Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute announces architectural carpentry program

Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute announces architectural carpentry program July 27, 2026 | 10:43 am CDT

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Woodworking Industry News

Design

Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute announces architectural carpentry program

By

Dakota Smith

July 27, 2026 | 10:43 am CDT

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 The first academic year is scheduled to begin August 30, 2027, with graduation on June 3, 2028. Successful students will earn a Professional Diploma in Architectural Carpentry & Preservation. Photo by SWBI.

ADRIAN TOWNSHIP, Mich., Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute (SBWI) announced that its new Architectural Carpentry & Preservation program has received approval from the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), a recognized accrediting agency of the U.S. Department of Education. The approval clears the way for SBWI to welcome the program's first class in fall 2027.

The one-year program will provide intensive, hands-on training for students interested in preserving, restoring and recreating the architectural elements that give historic buildings their character. The first academic year is scheduled to begin August 30, 2027, with graduation on June 3, 2028. Successful students will earn a Professional Diploma in Architectural Carpentry & Preservation.

"This approval represents an important step forward for SBWI and for the preservation trades," said Luke Barnett, president and co-founder of Sam Beauford Woodworking Institute. "It's an opportunity for employers to get skilled people, and an opportunity for students to make a living doing something that they love."

The program responds to a growing need for craftspeople who possess both traditional carpentry skills and an understanding of contemporary preservation standards. Students will train for work involving historic doors, windows, trim, stair systems, cabinetry, millwork, finishes and other architectural elements.

The two-semester curriculum moves students from foundational woodworking and new construction into advanced preservation practice and fieldwork. The program will be based at SBWI's new $16.5 million campus at 5201 Forrister Road in Adrian Township. The purpose-built campus will provide expanded training facilities for SBWI's career programs and support immersive instruction in architectural carpentry, historic preservation and related skilled trades.

During the first semester, students will work primarily in the studio, building skills in measuring and marking, drawing, architectural history, stick-frame carpentry, casework, door and window construction, cabinetry, staircases, carving, bending techniques and lathe-turned architectural work.

In the second semester, instruction will move from the studio to historic properties in the surrounding community. Students will apply their skills under real-world conditions while studying repair, restoration, stabilization, building codes, material identification, site safety and field documentation.

The curriculum draws from the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, emphasizing repair over replacement and the retention of historic materials whenever possible. Students will also develop competencies in OSHA safety requirements, lead-safe work practices, building investigation, estimating, scheduling, budgeting, proposals, construction documentation and project management.

SBWI developed the curriculum with input from a national team of carpenters, preservationists, architects, engineers, project managers, trades professionals and educators. The group represented union and non-union career pathways, large firms, independent shops, nonprofit organizations and higher education. Michigan State University helped facilitate and host the subject-matter expert meetings that guided the curriculum's development.

The program will be limited to 18 students. Participants will receive individualized instruction from two lead instructors, supported by a studio or field assistant and SBWI's academic and administrative team. 

To register for this program, visit sbwi.edu/architectural-carpentry-preservation.

Graduates will be prepared for careers including restoration carpenter, finish carpenter, preservation technician, historic building contractor, architectural millworker, cabinetmaker, historic window and door restoration specialist, construction supervisor or building inspector, residential remodeling professional and design-build entrepreneur.

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About the author

Dakota Smith

| Assistant Editor

Dakota is an assistant editor at Woodworking Network, avidly exploring the woodworking industry.

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