Listed Chronologically

Natural Construction Workshops
Mar 10 – April 4
April 7 – May 2
May 5 – June 6
June 9 – July 11
Arcosanti, Mayer, AZ

The Construction Workshop focuses on building using natural earth technology. Participants have learned how to work with natural materials such as clay, rock, and reed to construct rock walls, cob walls, rammed earth, reed screens, and clay plaster. After a week of material study and exploration, each participant draws designs of how to construct an architectural intervention through natural means. The winning design became their final project. Our last workshop built a bench seat and fire pit in Camp using rock, cob, sand, rammed earth, and plaster.

The cliff-face dwellings of indigenous people are a founding influence of Arcosanti’s core philosophy. The workshop’s focus on vernacular building technology and local sustainable materials aligns with our mission to harmonize human city living with the natural landscape. Through workshops like this, we plan to grow our understanding and use of natural construction to improve our architecture and exemplify arcology’s principle of elegant frugality, a richness through shared community resources.

www.arcosanti.org for more information.

Round Pole Timber Frame Workshop
April 4 - 6; April 11 - 13; April 25 - 27
Willits, California

In this three 3-day weekend hands-on round pole timber frame workshop we will build the frame for a 10x12 gable and hip roofed building based on a Japanese Tea House. We will build with round poles previously harvested during forest health and fire remediation work onsite. The workshop will briefly cover pole selection and pole peeling, with the primary focus being framing and chiseling of mortise and tenon joinery.

See wanosh.org for more information.

Hyperadobe Tiny House Workshop
April 4 - 6
Marshall, NC

See sustainablelifeschool.com for more information.

Masonry Heater Association Annual Meeting
April 7 - 13
Little Switzerland, NC

Our hands-on workshops focus on building better wood-fired appliances. This year offers TWO masonry heaters, TWO wood-fired ovens and TWO wood-fired cooking units. In addition to our yearly technical lectures and demonstrations, stone working workshops will also be offered.

See mha-net.org for more information.

Earthbag Tiny House Workshop
May 1 - 4
Spring Creek, NC

See sustainablelifeschool.com for more information.

Natural Plasters with Athena Steen
May 30 - June 1
Crestone, CO

In this 3-day, hands-on workshop, you will learn some of the most essential and easy-to-master interior finishes.  A range of plasters will be covered including ¼” thick clay-straw plasters, ⅛” thick paper reinforced clay plasters, and thin wheat paste clay paints. All plasters work well when for applied over sheetrock, plywood and other flat substrates, including latex painted walls.

Join us to learn:

• How to adhere clay finishes to sheetrock and other dissimilar materials. 

• How to use your own local clays

• How to improve your plastering skills

• What tools to use when

See www.crestoneenergyfair.org for more information

Rammed Earth Wall Building Workshops
June 2 - 6; 9 - 13; 16 - 20; 23 - 27; June 30 - July 4;
July 7 - 11; July 14 - 18; 21 - 25
Carvoeira, Torres Vedras, Portugal

Learn to build high quality insulated rammed earth walls like a pro. You will learn:

• What tools and equipment are needed
  
• Material Selection
• Mix quality control
• Forming
• pneumatic and manual tamping
  
• Installation of electrical boxes and conduits
• Wall and sample testing
• Curing & sealing walls
• and much more...

Taught by Max Stadyk, an experienced RE builder with online support from Clifton Schooley ,another experienced rammed earth builder and designer.

For more info: www.rammedearth.info

Earth Bag Greenhouse Construction with Dana Oglesby
June 14 - 15
Crestone, CO

This workshop will be focused on laying the foundation for a 500 sq. ft greenhouse with scoria filled earth bags. You will learn the fundamentals of interlocking these bags together while creating a curved shape, pre-site excavation prep design, as well as the logistics and science behind earth battery design and implementation.

See www.crestoneenergyfair.org for more information

High Desert Permaculture with Jerome Osentowski
July 26 - 27
Crestone, CO

Join us for a hands-on, two-day workshop focused on cultivating food forests, best practices for growing in a greenhouse, soil building and high-desert permaculture gardens. taught by Jerome Osentowski of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute.

See www.crestoneenergyfair.org for more information

13th International Hemp Building Symposium
Oct. 3 - 5
Morton, Minnesota, Sioux Indian Community

With a sharp focus on the innovative topic of building with industrial hemp, the IHBA Symposium will provide a unique platform for like-minded professionals and enthusiasts to come together and exchange their knowledge, experiences, and ideas.

• Science and Research
• Innovation
• Sustainability
• Building Materials & Construction
• Farming Equipment
• Technology
• Research & Development

See internationalhempbuilding.org for more information.

On-Going Workshops for more listings.