KAKEZUKURI COURSE
€1,400 – September 12–18, 2026.
7 days to learn the basics of traditional Japanese timber framing.
Led by Ruben Peral, an architect and carpenter trained in Kyoto, and Alfred Rambaud, cabinet maker with deep Japanese connections, you'll take part in building a deck on a sloped terrain. Participants will discover the Ishibadate technique (natural stone foundations), and will learn and hand-execute traditional timber-frame joints (tenons, mortises, dovetails, scarf joints...), culminating in an on-site assembly.
An opportunity to discover traditional Japanese carpentry, get familiar with the tools, and learn to build durable, eco-friendly foundations for any timber-frame structure.
Day 1 – Introduction to Japanese carpentry, marking and first mortises.
Day 2 – Sharpening and tenon cutting.     
Day 3 – Ishibadate (shaping the posts to fit the foundation stones).     
Day 4-5 – Hand-cut joinery and machine introduction (Dovetails).
Day 6 – Making a scarf joint (Koshikake Kama Tsugi).
Day 7 – Finishing touches, dry-fit assembly, and on-site installation.

1 Spot
Left

What will you see

Hand-work and machine-work

We believe hand and machine work best together, so our philosophy is to give you the best of both worlds.

Dovetails And KamaTsugi

The complexity of the joinery increases as the course progresses, but we will cover the basic joinery that solves 90% of simple structures.

IIShibatate - From marking to carving

The ishibatate is a core part of the process. You’ll learn how to scribe posts to stone with the best method.

FAQ

    • The course will take place in Sérent, France, at Alfred Rambaud’s atelier.

    • Yes! We enthusiastically encourage you to bring your own tools. Not because we are greedy, but because you will learn faster with the tools you’re already familiar with.

    • In case of need we have student sets available in the atelier.

    • Registration will only be confirmed upon receipt of the deposit payment (30%).

    • Registration fees are non-refundable.

    • The remaining balance must be paid at least one week before the course begins.

    • In the event of cancellation more than 30 days before the course start date, the deposit may be transferred to another course within 6 months.

    • We reserve the right to cancel a course at any time, and in that case guarantee a full refund to participants.description