Cob building combines clay sediment, sand, fiber, and water, and is 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 six 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 course is primarily a hands on course, where we learn by doing. 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
Sasha Rabin has been practicing natural building as well as teaching it since 2002.
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.
Co-Instructors: Betty Seaman and Paul Swenson
Betty Seaman is a longtime natural builder and teacher. Bio coming soon!
Paul Swenson is a founding team member with Quail Springs Permaculture where he
has helped develop the site, community and its offerings for over eight years. He
discovered the beauty, function, and joy of natural building in 2005 while building
the foundation and wall system of a cob house with the guidance of Betty Seaman.
He has intensively studied strawbale construction, earthen ovens, earthen floors,
and earthen plasters with Justin Kirmse. He has been building with earthen materials
ever since. Paul's teaching style is empowering, with an emphasis on self-discovery,
enjoyment, creating community.
Cost $550. Early bird discount: register by March 25th and get 10% discount ($495).
For more info and to register, please visit