After graduating from ACBA, Joseph Lehman combined his passion for travel with his craft, eventually finding an unexpected opportunity halfway around the world in New Zealand. While backpacking through Europe, Joseph began searching for ways to continue traveling while building his career in timber framing. His research led him to Heritage Timbercraft (HTC), the only established traditional timber framing firm he could find in New Zealand. From a café in Berlin, he reached out to the company and arranged a trial period. Joseph indicated that “the process of securing externships at ACBA had given me the confidence to reach out to people, make connections, find work, and build partnerships.” Nine months later, Joseph has worked on projects ranging from compound joinery to 35 foot wide curved bow trusses. Beyond developing his craft, Joseph has been inspired by the close knit community surrounding HTC, where families participate in nearly every stage of creating a timber-framed home. He went on to tell the AJ that “everybody here, in their own way, gets to experience the joy and satisfaction of housing families—putting a roof over people’s heads that will last for generations.”
