TFG Events & Workshops

Ariel Schecter

TimberHomes Vermont

Scribed Reciprocal Roof Frame
TimberHomes Vermont had the pleasure this year of building an unusual pavilion with a reciprocating roof, framed with 8 tree fork posts and round log rafters, and erecting it on a remote peninsula off the coast of Maine at the former homestead of the famous philosopher and yurt architect Bill Coperthwaite. The methods we employed for the scribing were creative, challenging, and most importantly, fun! This presentation will be an educational slideshow that starts with an overview of what a reciprocating roof pavilion is, and the elegant mechanics behind how they work. Then we will look at some of those production methods in the shop, including the floor drawing and jigs we used to orient the logs over it. Finally, you will get to see the fun journey of trailering the whole frame over 300 miles, and then loading it all onto an ocean barge at the farthest tip of the Maine coast. You’ll see us barge through a whitewater “tidal rip” and then follow along the raising script with photos of each step.

At the end, we will discuss the history of the land and a bit of the story behind Bill Coperthwaite - a philosopher, writer, and yurt builder, who lived a remarkable life rooted in simplicity, hand tools, and a reverence for nature. A Q&A and any discussion points about reciprocal roof framing will conclude the session.

Ariel grew up in the Hudson Valley in New York State, gaining expertise in the building trades at a young age working tirelessly on elaborate Lincoln Log, Knex, and Lego projects. He went on to study structural engineering and sculpture at Brown University but did not discover timber framing until years after graduating. He pursued other passions in the meantime, living as a street musician in New Orleans, a steel sculptor in Northern California, and spending several years in a very colorful intentional community in rural Tennessee. It was here that Ariel stumbled into a weeklong timber framing workshop, and quickly concluded that this old and beautiful trade would become his calling.

He relocated back to the northeast and has since worked for a number of talented timber framers, whose guidance has been instrumental in shaping his path through this expansive craft. At TimberHomes he particularly enjoys the playful juxtaposition of milled, square timbers with organic, natural shapes from the forest – the melding of engineering, logic, and creative expression.