Demystifying Roof Geometry - The Stereotomical Approach
Roof geometry is a challenge most framers must face eventually. These problems can be solved either mathematically or visually (drawing by hand). The skill of drawing complex shapes and practicing stereotomy has been taught for centuries by the French, German, and Japanese carpentry traditions; it enables the carpenter to directly measure working angles and scale dimensions rather than calculating them. No algebra or calculators required. You can even throw out your framing square!!
Learning stereotomy manually by drawing is the key fundamental in understanding the geometry of complex roof intersections. Learning stereotomy empowers the builder to solve for a far wider variety of building shapes. The skills learned in this course are applicable to conventional framing as well as timber work, furniture with splayed legs, stairs, finish carpentry, and any other project where angled planes and pieces meet at a combination of angles. Stereotomy, as it's practiced by French Carpenters, has been inscribed onto The List of The Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
In this course, we'll demonstrate various methods of laying out and cutting timber framed hip and valley systems using lofting and visualization. Students will work on individual scaled models to lay out and cut models they can take home, which will include an irregular (bastard) hip and valley with purlin and jack rafter system and diversed (or canted) hips and valleys. We will explore an array of ways to solve for "complex" roof problems.
Intstructor
The instructor for this course is Patrick Moore.
Patrick Moore has more than 10 years of schooling from around the world and became the first, and currently only person from both American continents to be received as a "Compagnon Passant Charpentier" in France. He completed his masters with the esteemed "Association ouvriere des compagnon du devoir de tour de France" the most prestigious private university for carpentry in Paris, France. He has had pieces on display at the "Musee du Compagnonnage" in Tours, France the "Musee des Maitres et Artisans du Quebec" in Montreal, Canada, and currently has works on exhibition at the "Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum" in Kobe, Japan. Patrick has two diplomas; one in heritage carpentry and the other in heritage masonry and is a holder of the Red Seal certificate in carpentry. He specializes in historic carpentry and has worked around the world on nationally and internationally classified historical sites. He wields an extensive portfolio, two UNESCO classified World Heritage Sites, numerous nationally classified historical monuments in Europe and North America, as well as new construction of luxury high-end private residences. He has written articles for multiple timber framing and woodworking journals in North America and Europe. In 2014 he founded and created the Professional School of Practical Stereotomy in Ottawa, Canada, a school unique in the English-speaking world where students are able to obtain a master's certificate either online or on location.
Instagram - thestereotomist
Facebook - School of Stereotomy
Twitter - @thestereotomist
Website - www.historicalcarpentry.com
Recommended Reading:
- "Stereotomy and the Guitarde" by Patrick Moore, Timber Framing 139
- "The St. Andrews Cross" by Patrick Moore, Timber Framing 123
- "French Hip Layout" by Patrick Moore, Timber Framing 106
Recommended watching:
*For any questions, please contact the Heartwood School at request@heartwoodschool.com or 1-603-678-1156.
