Workshop Highlights

January 9th - 25th, 2010
Dogon Country, Mali



We will be surrounded by 
learning opportunities 
throughout our stay.  
The workshop will 
be a muti-lingual 
event with translation 
between French, English, 
and Dogon.
 

Lectures and instruction will 
include:

Dome construction 
        Rubble trench foundations
        Earth Bag construction
        Cob construction
        Stone masonry
Dogon culture and society

Drylands permaculture

Dogon graineries

Dogon Adobe construction

Sign-up today at
www.earthenhand.com

Season's greetings!

                        Scott Howard
                        Earthen Hand Natural Building
                        +1 503.287.2442 
 Description:
- Help the Dogon people of Tirelli build a schoolhouse
- Learn earthbag dome building (a form of rammed earth)
- Experience traditional Dogon ways of life and hike their country
- Visit the mosque at Djenne, the largest mud-birck building in the world

A Cross-Cultural Earthen Building Workshop

January 9th - 25th, 2010  -  Dogon Country, Mali, West Africa  

Let's build a schoolhouse with the Dogon people of Tirelli.  

The Dogon will share their languages, music, cuisine, farming, and building techniques.  
We will build alongside the Dogon villagers to complete a one room schoolhouse.  
A 5 x 5 meter earthen dome, its construction will be our main activity.  Students will learn 
dome design methods while gaining the skills to work with stone, rammed earth bags, and cob.  
We will also learn about traditional Dogon building techniqes by assisting several local builders 
with their work.  Tour the area by foot and bus to see Dogon Permaculture in action.  
Experience the daily life of the people of Tirelli, an off-grid traditional village. Visit ruins of 
old Dogon towns comparable to Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. See the famous mosque at 
Djenne, the largest mud-brick building in the world.    

Cost is $1800 for tuition, and about $2000 travel expenses, including airfare.
See details and sign up today at:  www.earthenhand.com

Scott Howard started Earthen Hand Natural Building in 2002, with the goal to build
and promote artistic earthen architecture.  He offers workshops about earthen building 
techniques locally and abroad. Scott is also available for hire as a builder, designer, or 
consultant on alternative building projects. See www.earthenhand.com for workshop details:
Mali earth bag dome intensive 1/9/10-1/25/10; Puerto Rico earth bag dome intensive 4/10/10-4/20/10;
Portland, OR, USA earth bag house building Spring/Summer 2010.
 
Atime Saye will be our head guide and contact in Dogon country.  Atime and Scott met in 
Tirelli, Mali two years ago, and have co-organized this event. He is a a doctoral student 
at the University of Bamako and tour leader in Dogon country with Ginna Do Tours.  
Atime also helps throw the annual Dogon Ultramarathon, which you are invited to as well. 
Please see: www.ginnadotours.org

Participants will learn everything that they need to build structurally stable domes using little 
more than earth from the site. The design is a caternary dome with two windows and a door. 
Dome building by hand is an ancient art that is still used today in many parts of
the world.  It is one of the fastest and simplest ways to enclose a space, and is
ideal for environments such as the Dogon country.  The design for the schoolhouse 
demonstrates wood-less construction in an area where wood is scarce. 

Dogon villages lie at a unique place in the desert where the cracks in the land create 
shelter from the sun's radiation.  There are pathways navigating cliff cracks, and rivers 
running through the land to supply bountiful crops. In more recent times, the Dogon 
use adobe brick and stone block to build larger buildings somewhat farther out onto the plain.  
The dome we plan to build is a newer style of architecture in the Dogon country.

We are open to partial work trade arrangements. If you have the desire to help make this event happen,
contact me and we can discuss it.  I will document the event with film and photos,
and am asking for help with this.  I would also like to see experienced permaculturalists 
attend this event and offer their perspective. Bilingual French/English speakers will be especially 
helpful.