitality was another exceptional part of the experience. Three meals a day were provided, and the food was absolutely amazing. There was a tremendous variety throughout the week, and every meal was different and delicious. I honestly cannot remember another time in my life when I ate this well for an entire week. The meals were professional-chef quality.

Matt, his wife, and his sister-in-law were wonderful hosts and made everyone feel welcome. The evening meals in particular created a nice opportunity for everyone to sit together, talk, and get to know one another outside of the shop.

Most of the participants camped along the river and seemed very happy with the experience. The setting was beautiful, and good bathroom facilities were provided. I personally chose not to camp and was able to find Airbnb accommodations only about five minutes away, so there were good options either way.

I also thought the value of the course was excellent. In the span of one week, I went from having limited practical timber-framing experience to feeling that I now have the fundamental skills and confidence necessary to execute and build a simple timber-frame structure.

I flew in from Colorado and then drove from Eugene, so I had a significant investment in both travel and time in order to attend these courses. Even with that added expense and effort, I still feel the value was absolutely there.

Having now attended the first two courses, I am looking forward to returning for the third. One important point is that these are stand-alone courses, so someone interested in attending the third course should not feel that they needed to have taken the first two in order to participate.

For anyone with a genuine interest in timber framing, I would strongly encourage you to sign up and attend. Whether you are just beginning or already have some experience, the combination of hands-on learning, knowledgeable instructors, excellent facilities, and outstanding hospitality makes this a very worthwhile experience.

10/10.

I appreciated the opportunity to use a lot of tools as well as have hands-on experience cutting joinery. Because I am a hands-on learner, I was able to understand what was verbally taught after actually doing it with my own hands. That was the biggest help for me.

The food was great as well!

Big shout out and kudos on the food — it was well planned and delicious. Related to the class/workshop, I was pleased with the instruction received from Matt and Kieran. I appreciated the confidence they put in the students to do the work they were instructed on. At no time did I get the feeling anyone was looking over my shoulder — well done.

At the risk of “splitting hairs,” full knowing this was the first of what I hope will be many more classes on timber framing, I would suggest as follows: day one could have provided more introduction of the overall project (site work completed, scope, goal of the class — i.e., was it to teach, provide volunteer labor for a community project, test the water on future workshops, etc.). Day one — I would like to have seen a few minutes setting expectations on quality of work. When you hand your work off to the next step, it should be ready for the next step.

When Matt and Kieran disagreed on an approach or solution, I liked the live debate in the setting (good lessons inside of the discussion) and Kieran was always good about pointing to Matt for final sign-offs. My personal goals were met and overall a great experience. My preceding comments should be read as fine-tuning for future classes and not any kind of gross miss by any measure. Thank you for the experience and the opportunity to participate. All the best.

Very knowledgeable instructors. Good instructors. An enjoyable time and I learned new skills.