Building To Scale

Building To Scale hit the road last week for a behind-the-scenes tour of Freres in Lyons, OR. The cohort got an up-close look at Mass Ply production, guided by Freres engineer Austin Basl.

Thank you, Freres Wood and Austin, for welcoming our trainees and giving them such a valuable look inside the process. Special thank you to Kim Carruth Kelleher for joining us as well!
🛠 HomeAid

, Founder of stopped by Building to Scale with the team. What began as a brief visit turned into two hours talking building science, answering questions, getting to know the cohort, and reminding them what a meaningful opportunity they have in front of them.

Mark has spent decades educating builders, manufacturers, and industry professionals on how to build better homes. His time, encouragement, and expertise meant a lot to this group.

Building to Scale is about more than technical training. It’s about connecting students with the people, knowledge, and relationships that can help open doors into real careers in the homebuilding industry.

Thank you, Mark and OrePac, for showing up for the next generation of builders! 😌

, you coming to visit next?

The revamped Building to Scale logo on these shirts represents the deep industry partnerships that make this program run. Shoutout to designer Annette Furio Design for bringing it to life, and to HomeAid for being a foundational part of what makes Building to Scale possible.

BIG thank you to Garment Graphics in Hillsboro for going above and beyond to get these done on time. When our order came in late, they were in at 6:30 AM on a Monday to make it happen. 🌞

Though the International Mass Timber Conference has wrapped up, the story of this modular office continues. 🏗

Built through Building to Scale, the structure will now move into its next role as a classroom, where trainees will gain hands-on experience with modular mass-timber construction while preparing for careers in residential building.

Projects like this show how education, industry collaboration, and community partnerships can come together to create real pathways into construction careers.

We’re grateful to the many partners helping support workforce development and mass timber innovation across Oregon, including Freres Wood, the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition, the TallWood Design Institute at the University of Oregon, Marcus Kauffman and the Oregon Department of Forestry, and Clackamas Community College President Tim Cook.

Photos by Shelby Coleman.