Natural Building: Cob, Straw/Clay, Timber Frame, Permaculture as related materials and methods

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2009
June 29 to August 14, British Columbia, Canada. Natural Building Program includes a straw bale building component August 17 - 21, Straw-bale Workshop. Course covers theory and practical skills to build foundations, stack, pin and sew the bales, build window and door bucks, run electrical, plaster walls, and add finishing details - everything to build a bale wall from the ground up and is almost 100 percent hands-on. Program and workshop are both located at Kimberley Campus of the College of the Rockies, located in the Kootenays in southeastern B.C. Fees (Canadian $) and dates for these courses are: Full 7 week Natural Building Program - $2395, Straw-bale Workshop - $695. For more information and to register, go to www.cotr.bc.ca/natural/cotr_web.asp?IDNumber=162. More info can be found by visiting their Natural Building home page at www.cotr.bc.ca/natural.

Summer 2009, Natural Plasters Workshops in Europe. Bill and Athena Steen from the U.S. (www.caneloproject.com) will be doing plaster workshops in Europe this summer. The Steens are experienced builders/artists/teachers/authors. The focus of the workshops is careful detailing techniques, artistic aspects, earthen floors, Japanese plastering skills. Course is mixture of practical techniques and teaching techniques. Workshop Schedule: Estonia, May 23-29, taught in English, contact Sven Aluste <sven.aluste@esna.ee>; Denmark, June 6-13, English, Lars Keller
<larskeller@gmail.com>; Slovakia, June 21-26, English, Zuzana Kierulf <zkierulfova@gmail.com>; France, July 5-11, French, André de Boutier <contact@lamaisonenpaille.com>

July 6-31, Prescott Arizona. Permaculture Design and Building Workshop. Hands-on and presentation-based exploration of concepts and techniques for permaculture design, water harvesting, and edible landscapes, from the traditional to the contemporary (more info on website). For landscape architects, contractors,
homebuilders, career changers and students. $1,750 fee. Housing also available for additional cost. Contact Ecosa Institute, 928-541-1002, <info@EcosaInstitute.org>, www.EcosaInstitute.org

July 20-25, Rammed Earth Course. Hands-on and practictioner-taught. Includes: background on rammed earth and its benefits, finding the right earth, selecting and building the right form-work, construction methods, tools and their usage, approaches to design – both aesthetic and functional, building walls, corners and arches. Fee: ¤675 per person. For all enquiries, please contact Phil Howard, Another Greener World <phil@anothergreenerworld.com?. All bookings must be arranged through Another Greener, either by email or phone +44 7843 712 311.

July 18-19. Portland OR. Learn to Build an Earthbag and Cob Cabin - A start-to-finish workshop series. You can register for the series as a package, or for individual workshops. The workshops will be held at Newberry Co-housing, Portland, Oregob, Topics include: Earthbag and Cob wall systems, Sculptural features with Cob, Passive solar design, Window placement, Living (eco) roofs, Earthen plasters, Earthen floors, Earthen fireplaces, Gravelbag foundations, Innovative use of recycled, discarded and on-site materials. Information about this and other Earthhand Workshops at http://earthenhand.com or contact <scott@earthenhand.com> or call Scott Howard, 503.287.2442, Earthen Hand Natural Building, Portland OR, www.earthenhand.com.

July 20-25, El Sobrante CA. Natural Building Intensive.
Course designed for first-time and professional builders and contractors who want to delve more into building with natural materials. Focuses on earthen building, offering hands on experience with cob, light straw clay (slip straw), adobe block, and wattle and daub. Learn how to smoothly integrate various natural building materials to create best possible building solution for each individual situation; how to prospect and test for appropriate building sediment, how to mix cob, various cob wall building techniques, installation of windows into cob walls, methods for attachment of wood (e.g., doors, roofs), and how to sculpt niches, shelves and furniture. Slide shows and discussion sessions about the philosophical and theoretical aspects of natural building cover ing building design and siting, passive solar design, foundations and drainage, natural plasters and earthen floors, roofs, and electric and plumbing for earthen buildings. $350. Instructors: Sasha Rabin and Massey Burke, in collaboration with the Solar Living Institute. Contact Sasha Rabin, Seven Generations Natural Builders, <sasha@sgnb.com> www.sgnb.com

July 23-26, Crestone CO. Solar Heating and Natural Building Design Workshop. Learn innovative 21st century Solar and Natural Building technologies. Instructor: Paul Shippee. Sponsor: Crestone Solar School. For details and to register, go to www.crestonesolarschool.com.

July 24-26, John Day OR. 11th Annual SolWest Renewable Energy Fair. Admission includes over 50 free workshops on both off-grid and grid-intertied renewable energy (RE) and sustainable living topics. In-depth pre-fair workshops will cover renewable energy technology and natural building. Fifty exhibitors show tools for energy independence and lifestyle self-reliance, including solar, wind and agricultural resources. Keynote speaker Jeff Mapes, author of Pedaling Revolution, will inspire you to view human-powered transportation as a healthy alternative. Fee: $5 per adult per day; discounts available. For more information contact: Jennifer Barker,
SolWest/EORenew, PO Box 485, Canyon City, OR 97820; 541.575.3633 <info@solwest.org>
www.solwest.org

July 25-26, LanderLand, Kingston, NM. Earth Plaster, Lime Plaster, Earthen Floor and Natural Clay Paint Workshop. www.LanderLand.com for more information. Contact Tom and Satomi Lander, <tom@landerland.com>, 575-895-5029

July 26-August 1, Bath NY. PeaceWeavers' Northeast
Natural Building and Living Colloquium. Hands-on event
w/emphasis on natural building and sustainable living in
northeastern climate. From natural building and
permaculture to water and energy conservation...
from alternative fuels to sourcing your food
locally. For more information, http://peaceweavers.com.

July 26-August 2, Boonville CA. Natural Building Intensive. Hands-on experience in up to 10 different natural building techniques including cob, straw bale, slipstraw or light straw-clay, slip-and-chip, clay wattle, earthen plasters, hand-made paints, and more; also be extensive tour of the most complete natural building demonstration site on the West Coast, with emphasis on ecological materials harvesting, off-grid electrical generation, greywater reclamation, composting toilets, and more. Evening slide presentations and videos. Instructors: Michael G. Smith, Darryl Berlin, and friends. $760. For more information visit www.emeraldearth.org or email <workshops@emeraldearth.org>. To register, mail a check or postal money order payable to Emerald Earth Workshops, PO Box 764, Boonville, CA 95415.

August 23-26 Crestone CO. Solar Heating and Natural Building Design Workshop. Learn innovative 21st century Solar and Natural Building technologies. Instructor: Paul Shippee. Sponsor: Crestone Solar School. For details and to register, go to www.crestonesolarschool.com.

August 31 - Sept. 4 Straw Bale Construction and Natural Plasters. Solar Energy International, Carbondale or Paonia, CO. Details available at www.solarenergy.org

Late summer (two-day workshop), Grafton NY. Natural Plasters Workshop. Two-day hands-on workshop on natural plasters with focus on their application in straw-bale construction. For all skill levels. Gain basic understanding of prepping, mixing and applying a variety of natural plasters. Topics discussed include various mixing methods, tool use, properties of plaster components, material estimation, and how to approach different scale projects. This workshop couples well with the Straw Bale Workshop. $200-250. For more information, visit www.hvnb.net, Registration and questions <jonah@hvnb.net> or 518.229.1339.

September 13-20, Boonville CA. Natural Building Intensive. Hands-on experience in up
to 10 different natural building techniques including cob, straw bale, slipstraw or light straw-clay, slip-and-chip, clay wattle, earthen plasters, hand-made paints, and more. Instructors: Michael G. Smith, Darryl Berlin, and friends; also be extensive tour of the most complete natural building demonstration site on the West Coast, with emphasis on ecological materials harvesting, off-grid electrical generation, greywater reclamation, composting toilets, and more. Evening slide presentations and videos. $760. For more information visit www.emeraldearth.org or email <workshops@emeraldearth.org>. To register, mail a check or postal money order payable to Emerald Earth Workshops, PO Box 764, Boonville, CA 95415.

September 26-27, LanderLand, Kingston, NM. Earth Plaster, Lime Plaster, Earthen Floor and Natural Clay Paint Workshop. www.LanderLand.com for more information. Contact Tom and Satomi Lander, <tom@landerland.com>, 575-895-5029

October 10-11, Ashville NC and Custer WI.
Cordwood Construction Workshops.
In Custer, WI, building site is traditional timber-frame style home (Hall and Parlor) with cedar cordwood infill. Owners work for MREA (Midwest Renewable Energy Association, http://the-mrea.org. Covers cordwood construction techniques and relevant code compliant information. Individual hands-on instruction, detailed power point presentations, demonstrations of making bottle ends, mortar mixing, tuckpointing, insulation, etc. Instructor: Richard Flatau, Cordwood Construction, <flato@aol.com>
http://www.daycreek.com/dc/html/dcrflatau3.stm
For more information, go to
http://daycreek.com/dc/pdf/Cordwood%20Workshop
%20Stevens%20Point,%20WI%202009.

Sustainable Building Green Events Calendar:
http://www.greenbuilder.com/calendar/
Lists all types of green and natural events, workshops and training opportunities.

The Farm, Ecovillage Training Center, Summertown, Tennessee, offers courses and apprenticeships in natural building, ecovillage design, permaculture, bamboo cultivation and cosntruction, biofuel conversion and production, alternative energy, solar installation, among others. Ecovillage Training Center, contact 931.964.4474 (10 am-3 pm) or ecovillage@thefarm.org

Spring Workshops, Fox Maple STB campus, Maine. Natural Building, May 23-26; Intro Timber Framing, May 28-June 2; Advanced Timber Framing, June 4-9. Four-day Natural Building, $625; Intro TF, $875; Advanced TF $875. For more information and registration about these workshops and others offered by Fox Maple School of Traditional Building, PO Box 249, Brownfield, Maine 04010 <foxmaple@foxmaple.com> www.foxmaple.com/workshops.html

The Solar Living Institute promotes sustainable living through inspirational environmental education, offering hundreds of hands-on workshops on renewable energy, natural and green building, biofuels, and permaculture throughout the year. For more information, please call 707.472.2450 or visit our website www.solarliving.org/workshops

http://naturalhomes.org/learning-straw.htm will connect you to additional workshops on strawbale and natural building in the Europe, Australia, Canada and the USA.

Details and registration form for weekend workshops in straw-bale building and earth building conducted at Whangarei New Zealand by Ian E. Redfern are listed at www.adobesouth.co.nz.

Practical Business Skills for the Earth-based Vocation. A review of the step-by-step process of developing and implementing a business plan.  Instructor: Donal Kinney, tax-accountant for a diverse cross-section of Santa Fe's earth-conscious businesses. Visit Donal's website at www.beanplanter.com.

Opportunities to learn Design/Build in the Dominican Republic. Check the YesterMorrow web site for details. www.yestermorrow.org

Those interested in permaculture and gardening events related to natural building might want to visit www.oaec.org, the web site of Occidental Arts and Ecology Center, 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental, CA 95465; or call 707.874.1557 ext 201. OAEC members receive discounted rates for journals such as The Last Straw and other publications related to their mission. September 13, Rainwater Harvesting Talk; September 16, Rainwater Harvesting
Tour; September 16, Permaculture Design Course (two weeks)

Fourth Saturday of Each Month (except May & December), Tucson AZ. Permaculture Brunch-Get Down to Earth/Mud Day.  
Get your hands in the mud and try out some earthen plasters on walls made of straw bales, adobe and cob. See demonstrations of permaculture strategies and get some hands-on experience: earth plasters, desert gardening, water harvesting, land restoration projects, including affordable buildings and small structures of strawbale, adobe, and cob. Hours: 10 am-2:00 pm (earlier hours in warmer weather). For more information and to register contact: Joelee Joyce, DAWN SouthWest, 520.624.1673 or <dawnaz@earthlink.net>, www.caneloproject.com/dawn  

Builders, designers and homeowners can now take rammed earth courses from a new Canadian company called SIREwall Inc. Rammed earth builders and designers teach the courses in an earth-wall studio on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. SIREwall offers eight different rammed earth courses with 32 schedule options. Course selections vary from a two-day introduction to rammed earth for homeowners to a month-long SIREwall Builder's Training for general contractors. Courses for architects and designers are accredited through the Architectural Institute of British Columbia. For information on SIREwall courses go to www.sirewall.com.

Timber framing classes. For details, call 207.442.7938 or <info@shelterinstitute.com> http://shelterinstitute.c.topica.com/maaem
MpabnjdnbdXhkybafpLXG/

Yestermorrow - Courses and Workshops for 2008 include Deconstruction and Material Reuse, Designing Small Living Spaces, Design for Builders, Ecological Planning/Design and Construction, Ecological Water Systems, Efficiency by Design, Home Design, Home Design/Build, Solar Design, Codes/Costs and Contractors, Engineering for the Home Builder, Green Building Materials, Modern Plaster Techniques, Natural Paints and Finishes, and more. www.yestermorrow.org

LanderLand Workshop Wchedule
Please visit www.LanderLand.com
575-895-5029

Cob Cottage Company's Workshop Schedule. Visit www.cobcottage.com or call 541.942.2005..

Another source of information and training workshops is the Natural Building Network (NBN), www.naturalbuildingnetwork.org/calendar.htm

Salt Spring Island, BC Canada. SIREWALL, Inc., rammed earth builders and designers offer eight different courses with 32 schedule options, varying from two-day introduction to rammed earth for homeowners to a month-long SIREwall Builders' Training for general contractor. ACU AIBC. For information, visit www.sirewall.com

Merritt College offers courses in permaculture design; natural building (hands-on building using materials such as cob, strawbale and earth; carpentry working on affordable and green housing; and construction management. 510.434.3840 www.peralta.cc.ca.us

Everdale, farm and learning centre located near Erin, Ontario, offers events and hands-on workshops in sustainable living. The Workshop and Event Schedule from straw-bale construction and earthen and lime plastering to making your own biodiesel is available at www.everdale.org/workshops or contact <lynn@everdale.org>

Mexico Learning Experience. Natural Building & Traditional Architecture and Land Restoration & Ecological Living. Offer a place of interchange of ideas, experiences and learning in the areas of natural building, permaculture, soil restoration, organic food production, and other themes related to sustainable living. Courses are promoted by the Zopilote Association, Cob Cottage Company, and Proyecto San Isidro. Introduction both to natural building as well as to sustainable living methods. Each day has a general theme: cob, strawbale, light claystraw, etc. – to give a more in-depth experience in a variety of natural building techniques. Past courses have covered thatched roofing, rock construction, cob, strawbale, natural plasters and paints, oven-building, adobe bricks and floors, wattle and daub, alternative energy, water catchment and cleaning, composting toilets and more.
Learn about architecture and natural construction that is rooted in the land. Experience hands- and feet-on a variety of natural building techniques and practices. Participate in a group design-process and model building of a structure. Each day has a general theme: organic gardening, sustainable forestry, erosion control, sewage treatment systems, alternative education, permaculture, responsible consumption, etc. Understand and practice principles and strategies to make their lives more sustainable. Thoroughly think through personal motivations for doing work in traditional societies. Participating in  a group discussions on themes like genetically engineered plants,  use of herbicides and pesticides, ethics, etc.
$1200. Contact; Cob Cottage Company PO Box 942, Coquille, OR 97423; 541-396-1825; email cob@cobcottage.com; website www.cobcottage.com

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This listing of natural building events, tours, conferences, workshops and training opportunities is compiled from information sent to The Last Straw Journal by individuals, groups and organizations. Send information about events, conferences, tours, workshops and hands-on training to: The Last Straw, PO Box 22706, Lincoln NE 68542-2706; <thelaststraw@thelaststraw.org> or call 402.483.5135.

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