Introduction to Cob Building Workshop Sept. 25-29, 2013

Quail Springs Permaculture is happy to be offering a 5 day introduction to Cob building workshop this September!

Cob building combines clay sediment, sand, fiber, and water, which is then hand sculpted to form walls, benches, ovens, and fireplaces. Cob building makes use of readily available, affordable, non-toxic materials to build beautiful, organic structures.

The course is appropriate for both first-time builders and for professionals in the building trade who are interested in natural materials. In this five-day 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.

This is primarily a hands-on course, where we learn by doing. We will be building a small structure from start to finish. As a complement to the hands-on portion of the course, we will include slide shows and discussions of the theoretical aspects of natural building. Subjects include building design and siting, passive solar design, foundations and drainage, earthen floors, appropriate roof design, and wiring and plumbing for natural structures.

Instructor: Sasha Rabin, Natural Builder and Teacher

Sasha Rabin has been practicing natural building as well as teaching it since 2002, when she began her building career with an apprenticeship at the Cob Cottage Company. Since then she has taught all over the US through the organizations that she co-founded, Seven Generations Natural Builders and Vertical Clay, as well as collaborated with other schools and organizations including The Yestermorrow Design Build School, The Canelo Project, The Solar Living Institute, Quail Springs Permaculture, as well as taught at the Permaculture Research Institute in Jordan. Although she enjoys building, her true passions lie in the teaching and sharing natural building with others.

Cost: $500

Early bird discounts:

Contact or to register: sasha@quailsprings.org or 805-886-7239

Website: http://www.quailsprings.org/intro-to-cob-building-workshop/