Woods Shop in Spring Valley

Review №1

2023-12-12 15:13:51

I wanted to build a tea house and found Joe’s plans on the web. The whole process was very straight forward. The material lists were fantastic and made sourcing a snap. The steps were easy to follow. I recommend these plans if you’re thinking of building your own. Lots of fun but remember to measure twice. Thanks Joe for a great package!

Review №2

2022-05-31 15:36:58

We built a Japanese style pavilion from one of Joe’s kits. It took two of us about four day to erect the structure after the slab was poured and took a roofer two days to apply the cedar shingles which you buy separately. The beams, rafters, braces etc. in the kit are absolutely the best grade redwood. Beautiful! We put in Joe’s optional moon window as well. Joe is always available by phone to guide you should you have any questions as you build. This is a premium quality kit and looks it when built.

Review №3

2023-10-18 21:33:49

I am very happy with how my Japanese style tea house turned out. The pond and stream features were previously existing, and presented a bit of a design challenge, but it came out beautifully. I was so pleased I had Joe do a screen for the A/C and a separate gazebo style shade structure. All top notch woodworking. Wood was expensive but high quality. I have beautiful photos, but unfortunately they would not upload here.

Review №4

2016-10-13 20:02:52

What an amazing experience. From start to finish Joe guided us thru our dream project of a Tori gate for our evolving Japanese garden. Offered many great ideas and worked with us to get just what we wanted. His craftsmanship is second to none. The quality of his woodworking is superb. This is a man who LOVES what he does and it shows. Plus he made delivery and installation a breeze. Great directions, step by step. Left nothing to the imagination. Made me feel like I actually could do it!! And I did. Couldnt be happier. Highly recommend.

Review №5

2019-05-31 01:39:02

I am building a Japanese “azumaya” tea house on Elbow Cay in The Bahamas. In searching for this, I came across Joe Wood in San Diego. After our first contact Joe just couldn’t be more helpful. I ordered the clear cedar and had him stain it. I even visited his shop in San Diego. This man is a real craftsman-a perfectionist! He bundled all the pieces in a secure shipping box, shipped it by truck to Florida, then by boat to our place and arrived in perfect condition! Joe was available at all times by phone or email while our workers were constructing the azumaya. Every piece fit perfectly! It really is a work of art. We have completed the base, posts, beams and roof, and next year will add walls and “moon”’windows.My wife-who was the driving force behind this-loves it! I just can’t say enough good things about both the quality and the service we got from Joe.

Review №6

2021-01-06 18:02:39

Point Loma FujidanaI saw Joe Wood’s website when I was looking for a patio cover. Since I am a sculpture myself, I was very impressed with his designs. I liked his aesthetic, especially the oriental quality. I asked him if he would make me a patio cover for a new deck that had recently been built. He came up with a beautiful idea to cover part of the deck with grey stained cedar that reflected the color of the deck and siding. He suggested that instead of using wood slats on top of the cedar structure, that the covering would be made of 3/4“ bamboo. I really liked that idea. It turned out beautiful. The bamboo makes a very soft shade that allows sunlight to peak in through the edges of the bamboo.The wood construction was all completed in his shop, so that when he arrived, he was able to put together the whole form in two days.The quality of his craftsmanship is amazing. I feel that I got way more than I expected from his knowledge and craftsmanship.

Review №7

2021-02-14 06:39:34

Joe is without a doubt, one of the most interesting people to be actively pursuing trades-work. I worked for Joe from 2003- 2009, and I have to leave a comment here after the profound effect he had on my life. I had plenty of carpentry experience by way of rough framing when I started, but I was blown away at the creativity and passion he put into each and every project. At that time, most of the contractors I had worked for, were very specific about the amount of time that needed to be allocated to each project. Joe was complete opposite.From the first day I met him, he preached to me that money was simply a byproduct of a job well done. He often times got lost in the sheer beauty of a deck project, we we’re working on, and would allow things to only be measured by the singleminded, relentless pursuit of perfection. I was an impressionable young, journeymen carpenter, and I was dumbfounded. Actually, I was in complete disbelief.Perfection in carpentry is not something that can be accurately measured before a project starts. If Joe thought a specific custom curved portion of a roofline, or maybe even a detailed cut was not absolutely perfect, he would make me start over. He slowly trained me to love the process. He thought me to look past the timelines and paychecks and just enjoy the process.... enjoy the pet suit...I always worried, my small mistakes were going to push the project over budget. I even tried to find ways to cut corners and speed up the process. He always stayed true to his core belief that working on a persons home, was a chance to improve their quality of life. It was almost as if the job site turned to sacred ground to Joe, once a project started. There was simply no limit to the attention to detail that Joe found in absolutely every single project... every single cut...I left San Diego in 2009 and have since started my own contracting business. I have completed just over $61MM in construction projects in Denver, Co. The simple fundamentals that Joe taught me, many years ago, have become my underlying philosophy in contracting, and in life. I no longer have the time to become personally involved in each and every project as I once had, but I never let myself forget the fundamentals that Joe taught me, many years ago.Any project that Joe becomes involved with will not only receive decades of experience, but Joe also brings a passion for craftsmanship, that is rarely seen anywhere! Thanks for all you taught me buddy. Words cannot describe how grateful I am.

Review №8

2015-11-09 19:32:49

Our landscape designer hired Joe to design and build a pergola and four gates for us as part of a complete overhaul of our front and backyard. His work stands out as one of the best and most distinctive features of our remodel. While the front gate and pergola are the showpieces, Joe took the two gates for our dog run and the gate for our garbage area just as seriously so that they are as beautiful as the others. Joe was particularly considerate in how much thought he gave to the design of the dog run gates to make them as secure as possible without sacrificing aesthetics. Everyone from friends to delivery people have commented on the beauty of our gates, and I am actually sitting underneath the pergola as I write this review enjoying the yard in a way that I couldn’t before.We had some complications along the way with timing and communication, which were the only things that kept this from being a five star experience, but we also appreciate that a lot of this was a result of the care and focus Joe puts into making his designs special and of the highest quality. Joe is an artist and completely worth the investment in time and money to gain the benefits of his work. He takes his craft very seriously and we have the utmost confidence in the durability of everything he provided for us. He is truly a master at combining form and function and I am very glad that our designer found him.

Review №9

2017-07-14 14:46:28

Joe first constructed a Japanese styled gate for my garden in 2006. His craftsmanship and the materials that he used were of superior quality. Joe crafted the gate from old growth cedar, and he brilliantly designed the gates roof to conceal an unsightly hot water pipe, which ran from a detached garage to my house. Joes gate, also, replaced a chain link fence transforming an eye sore into a stunningly beautiful focal point.Ive since moved into townhouse with a small front yard, which needed updating. Missing the aesthetic of my former residence, I contacted Modern Zen Garden and they installed an exquisite karasansui landscape design with a bamboo cabinet to hide an unattractive utility meter; resulting in beautiful and functional space for everyone to admire. So I thought, and despite signage, people and their dogs habitually encroached into the area leaving feces, urine-burned plants and their bad karma. So I contacted Joe, once again, for a solution. This time Joe engineered a Shinto inspired pedestrian railing made with old growth cedar and Ipe. He also installed a 2-tiered bamboo screen along the block wall to create a sense of privacy without obscuring the view when backing out of the driveway. The effects were immediate: pedestrians and their dogs now go elsewhere to use the toilet and the space is visually appealing and functional. Joe is a talented craftsmen and his work speaks for itself. Additionally, Joe is extremely reliable and very easy to work with. I recommend him without reservation.

Review №10

2013-12-29 20:20:09

While searching the internet for Japanese tea house plans to complete my Japanese influenced garden and koi pond, I was captivated by Joe Wood’s Japanese Azumaya designs. Purchasing the 10’ by 12’ plans for a curved roof Azumaya, I was amazed at the abundance of detail provided, but soon realized the limitations of my equipment would not allow the precise milling needed to produce the curved rafters with consistent accuracy. As a compromise, I purchased and milled the large posts and beams, and contracted with Joe to have the roof members professionally milled. The price was very reasonable and the result was spectacular using the highest quality Western Red Cedar. The assembly process was simple and exact, and throughout, Joe was always available by email to answer my many questions, even to the point of providing additional detailed drawings. The quality of wood, the care, the craftsmanship and precision of the milling, and the abundance of details for the assembly have resulted in a truly satisfying work of art that is the centerpiece of the garden. The harmonious lines of the architecture, complimenting natural form, create an atmosphere of serenity that draws all who visit.