Lewis’ Garden Temple
One week prior to the workshop, I asked Lewis, “What are you going to do with the training you receive from EcoNest?”
He said, “I am going to go home and build a 12 x 16 garden shed. I already have the foundation in place.”
“Lewis, how would you like to build your garden shed with this workshop?”
After quoting a price of labor and estimated material cost, Lewis said he was interested.
Twenty minutes later I got a quote for the timber and Lewis said, “We are a go!”
Now, Lewis has a beautiful timber frame ready to erect on his foundation. And that is how the story goes. This is how it happens.
In closing, most of all, I am grateful that Lewis provided an opportunity for students to learn timber framing and working together for a common purpose.
“Thank you, Lewis!”
~Robert Laporte
“This workshop is a master class in, not only carpentry, but the honing of the mind. After honing your tools, you are prepared to handle any task. Robert shows great techniques with an immense amount of knowledge to home the ultimate tool, your mind. Thank you.”
Lewis Lopes, March 2025 Sponsor and Graduate
“The intro to timber framing was a formative experience. Robert not only imparted the practical knowledge of how to build a timber frame, he also imparted the joy and the tradition that imbue this craft. At the end of the workshop I was by no means the master Robert is but I felt like I had a firm foothold into this awesome style of building which I hope to expand over time.”
Brandon Webster, March 2025 Graduate
“The EcoNest experience was transformative. Robert and Paula have a wealth of knowledge and are eager and willing to share. With the timber framing workshop, you really get an opportunity to dive into the work and hone your skills in a great environment and with an attentive and forgiving teacher. I would highly recommend it even for people who aren’t builders.”
Kenyan Pope, March 2025 Graduate
“What an absolute wonderful experience. Robert’s attention to detail and years of knowledge is priceless! I can’t express enough gratitude for the time spent learning this craft.”
Matt Laurance, March 2025 Graduate
“My week learning with Robert was great! The workshop was inspiring and had a supportive environment for questions and mistakes that came up. The workshop built my skills as a carpenter as well as my mindset as an individual. On the first day I could already tell I was going to get a lot out of it and, by the end, I already had more experience than I thought I would gain. There is so much to learn about timber framing and tool care. I enjoyed how much focus, clarity and grounding that was necessary to do this work.”
Phin Reilly, March 2025 Graduate