We’ve been building Querencia, Beth’s round, whimsical artist studio on the east side of the stream.  We’ll continue with finishing details on our own

Natural Building Weekend Workshops

All workshops are completed. Check out the photos.

We learned how to build  a beautiful shelter from clay, straw and other earthen materials!

Weekend workshops led by Natural Building architect/builder/teacher Sigi Koko of Down To Earth Design were held in 2011 and  2012. Participants mixed clay with hands and feet and painted with clay finishes.  The finished product is our magical artist- built by a community of creative, caring souls.

 

What are natural building workshops? No experience is necessary because there’s no “machinery” or dumpsters involved and a master teacher guided us. We used ancient practices such as stacking straw bales and sculpting interior walls and benches out of clay shaped into “cobs”( English word meaning loaf).

Each workshop was a “barn-raising” in the traditional sense- everyone working together in harmony with our natural surroundings, dancing in the mud, laughing in the sun, proudly celebrating a group masterpiece. Group instruction and individual coaching ensured a successful and life-changing weekend.

Check out photos and stories from the 2011-2012 weekend workshops:  

Cobbin’ Fun- Cob oven workshop

Adobe Floor Workshop

Strawbale/Clay Plaster Workshop  I and   II

Cob Workshop    I and     II and   III

Clay and Lime Plaster I and  II

Finish Clay Plaster

Further Progress Fall 2011

Decorating Querencia

Final Adobe Floor

Final interior walk-through

Tah Dah!  Final touches- Sept. 2012

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE WORKSHOPS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Click below on the individual workshops to learn more -  All Workshops- Completed

~ 2-day Cob Oven Workshop (May 7 – 8, 2011) -    Completed (see photos)

~ 2-day Adobe Floor Workshop (June 11-12, 2011)  Completed (see photos)

~ 4-day Strawbale and Clay Plaster Workshop (June 24-27, 2011)  Completed (see photos) and (more photos)

~ 3-day Cob Workshop (July 9-11, 2011)      Completed (see photos) and (more photos)

~ 3-day Clay Plaster (interior) and Lime Plaster (exterior) Workshop (July 22-24, 2011)   Completed  (see photos)and   (more photos)

~2-day Finish Clay Plaster (Sept 17-18, 2011) Completed (see photos)

~ 1-day Living Roof (Oct. 1)    (see photos of us doing it ourselves- workshop cancelled because of inclement weather)

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 2012 Workshops

~ 1-day Natural Paints Workshop (Saturday April 28, 2012)

~ 1-day Finish Adobe Floor  (Saturday June 9, 2012) Completed (see photos)

Everyone was invited to join the fun (no experience required).  Sigi Koko, natural building guru,  led the workshops- teaching participants all about the principles and techniques of building a warm, dry, sturdy shelter from clay, sand and straw. There was plenty of hands-on practice with each of the techniques. Delicious, healthy meals for the hungry workers were provided. And Taproot Farm was a relaxing place to celebrate the end of each day of building.

 

Building with natural materials is good for the body, good for the earth, and good for the soul! Creating our Querencia is a dream come true…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~PHOTOS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inspiration from Others:

 

 

COB OVEN workshop May 7-8, 2011