Island School Of Building Arts — School in Gabriola

Reviews of Island School Of Building Arts

• Patrick

  Added 2016.06.02

  Truly unique educational program, the most excellent learning experience of my life. Individuals of all abilities and backgrounds share space to study timber framing arts together. The teacher respectfully meets you where your skills actually are, providing very personalized instruction. I have studied there twice and always feel welcome to the challenge of building amongst mostly professionals and almost all men. I have myself gone from beginner to confident enough to build my own home! Do it. :-)
• Cole

  Added 2016.05.31

  My expectations were exceeded during the timber frame hammer bents course. James and Pat run a tight ship at ISBA. The instruction was concise and on point, the blend of theory to hands-on work was balanced and well thought out. The shop facilities and tools were outstanding. Living on campus in log and timber buildings created a perfect immersive environment in which to learn as much as possible over the course of the month. The student accommodation and common areas are in need of TLC, but the course material, instructor, facilities and support staff all met and exceeded my expectations. I would recommend this course to anyone interested in big wood construction. As for all this noise about racism and antisemitism; there were many different races and ethnicities in my class and there was no difference in treatment that I observed. A great experience overall.
• Bria

  Added 2013.10.29

  I just finished the 4-week hammer bents course and it was such an incredible learning experience! Thirteen of us from all corners of the world and varied levels of carpentry came together to create such a beautiful structure. There were a number of challenges that surfaced and James handled the situations with grace and patience. James and Pat have created a very inspiring environment for learning the trade. Thank you for investing so much love and energy into the project. The Island School of Building Arts on Gabriola Island is a wonderful place!
• Jose

  Added 2013.07.11

  I have just finished 8 weeks of attending the Island School of Building Arts and had the absolute time of my life. I learned an incredible amount in that time and now have the knowledge and inspiration to start my own timber framing company. James and Pat are unbelievably nice people who work very hard to create a beautiful learning environment. The passion that James has for working with timbers is amazing and it made it easy to learn because you could tell he absolutely loves timber framing. I got the chance to meet many people who will be lifelong friends and could go on and on about how amazing of a time I had at the school. If you are a timber enthusiast and are looking to learn the craft, this is hands down the place you need to go. Thank you James, Pat and Brad for working so hard and for making those 2 months unforgettable. I will be back to take the log home building course as soon as I can! Thanks again! - Keaton Carlson, Pemberton BC
• Blake

  Added 2013.06.13

  I attended ISBA for 3 months during the fall of 2015. It is an inspiring environment where one is surrounded by liked-minded individuals in pursuit of mastering a craft. The administrators and the craftsman teaching the desired courses are among the most passionate and engaged professionals I have come across in education. The experience is all the more enhanced by the whimsical beauty of the school’s natural surroundings. I strongly recommend this program to anyone serious about learning a trade.