School of Practical Stereotomy - École Pratique de Stéréotomie

Home
Canada
Ottawa, ON
School of Practical Stereotomy - École Pratique de Stéréotomie

Stereotomy; the fundamental mental skill of envisioning in 3D. Masters of it are true master builders

The purpose of the Professional School of Practical Stereotomy is, after apprenticeship, the training of elite craftsmen. This is a school for construction design arts where it counts among its pupils, from all points of North America and even from abroad, distinguished contractors in carpentry and timber framing, public construction, well-respected foremen, architects, and numerous craftsmen, who

se gratitude and recognition were always one of the best rewards. This Professional Element (Art du Trait), called upon today to render so much service to the industry, cultivates good design by teaching practical ways to seek all that one can give to work, to insure that the solution to each problem is rational and produces, in construction, a solid and well-thought-out execution. The pupil at the School starts with the elementary study of joinery, essential to any work; then he draws his first scale drawings, creates a scale model; then, with the same data, realizes the design, in life size, on a building site; thus, while working, he studies the various combinations containing all that is necessary for construction.

06/04/2026

Off to the races!! The SkillsUSA carpentry competition has started.

06/01/2026

In Atlanta at the Georgia World Conference Center with

I'm here acting as a judge for the Carpentry Competition and training for this years WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai, China 🇨🇳

05/16/2026

Had a fantastic week helping to train Tristan Coates For the upcoming WorldSkills competition in Shanghai, China this year. This is the first time in almost 50 years the US 🇺🇸 is sending a competitor in the carpentry category. Making history!!

It's a huge honor to be part of this process. A big thanks to SkillsUSA and NCCER for making this happen. And of course, a big thanks to our competitor - Tristan Coates.

It was a great week of training!

04/18/2026

Check out this eyebrow dormer workshop hosted by Heartwood School - Timber Framing and Traditional Trades. Participants learned the full process, from design and framing to construction and finish details, for an eyebrow dormer. Take a look at the photos for more details.

It was such a fun course, and we will definitely be doing it again!

Thank you to all the participants, and a sincere thank-you to Heartwood.

04/16/2026

Congratulations to Coterie Truin Compagnon Passant Charpentier du Devoir Breton La Serenite on this remarkable masterpiece and on his full induction as a Compagnon du Devoir.

This exceptionally beautiful wooden sculpture is a powerful expression of craft, discipline, and creativity. Built with the utmost precision, patience, and deep respect for tradition, its interlocking forms and flowing structure reflect both technical mastery and artistic vision. The piece conveys movement, balance, and rhythm, while transforming wood into something dynamic, elegant, and deeply intentional.

To become a Compagnon is to complete a profound journey of apprenticeship, learning, and self-discipline, joining a long-standing tradition that honors excellence in craftsmanship and the pursuit of knowledge through making. This achievement is a true testament to dedication, skill, and the enduring value of the craft.

Bravo, Hugo! An exceptional accomplishment and an inspiring work.

03/29/2026

Just wrapped up a 2-day intro to stereotomy workshop at a local high school and it was so much fun! The students came up with some incredible bracket designs.

Thanks for the opportunity!

03/02/2026

What an incredible experience this week has been.

Together, we built a 24' x 12' greenhouse in just five days; the largest structure we’ve ever completed in a workshop. We're genuinely humbled by what this group accomplished. The skill, focus, generosity, and teamwork were something special to see.

To the participants: thank you for showing up with such commitment, heart and willingness to learn. To our client: thank you for your trust and for being such a pleasure to collaborate with.

To the Austin School of Furniture thank you for hosting and organizing such a seamless, welcoming experience.

We're deeply grateful to have been part of it! Experiences like this show just how much there is to learn from one another; and how powerful it is when people come together to build something meaningful.
Thank you, everyone

11/01/2025

Another fantastic workshop at the Heartwood School - Timber Framing and Traditional Trades

Participants designed and built a scaled model of a balanced quarter turn staircase with dancing winders.

Thank you to all the students and staff for making this a great experience!!

10/27/2025

An awesome weekend staircase workshop!!

In this 2 day course, participants learned and built a fully code compliant exterior straight run staircase. We looked at the building code requirements from the international building code (IRC); minimum and maximum treads and risers, hand and guard rail heights, and can't fit a 6" or 4" sphere through the openings.

We calculated the unit run and unit rise, based on a given deck height, and learned how to equally space the spindles in the balustrade.

Thank you everyone!! 🙏🙏

10/05/2025

Two upcoming stair workshops at the Heartwood School - Timber Framing and Traditional Trades

Spots are limited (only 4 left). Sing up before they're all gone!!!

INTRODUCTION TO STAIRBUILDING (Oct 25-26, 2025)

BUILDING ARCHITECTURAL STAIRCASE; A BALANCED QUARTER-TURN WITH DANCING WINDERS (Oct 27-31, 2025)

Address

Ottawa, ON
K2J1H1

Website

http://schoolofstereotomy.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when School of Practical Stereotomy - École Pratique de Stéréotomie posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The University

Send a message to School of Practical Stereotomy - École Pratique de Stéréotomie:

Shortcuts

Want your university to be the top-listed University in Ottawa?