The Land of Enchantment: Labor Day Build Seminar 2024
Last week Timberon, New Mexico, became the epicenter of construction enthusiasm as we gathered for an exhilarating build seminar. Our experience was nothing short of transformative, blending hands-on learning with moments of joy and camaraderie. Here’s a recap of our time together.
The Build Begins: A New Era in Timberon
Jeremy, Gillian and Zachary arrived in Timberon on Wednesday night, ready to dive into the construction work that awaited us. Thursday morning, we helped with the finishing touches being applied to the 8×10 glamping cabins and the 8×8 bath house. The addition of these arched cabins was particularly striking; just three weeks ago, none of them were there! It was pleasant work for us since it was a welcome escape from the 105-degree heat of Texas. Being back in Timberon, for Jeremy and Gillian, always feels like coming home since we lived there for years when our children were little.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Dave, Harmony, and their tireless crew who made this progress possible. The cabins are not only functional but also looking fantastic. Although there’s still some interior finish work to be completed, they are thrilled to start welcoming visitors to this charming mountain town on a regular basis very soon!
Registrants arrived from across America at the build site bubbling with anticipation. The site of the 16 x 24 arched cabin to be built only contained, at this point, steel piers and I beams. After a welcome breakfast and some opening words from Jeremy and Dave, we all got to work building the foundation. We then erected the kit frame on top of the foundation in an astonishing 25 minutes. We were done with both tasks before lunch! It always amazes us how seamlessly everyone steps in and works together from all walks of life and some with no prior experience with power tools. It’s truly a testament to the uniting force of working towards a common goal as well as the ease at which our kits go together.
We ended the day a bit early at 4pm after framing out the end caps and loft. Then we brought everyone over to our (Jeremy and Gillian’s) personal 24×24 cabin to check out where it all began. We closed the day with a delicious enchilada dinner thanks to Jeremy’s mom and her friends. There’s nothing like a home cooked meal after a hard day’s work.
Everyone was hands on as we sheeted the end caps and loft with OSB and then placed the protective Tyvek on the end caps. After that, we did the first 2 runs of sheet metal on each side and called it a day to tour more arched cabins around Timberon. One of which was the Teters’ 24×40 cabin. It was here that Christhian and Sofia Herrera decided this was the size of the kit they wanted. We will share the full story later because it’s more than we have space for here today, but this was the moment we had been waiting on for some time. So, in the spur of the moment Jeremy quietly revealed to them what’s been in our hearts since the last seminar. He told them we were going to gift them the 24 x 40 kit. They’ve long been our biggest fans and have experienced an extremely rough year, more so than we even knew at the time. Many tears, hugs, disbelief, and “OMG PINCH ME, I MUST BE DREAMING” ensued. THIS IS OUR WHY. Giving people a leg up in those moments like living in an Arched Cabin did for us; the full circle effect of offering that is our passion.
The day ended with some mouth-watering barbecue, expertly smoked by Dave. The highlight of the evening was a lively performance by Guitar Slim and his band. Their comedic act and infectious energy had everyone in stitches. If you ever find yourself in the area, their act is a must-see for any event. The blend of humor and music was a perfect way to wrap up a productive day.
On day 3 we started off by doing some fun giveaways after breakfast. Hats, water bottles and one 8 x16 kit was given away. The winner of the kit was Julia from California and she was appreciative and happy.
The progress halted on the build for most of the day due to rain showers. However, everything is an opportunity! The rain gave us a chance to share one of our most cherished spots in Timberon with seminar attendees, adding an unexpected adventure to the agenda.
As we waited for the jobsite to dry out, we took a delightful detour to the local apple orchard. This spot holds many years of memories for Jeremy and Gillian holding their toddlers up in the air to pick from the trees and making apple butter and goodies later. It’s always nostalgic for us and especially so to share it with all our new friends. Strolling along admiring the wildflowers, emersed in the scent of rain-soaked earth, fresh crisp air stinging our laughing faces, and sharing more about our lives with each other. This is the life. It was a very sweet end to day 3.
On day 4, the build task was finishing the roof sheeting and attaching the ridge cap. However, the focus seemed to be more geared toward making plans for when we’d all see each other again and grasping what moments we had left to spend with each other. We finished up the work by noon on day 4. Saying goodbye to our fellow “ARCH-itects” (a playful term for those who’ve built a cabin kit) was bittersweet. We had grown so close in just four days, and it was hard to part ways. The laughter and storytelling had made this experience truly magical, and it took us weeks to process all the fast-paced fun we had.
We are grateful for these moments where we are allowed to commune with our tribe and be invigorated by all our shared dreams, ideas, ideals and LEARN. The more we learn about each and every one of you, the better we understand how to serve this community. The sense of unity and joy we shared throughout this, and previous build seminars, is something we’ll cherish forever.
Thank you all for a truly inspiring weekend. We look forward to our paths crossing again soon. Here’s to many more memorable build seminars and shared moments!
If you missed this seminar, please feel free to sign up for our mailing list so you’re notified as soon as we have another one on the schedule.
Providing affordable housing to the masses by giving DIY home builders an easy way to construct their dream home that will last a lifetime.
832 930 ARCH
info@archedcabinsllc.com