NATURAL BUILDING Essentials

Aug 7 – 13th, 2016

IMG_0002This is a one week immersion in living and learning in community. You will get a chance to learn the basics of a natural building skills on existing building and demonstration stations. This course will include hand-on training as well as classroom presentations on essential building considerations.

HANDS-ON TRAINING includes:

* earth plasters, finish plaster, earth floors, &  sculpting: learn how to find, identify, harvest, mix and apply plasters in various setting.
*  round poles framing: how to harvest, prepare, notch & lash round poles for building small structures.
*  strawbale walls systems and building walls with cob
* thatching with phragmite reed grass.  How to design a thatched roof. Demonstration, some hands-on.

This is an exceptional opportunity to get training in such a wide range of skills, in an environment that includes Rocket Stoves, Earth Ovens & more.

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** Living Roof Woodshed. Round pole with wooden pins.

CLASSROOM PRESENTATIONS (shade-tree sessions) and on-site examples include:

* Living Roof Systems
* Earth Oven & Rocket Stoves
* Site & Building Design
* Foundation & Drainage essentials.
* Code and Officials. Chris McClellan will be skyped in for a classroom session

 

 

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The Strawbale Studio is located on 50 acres of trees & meadows

The setting is the lovely Strawbale Studio land, wooded and rural, 1 hour north of Detroit Michigan.  There will be a limit of  15 participants.

Facilities: Camping on the land is part of the course cost, and some indoor spaces may be available for a fee.

Vegetarian food will provide a healthy and tasty aspect to each day.  Participants are asked to contribute 1 hour a day toward infrastructure, such as food prep, etc.

Fee $650 paid in full by July 12th, and $750 thereafter.  Discounts for groups. Several 1/2 pay Worktrade positions available.  Registration  

Questions / contact Deanne   248 496 4088 cell/ text or  ecoartdb at gmail.com

Click here for an example of a 2015 Intensive from last year.  We had a great time and a lot of skills were learned !

cob wall and arch form

cob wall and arch form

mixing cob

mixing cob

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Cooking on the Outdoor Rocket Cooker. Other cooking devices on site include the Earth Oven, Solar Cooker and Haybox Cooker.

food and folks

food and folks