Heartwood not accepting any new members at this time

Updated: February 2024

From time to time, Heartwood needs a new member or two to add to the community, take advantage of our collective resources, and pay dues. We currently don't have any additional capacity in the shop to take on new members at this time, but we welcome applications for when we do. When we do, we'll get in touch if we have an application on file and also post it here.

Heartwood Cooperative woodshop is a 50 year old woodworking cooperative in West Berkeley. We share a 3100+ square foot space in the Sawtooth building on 8th street between Parker and Dwight.

The cooperative is operated a bit like a co-working space where you have some storage, shared bench space, and access to high quality cabinet-making and furniture-making tools. We collectively own and maintain all the large equipment in the shop, and members are expected to bring and use their own hand tools. Some common consumables are provided by the shop like shop towels, glue, and some sandpaper.

The are two classes of membership - Part time (up to 20 hrs/week in the shop) and Full time (up to 40 hours). Current membership varies between full time cabinet makers and furniture makers to part time hobbyists to contractors who largely work outside the shop but need shop space on occasions. As a cooperative member, we expect you to pay dues on time, come to one monthly three hour "Shop day" to do cleaning and maintenance and discuss collective decisions (recently they have been the second Saturday morning of the month), be a conscientious and respectful co-occupant, and share in the collective duties of running the shop. Woodworking experience as well as experience maintaining stationary tools is required. Members have their own independent businesses and if you plan to do installations, you'll need your own contractor's license. While we often share knowledge and sometimes jobs, we do not have a training/apprenticeship program and expect members to be self-sufficient and responsible, and experienced in operating standard woodshop machinery.

If you're interested in exploring membership, take a look at the photos and current membership and then fill in our application. Send us a portfolio website link or photos of your work. If we think it looks like a good fit, we'll likely ask you to come to the shop for a tour and conversation.