This section of the website documents the tea house build process. It is presented as several sequences of pages, each covering a stage of the build (while within a sequence, you will need to click on the 'next page' link at the bottom of each page). And there are also pages covering materials and suppliers. The current state of completion can be found here.
The build has (at least so far) been carried out by myself. Although I started this with very limited carpentry and building skills, there is a wealth of advice available on the Web and with proper research and care (and time!) it is possible to achieve quite reasonable results and great satisfaction.
But having already decided to compromise my original objective of an authentic construction based on traditional materials, tools and techniques (see Design), there seemed little point in stretching my limited skills unnecessarily. So I decided for the basic frame to minimise the use of pegged mortice and tenon joints in favour of much simpler half-lap and notched joints and to allow some use of metal fixings such as joist hangers. However, I did want to avoid any metal fixings (including any use of screws) being visible (at least from the outside) unless this was absolutely unavoidable.
And, as the photo shows, I have made good use of some traditional tools, notably my treasured Japanese saws, alongside modern power tools.
Finally, remember that this is still a work in progress. Further content and images will be added as the build progresses over the next few months.