ABOUT US

While finishing a degree at Penn State University Aaron began working in environmental education. He was living in a timber framed cabin at the time and also building and selling rustic furniture art. An interest in art, craft and environment mixed with an enthusiasm for outdoor adventure activities persisted along a path of experience and education that led Aaron to house design and construction.

Aaron and ej built their first straw bale structure in 1998 on Vashon Island near Seattle, WA. Along with some positive experiences at an art school in Seattle, Aaron began to realize that he might have the talent for design and construction to match his enthusiasm. An apprenticeship in timber frame design, engineering, and construction in 2001 at the Heartwood School in Massachusetts, bolstered his skill set and soon after launched Tugley Wood Timber Framing.

Aaron likes the idea of spending his day flying kites, but designing and building are a good second choice.

ej also got sidetracked into the environmental education field while at Penn State. She worked for many years as an educator, often focusing on nature, the outdoors, and sustainability issues. Doing research for their own strawbale home and Aaron's business led her to refocus her energies into green and natural building systems. In 2007 she became a Certified Sustainable Building Advisor and has taught for National Sustainable Building Advisor Program. She has also taught as an Energy Educator for NYSERDA and KidWind, and is a volunteer presenter for the International Living Building Challenge.

In her spare time, ej likes to beat Aaron at Scrabble.