Earthen Building Techniques and Natural Plasters - June 27-28, 2020
More than 1/3 of the world’s population live in earthen dwellings. By simply mixing clay-rich subsoil, sand, and straw, you can create a durable, massive building material capable of lasting generations. Cob, adobe, wattle and daub, earthen floors, earthbags, and natural plasters are all different forms of earthen construction that adhere to very similar principles.
While their low R-value isn’t well suited for year-round dwellings in our cold temperate climate, earthen building techniques can offer a fantastic opportunity to sculpt healthy, inexpensive, low carbon, DIY outbuildings, garden walls, interior walls and partitions, 3 season cabins, and much more. You can even transform a building’s existing interior wall finish with a clay or lime-based plaster.
During this two day workshop, you'll
- Learn about the most poplar forms of earthen construction including cob, adobe, wattle and daub, earthbags, and natural plasters
- Experience several built examples of these materials on-site including a wattle-and-daub bathhouse, an earthen floor in a 20x30 super insulated home, plaster-on-lath interior and exterior walls, and an earth-bermed root cellar with earthbag retaining walls
- Understand the fundamental mixes for different types of earthen building and learn to identify suitable materials
- Bring your own soil samples to examine their suitability for construction
- Have an opportunity to create different materials mixes and gain experience building with them
This workshop runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm on Saturday and Sunday and will be held rain or shine. Sliding scale tuition for the weekend is $150-200. Contact us to inquire about one-day registration. Bring your own lunch. Limited work trade available. We keep our course sizes small to maximize potential for discussions and student interaction so be sure to register early.
While their low R-value isn’t well suited for year-round dwellings in our cold temperate climate, earthen building techniques can offer a fantastic opportunity to sculpt healthy, inexpensive, low carbon, DIY outbuildings, garden walls, interior walls and partitions, 3 season cabins, and much more. You can even transform a building’s existing interior wall finish with a clay or lime-based plaster.
During this two day workshop, you'll
- Learn about the most poplar forms of earthen construction including cob, adobe, wattle and daub, earthbags, and natural plasters
- Experience several built examples of these materials on-site including a wattle-and-daub bathhouse, an earthen floor in a 20x30 super insulated home, plaster-on-lath interior and exterior walls, and an earth-bermed root cellar with earthbag retaining walls
- Understand the fundamental mixes for different types of earthen building and learn to identify suitable materials
- Bring your own soil samples to examine their suitability for construction
- Have an opportunity to create different materials mixes and gain experience building with them
This workshop runs from 9:30am to 4:30pm on Saturday and Sunday and will be held rain or shine. Sliding scale tuition for the weekend is $150-200. Contact us to inquire about one-day registration. Bring your own lunch. Limited work trade available. We keep our course sizes small to maximize potential for discussions and student interaction so be sure to register early.