Workshops and Events

Listed Chronologically

Sustainiable Renovations Course
May 7 - September 28
Peterborough, ON, Canada

Endeavour’s Sustainable Renovations course is a unique, full time, hands-on sustainable building program that will put you at the forefront of the green renovations field. You will find yourself at the centre of a renovation project that achieves the highest goals of green building: Zero net energy use
– Zero embodied carbon
– Zero toxins
– Zero construction waste You will work with teachers and practitioners who are leaders in the field and work with fellow participants who are motivated and enthusiastic. It is a unique experience unlike any other construction program in the world!

For more information see endeavourcentre.org

Insulating Natural Walls BootCamp
18-23 July
Fawn Grove, PA

If you live anywhere that requires heat in winter, then understanding insulating natural walls becomes essential. You'll get hands-on experience building strawbale walls, plus infilling with light-clay and even a bit of hempcrete. We'll also discuss passive solar design, detailing for wet climates, and building codes.

See www.facebook.com for more iinformation.

Cob Building
21 - 22 July
Machynlleth, Powys, Wales

Your experienced teacher Ken Neal will take you through a hands-on practical course where you will discover:

1. How to decide if cob is right for your project
2. How to choose the right soil and carry out simple soil testing
3. The different types of foundation used
4. Mixing methods; for large and small scale building; and hand/foot versus machine.
5. Get down and dirty laying and compacting the cob.
6. How to treat openings
7. and finally how to finish it off; the top, sides of walls and openings

See courses.cat.org.uk for more iinformation.

Everything Earthen
August 1 - 5
Rockaway Beach, Oregon

5th Annual! Experience cob and so much more. This is an in-depth overview of how to source, process, mix, and transform common earth materials into beautiful housing and art. Learn how to create walls from cob/adobe, wattle and daub, rammed earth, straw clay, wood chip clay, straw bales, and more. Learn to mix and apply plasters of cob (adobe), cement, and lime. Also discover mixing and application of earthen paints and lime paints. Hands-on instruction, lectures and slides.

See www.earthenhand.com for more information.

Natural Building Intensive
August 9 - 31
Peterborough, ON, Canada

Endeavour’s one-month Natural Building Intensive puts you at the heart of a natural building project, from foundations to finishes. You will learn about the design and construction of modern natural buildings, using materials sourced from the local environment to create healthy, affordable and energy efficient shelter. You will work with teachers and practitioners who are leaders in the field and work with fellow participants who are motivated and enthusiastic. Join us for an experience that will give you the skills to tackle your own natural building projects!

See endeavourcentre.org for more information.

Sculpting Plaster Workshop
9-12 August
Fawn Grove, PA

Once you build a wall, you'll likely want to finesse the shape...or add whimsical features. Which means you'll need to know how to sculpt with plaster, inside and out. We'll use clay and straw to make a thick plaster for interior wall shaping/sculpting. And we'll use hempcrete to do
the same for exterior walls.

This workshop is for you if you want to learn clay and lime plaster in a single workshop!

See www.facebook.com for more information.

Earthbag Dome Building
August 23 - 26
Rockaway Beach, Oregon

In just four days learn the basics of dome building with flexible form rammed earth. We will complete a small building together, and share the technical details of how to set one up yourself. Hands-on instruction, slides, and guided design work.

See www.earthenhand.com for more information.

Master Plaster BootCamp
31 August - 3 September
Fawn Grove, PA

If you've been dying to learn a variety of clay plasters and finishing techniques all in a single workshop...this is the one for you! We'll make 1 to 2 different plasters EACH DAY and use a variety of finishing techniques to create different textures. You'll also learn how to apply plaster over various wall surfaces...including drywall.

See www.facebook.com for more information.

Living Roof Workshop
15 September
Fawn Grove, PA

This one-day workshop is for the hands-on learner that wants experience installing a low-cost, high performing living roof system. This is the system I use on all of my projects It's simple, beautiful, and requires almost no maintenance. WORKSHOP COVERS:
* Overview of living roof systems, including installation details for small projects
* How to select appropriate plants and keep them healthy until they are established on the roof ecosystem
* Guided hands-on experience installing drainage layer, soil medium, and plants

See facebook.com for more iinformation.

Tadelakt Lime Plalster
Sept. 15 - 16
Roackaway Beach, Oregon

This age-old technique is such a joy to learn. It's one of the most water resistant natural techniques in the world. This course is recommended for those who have at least some experience in plastering. Hands on instruction, and you get to take home a finished piece of your work!

See www.earthenhand.com for more information.

Cob Workshop
Sept. 21 - 23
Quail Springs, California

The course is appropriate for both first-time builders and for professionals in the building trade who are interested in natural materials. In this cob workshop, we focus on the characteristics of the natural materials most commonly used in construction: clay soil, sand, and fibers. Our main focus will be cob, though we will touch on various other building techniques that utilize the same materials, including adobe block, light straw-clay, wattle and daub, and plasters. We will discuss how to find and choose appropriate soil for construction, how to create various mixes, how to attach wood to earthen walls, and how to use earthen materials to build walls, sculpt niches, shelves, and furniture.

See www.quailsprings.org for more information.

Natural Building Workshop
24th - 30th September
Lameiros Portugal

This workshop will teach you the delights and wonder of building with earth; you’ll learn ancient and modern techniques and methods, theory and design. You will get your hands in the earth from day one and will leave feeling inspired, energized and ready to go out and build the revolution with mud!

See www.facebook.com for more information.

Internship Opportunity
October 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019
Sonora, Mexico

These are some of the activities you will participate in:

Planting and taking care of veggie garden
Care and maintenance of a tree grove
Making and administering different types of complost"
Natural building (adobe, cob, round wood, Thatch roof, eartheb floor, lime and clay finishes).
Food preservation in sun ovens, sawdust stoves, wood fired oven, ank making sprouts.
Mule drawn tillage, flood irrigation, and harv est of oats, wheat flax, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
Managingn and using appropriate technology like bike-pump, water screw pump, trombe wall, dehydration rack, solar water heater, sun ovens, evaporative cooler.

You need to be a person t4hat is seriously interested in learniing and practicing land-based skills that will equip you to live a more autonomous life in a rural environment.

For more information contact losparedonesmxATgmail.com

8th International Hemp Building Symposium
October 16 - 17
Brussels, Belgium

The 8th International Hemp Building Symposium will be held in an ancient castle Hof Ter Loonst, Kampenhout, Brussels, Belgium and is organised by the International Hemp Building Association and hosted by Jordan & Co. and Steve Allin of Hempbuilding.com. The IHBA symposiums are well known for the ground-breaking technological innovations presented from around the world while at the same time providing an ideal opportunity for networking in this growing sector. This is the largest global gathering of hemp building experts.

See internationalhempbuilding.org for more information.

Natural Building Course
Oct. 21 - 27
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Houses and buildings are the "nuclei" of any site, through which the majority of energy and resources flow to be either wasted or maximized for best use. And yet, most permaculture courses barely touch on physical structures! We here at Atitlan Organics think that your house and other structures deserve a LOT more attention as integral and essential parts of your overall permaculture design. That's why we've teamed up with Abundant Edge to offer the Natural Building Course, a one-week course founded in the permaculture principles and covering all things natural building. From stone to cob to natural plasters, you'll learn a wide range of natural building styles and technique which can be put to use in any climate or region of the world. Learn how to reduce your footprint and maximize your efficiency all while creating beautiful, durable structures! We like to think of it as "Permaculture for Zone 0."

Each day is split into two parts: a hands-on practical in which you get the chance try out different techniques in natural building, and a classroom session which delves deep into topics such as stone foundations, building with cob, and troubleshooting design flaws.

More info & Registration: www.atitlanorganics.com/natural-building

Design Your Own Sustainable Home
November 17 - 18
Peterborough, ON, Canada

The workshop is designed to be an un-biased look at all the options available to the prospective owner-builder, and to assist you with tools to help you assess and choose your way to the house of your dreams. You will leave this workshop ready to handle all the competing claims and information you will face by focusing on your personal goals and aspirations and creating a road map for how best to meet them. At the heart of the workshop is a Criteria Matrix that has been crafted to help you organize your priorities and to set goals for the project that ensure the outcomes you are after. Instructor Chris Magwood is an expert guide for this journey, having helped hundreds of owner-builders through the process of designing and building their dream green home.

See endeavourcentre.org for more information.

Natural Building Course
Dec. 16 - 22
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Houses and buildings are the "nuclei" of any site, through which the majority of energy and resources flow to be either wasted or maximized for best use. And yet, most permaculture courses barely touch on physical structures! We here at Atitlan Organics think that your house and other structures deserve a LOT more attention as integral and essential parts of your overall permaculture design. That's why we've teamed up with Abundant Edge to offer the Natural Building Course, a one-week course founded in the permaculture principles and covering all things natural building. From stone to cob to natural plasters, you'll learn a wide range of natural building styles and technique which can be put to use in any climate or region of the world. Learn how to reduce your footprint and maximize your efficiency all while creating beautiful, durable structures! We like to think of it as "Permaculture for Zone 0."

Each day is split into two parts: a hands-on practical in which you get the chance try out different techniques in natural building, and a classroom session which delves deep into topics such as stone foundations, building with cob, and troubleshooting design flaws.

More info & Registration: www.atitlanorganics.com/natural-building

Natural Building Course
Feb. 24 - March 2, 2019
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Houses and buildings are the "nuclei" of any site, through which the majority of energy and resources flow to be either wasted or maximized for best use. And yet, most permaculture courses barely touch on physical structures! We here at Atitlan Organics think that your house and other structures deserve a LOT more attention as integral and essential parts of your overall permaculture design. That's why we've teamed up with Abundant Edge to offer the Natural Building Course, a one-week course founded in the permaculture principles and covering all things natural building. From stone to cob to natural plasters, you'll learn a wide range of natural building styles and technique which can be put to use in any climate or region of the world. Learn how to reduce your footprint and maximize your efficiency all while creating beautiful, durable structures! We like to think of it as "Permaculture for Zone 0."

Each day is split into two parts: a hands-on practical in which you get the chance try out different techniques in natural building, and a classroom session which delves deep into topics such as stone foundations, building with cob, and troubleshooting design flaws.

More info & Registration: www.atitlanorganics.com/natural-building

See On-Going Workshops for more listings.