Cordwood | House Design Online

Natural Building Courses

June 04, 2010 By: greenbuilder Category: Courses, Sustainable Building

Upcoming courses:

1-3 May Healthy and Affordable Homes with natural Materials

A 3-day workshop with Ulrike and Thomas Riedmuller.

Cost: €180 including lunch.

A thorough introduction to the world of natural building in an inspiring environment: cob, clay straw, bale cob, cordwood, wattle and daub. Profound insights into a wide range of building techniques. You will gain an overview and a practical feel for cob…what it can do for you and what it can’t – the kind of thing you don’t get out of books. Let yourself be inspired by a beautiful cob home, earthen and lime plasters, natural paints, earthen floors, unique wood work, and many other sustainability features – and all by the people from whose mistakes you can learn.

Some previous participants of our weekend course went away and built their own cob house. Others came back to do the 9-day cob course for more profound learning.

19-27 June The Hand-Sculpted House

A 9 day workshop with Ulrike and Thomas Riedmuller and Jo Forsythe.

Cost: € 750

After the great success in previous years we are looking forward to run this very comprehensive building course again this year. At the end of the 9 days you will know all you need to be able to go off and build a cob cottage. This intensive course will be hands-on, and you will learn every aspect of the construction of a cob building. From locating and testing the right kinds of soils for cob, to different ways of mixing it, wall building techniques and all the sculptural details. Get practical experience with windows, doors, arches and niches. Lectures cover siting, passive solar design, drainage, heating, plumbing and electric, natural roofing, and flooring.

Through the length and intensity of these courses they tend to create a real sense of community between the participants and team, so if you are interested in building a house, and want a life-changing inspirational immersion into the world of natural building this really is a course no to be missed. We expect this course to fill up very fast, so please book early to avoid disappointment.

11June-19August Natural Building Apprenticeship

with Ulrike and Thomas Riedmuller and Jo Forsythe.

Cost:€3200

This program is run in conjunction with the Cob Cottage Company in Oregon, USA.

Concerned about the world’s state of affairs? Wish you could make a change? Yes, you can! Begin now, start with home. A program to guide you in making changes in your lifestyle, consumerism, health and well-being, career and livelihood, based on ecological values and Natural Building principles and practices. The Apprenticeship is designed to support you into creating a life that you, your family and community can feel proud of.

Learn the practical skills to design and build your own Natural Home in just 10 weeks. Building experience, though welcome is not essential.

The program will help you to become skilled as a professional Natural Builder and/or teacher