Workshop Schedule - COB, Earth Bags, Lite Straw, Clay,...

2008 Workshop Schedule

We are pleased to provide the following Workshops for the 2008 Season.

As some of you may know, especially those who have worked on the Limpet House (earth bag sanctuary), we began building it in the spring of 2006. Since another building season will soon be upon us, it’s time to start thinking about how we’ll finish this structure. For starters, we’ll need to install the heat source, which is going to be a fuel-efficient, mass heater rocket stove. In preparation for our first cob workshop, we’re asking all who are interested to join us for a day of pyro-mania in piecing together the rocket stove.

Rocket Stove
April 26th, 10:00am to April 27th, 4:00pm
Whidbey Island, WA
Suggested Donation $50 minimum

Rocket stoves are highly efficient mass heaters that use about one quarter of the wood that traditional cast iron stoves use. We’ll be incorporating this rocket stove into an earthen bench inside an earth bag structure. This is also a workshop about fire—how it works and heats. Secret pyro-maniacs are welcome!

Basics of COB
May 2nd, 4:00pm to May 4th, 5:00pm
Whidbey Island, WA
Price: $200

Take sand, soil, & a bit of straw, mix it together with some water and what do you get? Cob! Learning the basic mixing technique for cob allows one to use this building material in a myriad of applications. Sculpt a bench, build a wall, construct an oven, create an entryway to a garden path; build a shed, a house . . . a village!

This course deals with the basics of cob, but taking it a step further allows one to apply it to other applications such as earthen floors, plasters, and different sculpting techniques. In this particular workshop we’ll be using cob to finish off an earthen sanctuary house, and complete a bench. All aspects of cob mixing will be covered, such as site design, materials, application techniques, and finish work.

Typically we do much of our mixing in the morning hours and our main building and sculpting in the afternoons with a break for a healthy lunch consisting of vegetarian fare.

Wear work clothes and plan on getting muddy.

Lite Straw Clay Workshop
May 30th to June 1st
Marrowstone Island
Price: $250

Join us for what promises to be a delightful weekend of fun. Learn a technique to finish off an existing "stick-built" structure and give it a truly earthen feel. Lite strawclay, or "litestraw" for short, is a technique with many uses. From wall in-fill to insulation to the versatility of sculpting as in "super-adobe" (a term coined and explored by Kiko denzer), litestraw can have many uses.

Plan on an evening of group discussion and two full days of mixing and building. This is a camping workshop, so bring camping gear and be prepared for rain or shine. Two vegetarian lunches and two dinners will be provided.

Start time is May 30, at 4pm.

Finish Plaster
June 6th, 4pm to June 8th, 5pm
Whidbey Island, WA
Price: $200

Finally, the finish coat of plaster! After completing the base coat and the brown coat, we are now ready for the most advanced and colorful of the three applications of plaster. This workshop will deal with all aspects of the plastering process, and will focus on the use of natural and inexpensive materials including natural pigments. Discussion will cover both interior and exterior plasters, and the techniques used to apply them.

This is three full days of hands on plastering with breaks for snacks and a vegetarian lunch to be provided each day. Wear work clothes and bring a pair of gloves.

Plaster Workshop
August 15th-17th
Marrowstone Island
Price: $250

Now that the lite- strawclay is dry, a good plaster job is what is needed! Learn plastering techniques using local clay over lite-straw. This is a unique opportunity to participate first hand in the finish process of an earthen structure.

In this offering we will cover plastering materials that can be found locally in most locations. We will prepare the materials for mixing and use natural pigments for color. All aspects of natural plastering will be covered.

This is a camping workshop so be prepared for rain or shine and bring camping gear. Two vegetarian dinners and lunches will be provided. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Start time is August 15, at 4pm.

Earthen Floor
2 days in August, Dates TBA
Whidbey Island, WA
Price: $125

In keeping with the flow of finish work, the floor should be the absolute last project when building a structure. Participants in this workshop will be helping with the final floor layer in the earth bag sanctuary. We will be going over floor materials & design, tools, and techniques, and discussing different floor systems. We value using local, inexpensive, and natural materials.

Wear work clothes and bring a pair of gloves. Lunches will be provided.

Basics of COB
Date: TBA
Price: $200

Please see above description.