Earth Hands & Houses - Strawbale, earthbag and natural building courses

2011 Workshops

UK Balcomb nr. Gatwick, Sussex

Located in a forest where camping is free with very basic facilities.

28-2 May/June, Building with Earthbags. Domes and arches. Building a root cellar, learning to build earthen dome structures for emergency and sustainable living. Building an arch and a very small dome made out of earth filled bags, and plastering/sculpting the dome with an earthen plaster. Hands-on and some theory. Taught by Paulina.

Call Paulina on 07787918184 for details about volunteering for a day. Volunteers pay £20 for lunch and dinner.

Cost £240 without meals or £300 with meals

Poland, nr. Plonsk, 60km from Warsaw

In a beautiful pine and birch woodland, where there are already straw bale and Earthbag houses, we will be building an extension to an existing timber house made of straw bales with Earthbag foundations. The course is split into 3 stages of the building process taught by Jarema Dubiel.

17-18 May, Earthbag foundations for the straw bale walls. The earthbags will be filled with sand, clay or gravel.

Cost: 70 Euro including free vegetarian lunch and basic shelter

20-22 May, Straw bale wall rising, with hazel pinning, tying the walls, making the wall plate and compressing the wall. Mostly hands on, but some theory.

Cost: 130 Euro including free vegetarian lunch and basic shelter

25-27 May, Clay plastering the straw bale walls. This workshop will teach how to recognize clay, how to prepare clay plaster, three different layers of earthen clay plaster, preparation of wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, making a truth window, painting with clay paint, and light straw clay insulation.

Cost: 110 Euro including free vegetarian lunch and basic shelter

If you would like to attend all 3 courses the cost is reduced to 275 Euro

Northeast Poland, nr. Goldap

This will be the first straw bale house in a newly formed ecoVillage.

This building course is a segment of a 3 week permaculture course. The building course is split into 3 stages of the building process and is taught by Jarema Dubiel.

26-27June - Earthbag foundations for the straw bale walls.

Cost: 70 Euro includes free vegetarian lunch.

29 June - 1 July. - Straw bale wall rising, with hazel pinning, tying the walls, making the wall plate and compressing the wall. Mostly hands on, but some theory.

Cost: 120 Euro includes free vegetarian lunch.

3-5 July, - Clay plastering workshops; how to recognize clay, how to prepare clay plaster, three layers of earthen plaster, preparation of wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, making a truth window, painting with clay paint, and light straw clay insulation

Cost: 120 Euro includes free vegetarian lunch.

Camping field and tee-pee available for free. Ask for details about Vegan food.

Poland, Przelomka.

22-24 July, Building with Earthbags. Domes and arches.

Building a root cellar, learning to build earthen dome structures for emergency and sustainable living. Building an arch and a very small dome made out of earth filled bags

27-29th July, Plastering/sculpting the dome with an earthen plaster.

Cost: one 3-day July workshop 140 Euro, two 3-day workshops 240 Euro.

Concessions available. There is a camping field available for free, or make your own arrangements. Meals are not included.

Poland nr. Warsaw

Building a garden structure.

25-27 August - Natural building techniques (part 1). Building an earthbag foundation, and bench and bread oven.

Cost: 120Euro.

29-31st August, Natural building techniques (part 2). Building walls made of straw bale and a wattle & daub, clay finishes, clay paints and light clay insulation.

Cost: 120 Euro.

Price includes vegetarian lunch and basic accommodation.

South of France

18-22 and 25-29 October

This is a wonderful opportunity to join Paulina on this rare occasion where she will be building a 5m diameter earthbag dome with arches and smaller niches. Here are the full details of the workshop.