In the Ancient Greek tekton (τεκτων) is a noun for a builder, craftsman or artisan. The medieval term guild was an association of artisans or merchants who controlled the practice of their craft in a particular town, but in the much broader sense it can be defined as an association of people for the pursuit of a common goal.

The Tekton Guild is an attempt to capture that very broad definition by delving into topics that may be categorized under the umbrella of building or making with the goal of discovering techniques and methods, putting them to practice and documenting the experience.