Wood's Shop

Joe built a 10 x 10 Azumaya in my backyard that turned out fantastic. He also added outside window framing and post sheathing to match in tight knot cedar. His quality and attention to detail is outstanding.

I bought plans from Joe (very reasonable) for a 12 x 12 draped Azumaya that I built in western Colorado. I cut out all the parts in my shop last fall, cut all rafters with a jig saw using the full size templates I got printed from Joe's files and handcut all beams and misc. parts. I used #1 doug fir FOHC for all framing parts which I thouroughly dried before cutting. I know Joe recommends western red cedar, and rightly so, because it is a very stable wood, but it is also quite a bit more expensive, especially here in western Colorado. I didn't have any issues with the fir, but I had it stacked on stickers in my shop for 2 months with a fan on it to circulate air and used a moisture meter to be sure it was dry. After cutting out the parts I oiled all surfaces and stacked everything inside until spring. Assembly was a breeze, everything fit together perfectly with no issues. I couldn't be happier with Joe's plans. Although I am a builder by trade, I feel like there is enough information included with the plans that even someone with much more limited experience could build from them. FYI, I had 280 hours in the project and my grandson and another helper had 115 hrs.

I ordered a 10’x10’ azumaya straight roof kit from Joe for a teahouse built on Elbow Cay, Abaco, Bahamas In our garden. Everything was perfect, including the packaging of the cedar material, so it survived shipping by truck across the US, then by ship to Marsh Harbour, then by freight boat to our island. Absolutely no damage! I had a local builder assemble and build the structure, and each piece fit perfectly. The builder, and others, said he had never seen such beautiful, clear “tight” cedar! Joe was available at all times for advice and consultation, both by email and by phone. I even flew out to San Diego to visit Joe and his shop! He is truly an artist with this Japanese design, and is a perfectionist in his work, and is a really nice person!

Joe is the consummate artist and designer. Our Azumaya tea house is one of the more spectacular sights in our town on Cape Cod. We are very proud of our Tea House. We had a contractor assemble the kit on and in our mahogany deck but the entire tea house was built by Joe in his shop and shipped to us from the West Coast to Cape Cod. The cost to ship was insignificant in the grand scheme of things. Joe has pictures to share

I purchased in 2010 an Azumaya kit from Joe. I assembled and constructed it myself as my home is in San Francisco, Ca. and too far from Joe in San Diego. Joe's patience and phone support was great. And the quality of materials was high and everything fit together like a glove. After construction I published my story in the Japanese Journal of Gardening, and small exclusive magazine for Sukiya living and hard core Japanese gardeners.

I think Joe was Japanese in a past life, he has such an eye for the subtle scale, balance and harmony in Japanese design and cares deeply for his work. He’s been building beautiful wood structures for my Zen Gardens for a long time now. He’s full of ideas for exactly what I need and designs it all in 3d CAD, sending me images of his ideas daily so I can properly visualize it. He carefully listens to my feedback making him very easy to work with. He understands Japanese construction and joinery but brings his own creative slant to it. Then I am blown away by what he builds for me, with such beautiful and appropriate materials and careful, fine workmanship. Thank you Joe I am so glad our paths crossed!

I have known Joe Wood for over 20 years. I had the opportunity to collaborate with him on many of my garden projects in San Diego. He did all the woodwork for the Japanese style gates, fences, decks that I designed. His woodwork is truly exceptional and he is highly skilled. I recommend Joe Wood to anyone looking to have any kind of woodwork done on his or her property.

I contacted Joe Wood to build a much needed pond cover to shade my koi fish from the sun. As my fish collection started to grow, the need to protect the fish from the hot summer sun became urgent. Joe asked me to take photographs of my pond for his review and then he sent detailed instructions describing what measurements he needed so he could design a pond cover. He came back with a design that I never thought could be possible, following with an estimate and instructions of how many people I need to have on site for the construction. I was asking Joe to come to El Centro, CA. to take on this project and he figured out a way to do the job with my help. This was like a “do it yourself project”, but with Joe’s oversight and hands on the project. He had every piece of wood numbered, cut to size and stained. It was like following the numbers to erect the pond cover. When Joe and his assistant drove to my house the morning of, he orchestrated the plan to build the pond in one day. It was achieved and I’m loving the new shade for the fish. It is truly a work of art. I highly recommend Joe Wood to take on your project if you want to have a beautiful design that takes in the surroundings and your vision, it can be done.

I was looking for a structure for our yard that was Asian in appearance and would last a long time. I happened to find the Azumaya and Joe Wood’s website and the pictures were beautiful but the structures looked expensive. Then I figured I would surely find someone else or a cheaper version. I kept looking for months. There are other Asian inspired structures but are all from overseas online. How could I verify quality? Then I drove around to all local gazebo places around where I live and got prices for their products. Then I drove around again and asked the price for work if I bought the plans from Joe Wood first. I even called a friend from high school that does wood work. The conclusion I came to was that Joe would build it the best. But I live in Florida. I called Joe and spoke to him on phone several times before finally deciding to purchase azumaya from him. He sounded like a nice and serious guy on the phone. I purchased the whole structure from him. A 10x10 draped roof. It’s beautiful. The work and the quality of the materials was worth the wait. Joe is a nice guy and I would buy from him again. He is detailed in his work. You are getting a high end item. Not comparable to any local gazebo structure. Once the crate was delivered I felt I could not wait. And put it up with my dad"s help in about 3 days. Then the roof took me a couple of weeks. And after years. Now its been over 4 years. I still get compliments from a lot of people that come into our yard and see it. It’s a pleasure to look at and use. It was worth. Beautiful work. Thank you again. Joe. Jairo P.

dGet ready for a persona relationship with Joe. If you are assembling yourself he will help with the project from beginning to end. He uses excellent quality materials (grades of cedar not even available in my local area), all precut and fit well. I would use his shop again if I needed another similar project.

What an amazing experience we had. From start to finish Joe guided us through our dream project of a Tori gate for our evolving Japanese garden. He 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 delievery and installation a breeze. Great direction, step by step. Left nothing to the imagination. Made me feel like I could actually do it despite my limited skills. And I am proud to say I did it! Couldn’t be happier. 18 months later and still looks brand new despite some bad weather in the Northeast. HIGHLY recommend

Joe Wood is a craftsman. He really enjoys making beautiful objects out of wood. His designs involve intricate patterns and exotic woods and are all beautiful. I am a woodworker and can say from experience that Joe knows what he is doing! As a business man, Joe excels. He listens and then executes. He stays on the job until finished, too. I recommend Joe Wood for your simple or exotic project.