Heritage Carpentry and Joinery

The two-year Heritage Carpentry and Joinery Ontario College Diploma program provides you with skills and knowledge related to the preservation, renovation and restoration of historical architecture.

You graduate with skills that set you apart from graduates of other carpentry programs. Algonquin College’s program places an emphasis on wood as a material, and the role of both buildings and their architectural components. You construct buildings and building components from locally-harvested and market-sourced lumber and timber. The crafting of these projects from beginning to end provides an engaging and satisfying educational experience.

Graduates are prepared to produce the high-quality work demanded in the growing field of Heritage Carpentry, as well as the custom carpentry and millwork industries. Opportunities are available in both private and public sectors. Some graduates may prefer freelance work while others will take positions in commercial or residential carpentry or millworking- companies. Those who decide to follow a traditional apprenticeship route find themselves in an advantageous position as a graduate due to the unique foundation of skills and knowledge acquired.

What You’ll Learn

• Develop and use strategies for ongoing professional development, to remain current with industry changes, enhance work performance and explore career opportunities.
• Comply with health and safety practices and procedures, in accordance with current legislation and regulations
• Apply conservation techniques in accordance with the Ontario and National Building Codes, and in adherence to the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
• Communicate and collaborate with diverse clients, supervisors, coworkers and tradespersons, to complete projects on time and to maintain effective working relationships.
• Solve problems related to the implementation of built heritage, joinery and millwork artifacts and custom carpentry projects, by applying the principles of basic technical mathematics and building design.
• Research, select, maintain and safely use hand tools, power tools and materials when performing traditional and contemporary carpentry, joinery and millwork craft.
• Research and record architectural elements to support and communicate accurate and appropriate historical representations of built heritage.
• Monitor the progression of built heritage, custom carpentry and millwork projects by applying basic principles and strategies of project management and conservation.
• Apply basic business principles and strategies to the operation of a building construction and/or renovation enterprise.
• Perform duties using specialized skillset related to carpentry and joinery in the fields of heritage conservation, high quality residential building and timber frame and log construction.
• Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.