2015 Workshops at Mud Dauber School of Natural Building:
Michael
is once again collaborating with Greg Allen in instructing natural
building workshops in North Carolina. We are offering two week long
courses that will provide a thorough introduction to building with earth
and straw through the construction of a community kitchen. Participants
will learn through hands on experience wood
framing, straw bales, cob, slip-straw, earth and lime plaster. Each
course is focused on either strawbale or cob, but a wide variety of
materials and techniques will be covered in each. Visit muddauberschool.com/workshops for details and registration information.
Natural Building Immersion – Strawbale focus: May 3rd-10th 2015
In
our strawbale immersion, we will be stacking bales in a variety of
ways: in a stud wall, in a post-and-beam-style wall, and in a “balecob”
hybrid wall system. We will also use straw in its loose form to make slip-straw walls. The foundation and some framing will be in place;
we will complete the framing, install a metal roof, and then build our
natural walls. You will learn how to design around bales, shape them,
connect them together, protect them from water, and finish them with
plaster. We will integrate doors and windows, as well as sculptural
details. We will tour local, permitted strawbale homes, and will have
discussion surrounding the permitting process. We will additionally be
building with cob and wattle-and-daub. There will be a good amount of
time to get comfortable with mixing and applying natural plasters, too!
our strawbale immersion, we will be stacking bales in a variety of
ways: in a stud wall, in a post-and-beam-style wall, and in a “balecob”
hybrid wall system. We will also use straw in its loose form to make slip-straw walls. The foundation and some framing will be in place;
we will complete the framing, install a metal roof, and then build our
natural walls. You will learn how to design around bales, shape them,
connect them together, protect them from water, and finish them with
plaster. We will integrate doors and windows, as well as sculptural
details. We will tour local, permitted strawbale homes, and will have
discussion surrounding the permitting process. We will additionally be
building with cob and wattle-and-daub. There will be a good amount of
time to get comfortable with mixing and applying natural plasters, too!
