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2009 Western Conference |
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23rd Annual Western ConferenceMarch 26-29, 2009 Sunriver Resort, Sunriver, Oregon We are all coming out of last year having experienced some of the most momentous events in recent history. In 2009 we are facing extraordinary challenges and opportunities with hope and determination that we can create a better built environment. Through the years our gatherings have focused on community, craft, natural building and sensible use of our resources. As these topics become even more important, we welcome you to participate in this, our 23rd Western Conference, where we'll discover ways to sustain our businesses, improve our craft and dig in for the days ahead. Register here. Toshio Odate has been a sculptor and furnituremaker for more thanr sixty years, forty of them in the U.S. He is a noted author and teacher, and he delighted participants at our last Eastern Conference in Maine with his energy, humor, skill and passion for woodworking. He liked us, too, and wants to come to Sunriver, where our western members will get a rare chance to see him in person (he lives in Connecticut). His main presentation, tentatively scheduled for Sunday morning, is titled "The Morality of the Craftsman," and will be preceded by demonstrations throughout the weekend. These demos include sharpening and survey of three basic Japanese tools: the plane, chisel and saw. Toshio welcomes you to bring your own tools for him to evaluate and offer recommendations for tuning up and improving. We will also provide a time for him to show slides of some of his monumental sculptures that he feels will be of great interest and inspiration to timber framers. Toshio's enthusiasm; generosity and boundless energy guarantees that everyone will get a chance to learn the most from this legendary craftsman. Toshio Odate appears through the generosity and sponsorship of TimberTools, with additional support from Big Timberworks, The Cascade Joinery, Goshen Timber Frames, Macdonald and Lawrence, SwiftSure Timberworks, Earthwood Homes of Oregon and Collin Beggs.  Organic builder SunRay Kelley's sculptural and fantastic designs use many forms from nature; the curved roofs and sculpted walls seem to be right out of a work by J.R.R. Tolkien. He will share insights on how he approaches and visualizes projects using materials at hand, and how he learned to build them himself because no one else could figure out how. A prolific builder around the world, SunRay's work (including massive timbers) is featured in The Art of Natural Building and Builders of the Pacific Coast.   Pre-Conference EventsPre-Conference workshops tentatively include Joel McCarty offering Guild curriculum certifications in Forklift Truck Training, Jesse Kendall on engineering software and how to use it, Curtis Milton on compound roof framing, and Andrea Warchaizer on integrating home design with timber framing. Main ConferenceThe main conference will feature organic builder SunRay Kelly whose sculptural and fantastic designs use many forms from nature. See his work in Builders of the Pacific Coast, a new book by Lloyd Kahn. Other presenters tentatively include:
Other EventsWe will have our usual highlights, including the Trade Fair and Mixer, Summer Beam Bookstore, Slide Show and Benefit Auction. Our 9th Children's Discovery Workshop will be led by Stephen Morrison, Bill Sturm and friends. This year the kids hope to build a play structure for a local school or day care center, and we may have the Sunriver Rotary Club step up to sponsor an installation at the local Head Start facility. About Our Venue
Sunriver Resort, located 15 miles south of Bend, Oregon on the dry side of the Cascade Mountains, is a AAA Four-Diamond award winning property. With a unique blend of full-service resort amenities, personalized service, year-round world-class recreation, natural beauty, and the Pacific Northwest ambiance, Sunriver Resort is the Northwest�s premier destination resort. We have blocked a large number of suites at the Sunriver Resort that include kitchens, lofts, two bathrooms and can sleep up to 6. Be sure to book early to get the accommodations of your choice. Online booking is now available at www.sunriver-resort.com/tfguild, where you may also take a virtual tour of the Resort. Room reservations: Lodging is not included in your conference fee and must be booked with the hotel directly. Call the hotel at 800-547-3922 or visit online at www.sunriver-resort.com/tfguild and mention the Timber Framers to get the Guild's special rates. Reserve by February 23rd to be assured of the Conference rate. Standard Guestroom rates are $120/night single or double occupancy plus tax. Lodge Village Suites are $175/night. We will be changing our meal program and lodging options to provide more affordable opportunities for those on a tight budget (aren't we all these days?). We are also offering a meals-optional rate so that groups can have breakfast or a late dinner back at their lodge and pack a lunch to the Conference. Travel ArrangementsSunriver Resort is located 15 miles south of Bend in Central Oregon and is 45 minutes south of the Redmond (OR) airport. Get driving directions here. Timber framers driving to Sunriver can stop along the way to check out some of the forty covered bridges that still exist in Oregon, as featured in the September 2007 issue of Timber Framing, our quarterly journal. Directions will be included with your registration materials. Education Credits
Continuing Education Units for architects and engineers are available for many of the seminars. Contact our office for details. |
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