Photo(s) of the Week: Raising Day! – The Penland Sketchbook

The timber framing class posing on the frame they raised

Penland’s eight-week concentrations are known for being intense and immersive workshops that leave students with new ideas, new skills, and new friends. This spring’s timber framing concentration was all that, but it also left a permanent mark on the Penland campus. In just eight weeks, the class, led by instructor Raivo Vihman and studio assistant Tom Shields, raised a full timber frame that will become the permanent home of a historical display just behind the Craft House. It took weeks of work to prepare the beams and fit them all together, but the raising took place in just one exhilarating day! Here’s to teamwork, cranes, and careful planning.

The first two walls of the frame going up — The two long walls of the structure were assembled on the ground before being raised into place.

Lowering a beam into place — A crane helps lower the first cross beam into position. Nice hard hats, all!

pounding a peg into place — The raising called for big pegs and big mallets. Unlike standard dimensional lumber frames, the timber frame isn’t held together with metal screws and braces.

The frame before the roof beams — With each new beam, the frame took on more and more of its final shape.

Thank you, timber framers, for this gorgeous structure! It will be a cherished part of campus for years and years to come.