[Lapg] Courses at O.U.R. Eco-village

Sun Mar 23 22:56:24 PDT 2008

For registration/further information on all of OUR
ECOVILLAGE’s below courses please contact:
www.ourecovillage.org
info at ourecovillage.org or phone 250-743-3067.  
For immediate payment options please click on
http://elkecole.com/registration_form.html

See you this summer

Design your own Natural House-
Ecological Design for homeowners
The first step to making the dream of a natural house
your reality is creating a design. From choosing a
good site, basics of passive solar design, over space
saving strategies to choosing the
appropriate materials for your project- we will
present ideas, exercises, and information, share
experiences and support your personal process.
A packed weekend course to get you started
Friday night, Saturday day and evening and Sunday day
Dates: April 18-20 , 2008
Facilitator: Elke Cole, natural house designer/
builder
Cost: $200 incl. 2 lunches

Project Manager for Homeowners
Interested in building your own home, or understanding
the process of building better?  This program will
introduce the concepts of Project Management as
applied by professional builders, and those that can
be used by Owners to make their projects come in
closer to schedule and budget.  Inter-personal skills
such as crew leadership and delegation are reinforced
with proper record keeping and briefing materials. 
Numerous examples of various projects are used to
illustrate successful projects and discuss the ways
things can go wrong.  Follow up short mentoring
sessions at OUR ECOVILLAGE through the summer will
reinforce lessons and answer the questions that will
come up.  House building is a win-win-win proposition
if approached with the right attitude and tools.  Lead
by Randy Churchill who has built a couple houses for
himself and many for others.  
Time:  2 full days
Date:  May 3-4th, 2008
Cost:  $175 includes lunches

Curvilinear Foundations for Sustainable Building:
The biggest carbon footprint of a natural home is the
"good set of boots".  Learn how to construct code
approved curvy foundations in a very simple and cost
effective way while minimizing the ecological impact.
Course will be taught by experienced home builders
Gord and Ann Baird of Eco-Sense (www.eco-sense.ca),
who have a knack for sustainable systems, curves,
structural design and experimentation.  Topics covered
include interpreting foundation plans, layout methods,
Fabric Form foundation setup, re-bar placement,
concrete options and more.  Emphasis is placed on
creative, simple, and cost effective methods that can
be used and adapted to any foundation.
Time:  5 days with some evening program
Date:  May 21-25th, 2008
Cost:  $500 includes lunches

Design your own Natural House-
Ecological Design for homeowners
The first step to making the dream of a natural house
your reality is creating a design. From choosing a
good site, basics of passive solar design, over space
saving strategies to choosing the
appropriate materials for your project- we will
present ideas, exercises, and information, share
experiences and support your personal process.
A packed weekend course to get you started
Friday night, Saturday day and evening and Sunday day
Dates: April 18-20 , 2008
Facilitator: Elke Cole, natural house designer/
builder
Cost: $200 incl. 2 lunches

Building as if people mattered :
a look at Natural Building as it meets Conventional
Construction
House building has developed from traditional,
vernacular, handmade to industrialized, mechanical and
highly specialized. The natural building movement
brings back to our awareness what we have given up in
that process: the personal investment in building
one's home, the expectation of a building that is to
scale with human need rather than want, the respect
for people and place.
Join us for a week of discussion and hands-on practice
of natural building techniques.
Each day will contain presentations, discussion and
some real physical work to help digest the
information.
This course is directed at anyone involved with
building, we ask that you read “The Art of Natural
Building “ or “The handsculpted house” if possible. Be
prepared to try unfamiliar things both physical and
ideological. You will leave with some answers, more
questions and a desire to be part of the solution for
a path to sustainability.
Facilitators: Elke Cole, natural house designer/
builder and builders and engineers
Time: 3 days and evenings
Date: June 27-29, 2008
Cost: $ 250 incl. 3 lunches

Frame and Infill Wallsystems
So you have a nice timberframe structure: what's the
skin of the building?
Or you've taken the old skin off your framed house and
want to “naturalize”?
Natural ways for infill include varieties of working
with “light clay” , straw or cob.
We'll discuss detailing, finishing options and
possibilities while working on the Art Studio walls
with light clay.
5 days May 28 – June 1,
Instructors: Elke Cole and others
Cost: $ 400 incl. lunches

Building Cob and Community
Cob building is learned quite easily by people from
all walks of life. We work together, learn from each
other and discover our connections through activity
and reflection. Technical learning includes materials,
recipes, building instruction, attaching doors/
windows, building arches.  We start on foot and will
introduce some mechanization along the way.
Age 14 and up
6 days July 2-6
Instructors: Elke Cole and others
Cost: $500  incl. lunch

Natural Plasters for healthy and beautiful homes
Improve the indoor airquality of your home with
natural plasters. Clay, our basic material, has
inherent qualities to help us create a healthier
environment. Its capacity to handle varying humidity
levels, absorb odours and toxins, while being easy to
use with simple techniques and recipes, makes it
desirable for both interior and exterior finishing.
These plasters are usable for conventional homes as
well as cob, straw or light-clay walls.  Participants
will learn hands-on mixing and application, materials
evaluation and recipes Suggested reading: “The Natural
Plaster Book” Guelberth & Chiras, New Society
Publishers
Required tools: please inquire
Instructors: Cindy Walker
Weekend Intro to Natural Plasters June 13-15  
Cost: $ 300 incl. 3 lunches
5 days : Beautiful natural finishes June 18- 22
Cost: $ 500 incl. lunches
Cost for both: $700

Introduction to Timber Framing
Spend an energetic weekend learning the basics of
timber framing.  Interactive sessions with
professional carpenters will get your questions
answered, illustrate the spirit of heavy timber
construction, and allow you to see/use the tools of
trade in a controlled environment.  Fundamental layout
skills will let you in on the secrets of making joints
tidy and solid.  This is intended to be an 'exposure'
to heavy timberwork only.  Two full days w/ lunch at
OUR Eco-Village.  
Facilitators: Randy Churchill and/or Higgs Murphy
Time: weekend - 2 days
May 10/ 11  or Sept.13/14, 2008
Cost:  $150 per person, 10 per session (includes
lunches)

Timber Framing Basics - Square Rule
A rewarding week learning the basics of heavy timber
joinery with the square rule layout method.  After a
half-day of theory and history, attendees will spend
the balance of the week laying out, cutting, and
assembling a wall section.  Optional sessions will
include slide shows, movies, or tool box dump
(evenings?).  A hand's on course focused on the
theory, practical considerations, and use of hand
tools.  Limited use of power tools is optional,
including 8" & 16" saws, mortiser, planer, etc.  A
basic tool kit is suggested for attendees.  
Facilitators: Randy Churchill and/or Higgs Murphy
Time: 5 full days, evenings optional.
June 4-8  or August 6- 10
Cost: $500 per person, 10 per session (includes lunch
& dinner).  

Timber Framing - Hip Roof Example
Not for the faint-of-heart or beginner, this one week
session will introduce the basics of compound roof
work with large timbers and apply these skills to a
hip roof system laid out and cut during the course. 
Attendees must have basic carpentry skills and be
comfortable with simple roof math.  Power tools will
be used for cutting joinery.  Both simple drawing
development and analytical approaches will be
shown/used.  A basic tool kit is suggested for
attendees.  
Facilitators: Randy Churchill & Higgs Murphy
Time: week (Mon - Fri) full days.  No evenings as
you'll need that time to recuperate.
August 20-24 or Sept. 3-7, 2008
Cost: $600 per person, 10 per session (includes lunch
& dinner)

Timber Framing Raising - A Celebration of Craft
Join us for the raising of a timber frame created
during our spring TF training sessions.  Held on a
weekend for maximum participation.  All TF students
are invited/encouraged to return for this event. 
Limited participation to assure safety of the crew,
but a Rope raising is planned so everyone can help
somehow.  Please stay for the party afterward.
Facilitators: Randy Churchill & Higgs Murphy
Time: Sept. 19/20/21
Cost: None, but please bring something to share for
the party afterward.  

Timber Framing for Builders/Contractors
Intended for the professional carpenter, this is a
fast paced introduction to timber framing basics. 
Friday afternoon is devoted to examples, theory,
design, and interaction with other trades.  Full
weekend days will see attendees lay out, cut and
assemble small frame units appropriate for a porch or
ceiling support system.  
Facilitators: Randy Churchill and/or Higgs Murphy
Time: Friday afternoon, Sat & Sun full days
Oct. 3- 5, 2008
Cost:  $300 per person, 10 per session (includes
lunches)
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