Participants in our 2012 workshop built this strawbale, timber frame, cob, thatch hybrid cottage. See our schedule below to find out when you can join in on the next project!
This workshop is a comprehensive introduction to all the basic skills involved in constructing any cob building. In this workshop we will build a stone foundation for a cob building, mix cob both by foot and with equipment, build cob walls, install window and door frames, learn about roofs for cob buildings and much more. This is an excellent course to take if you want to get started in natural building and it will prepare you to build your own basic cob projects. Many people have successfully built their own small cottages after taking this class. For a more in depth experience with all of these techniques and more, you can stay an additional 8 days for the complete owner builder training course (listed below).
To register online use the link below, or email us at info@naturalcottageproject.com or call 440-682-0502. We look forward to talking with you!
Roofing (demonstration and classroom section only)
What does it cost?
Full price for this 7-day workshop: $850
Early Bird Discounts:
$555 if paid in full by March 1 – that’s 35% off!
$680 if paid in full by March 15 – that’s 20% off
$725 if paid in full by April 1 – that’s 15% off
Bring a friend and pay $680 each!
Alumni pay $650 if registered by April 1
Kids come for $20/day
Our instructors each have a decade or more of experience in teaching and building and we work hard to present information in a way that is useful and easy to understand regardless of how much or how little you have built before.
Christina Ott - Modern earthen (cob) building and natural finishes
Barefoot Builder http://www.barefootbuilder.com
Deanne Bednar– Straw bale building, earthen sculpture and design, reed thatch roofs
Strawbale Studio http://www.strawbalestudio.org
Chris McClellan– Natural building author and organizer, rocket stove pyromaniac, workshop coordinator
Industrial Rustic http://www.industrialrustic.com/nb/
Where can I see more pictures of the instructors’ work and past workshops?
Check out our Photo Gallery! You can also see pictures and learn more about each of our instructors at their individual websites. There are also some pictures of our past NCP workshop here https://www.facebook.com/groups/StrawbaleProject.2012/
“Thank you! I was allowed to learn as I do; that is a sign of good teaching.”
– Kelly, Fort Wayne, IN
Building the Complete Cob and Timber Cottage
May 11th-24th, 2013
Woodbury, Tennessee
This fourteen-day building intensive will offer a complete introduction to all the skills you’ll need to complete a cob cottage from the foundation to the roof. This workshop offers a unique blend of construction experience in the fundamentals of building cob walls as well as equally important but frequently overlooked details such as plasters, floors, living roofs, and electrical.
You will also learn all the fundamentals of building load bearing cob walls, including designing and building a foundation, choosing materials, mixing cob by foot and with equipment, building walls, design and structural principals. The instructors will also guide us through the practical and theoretical aspects of building a round timber roof for our cob cottage. Timber will be harvested on site, peeled, cut and assembled into a roof during this workshop.
Roughly half of our time will be spent on new construction while the other half will focus on important (and often overlooked) finish work for natural buildings, including clay and lime plasters, earth floors, windows, earthen wall sculpture, artistic embellishments, and more. We will also include extended classroom sessions covering critical topics like building codes, electrical and plumbing installation, construction budget and schedule planning, etc. To register online use the link below
or email us at info@naturalcottageproject.com or call 440-682-0502. We look forward to talking with you!
How is “Complete Cob I” Different from “Complete Cob II?
The “Complete Cob I” workshop in April will cover a broad range of skills with a greater emphasis on finishing details. We will accomplish this by working on a variety of buildings already at various stages of completion. New construction will be on a very small building.
In the September course we will focus on completing the basic structure of a single larger cob cottage from foundation to roof. We will still cover details but more emphasis will be given to basic hands on construction of a full sized cottage.
Both workshops are complete on their own and there is no need to take one before the other. If you would like help choosing which workshop is best for you, please just give us a call 440-682-0502. We look forward to talking with you!
What topics will we cover with hands-on practice and theory?
Cob
Materials selection for cob and stone
Stone masonry for foundations
Mixing cob by foot and with machinery
Building and trimming cob walls
Installing rough bucks for windows and doors
Installing window and door lintels
Finishing Details
Mixing and applying clay plaster
Mixing and applying lime plaster
Pigments and colors
Installing an earthen floor
Relief sculpture on earth walls
Building a living roof
Log and pole roof framing
What topics will be covered in a classroom setting?
Rubble trench foundations
Selecting materials
Site selection
Passive solar design
Thermal mass and insulation
Structural and functional design
Planning and staging, budgeting
Working with professionals
Strategies for getting more experience and education
Electricity
Plumbing
Building Codes
Roofing Materials and Design (in addition to hands-on work)
Who should take this workshop?
This workshop is an excellent introduction to natural building for those with lots of interest and little or no experience. However, because of the additional time devoted to details and advanced classroom topics this course will also be of significant value to graduates of our previous introductory workshops and to experienced builders.
How is this class different from other natural building courses we offer?
This workshop is unique among our offerings this year because of its roughly equal focus on hands on rough construction, fine detail, and classroom learning time. Many workshops focus on constructing a single building as far as it can go in the allotted time, usually just the exterior shell. This course will make use of an established natural building site to allow us to work on several building at various stages of completion so that we can give a more in depth focus on important details, like roofing, finishing the interior, and abstract information on topics like working with the building department and making a realistic budget.
What does it cost?
Full price for this 2-week workshop: $1,450
Early Bird Discounts: $975 if paid in full by February 1 – that’s 35% off!
$1,150 if paid in full by February 15 – that’s 20% off
$1,230 if paid in full by March 15 – that’s 15% off
Bring a friend and pay $975 each!
Alumni pay $870 if registered by February 15
Kids come for $20/day
Our instructors each have a decade or more of experience in teaching and building and we work hard to present information in a way that is useful and easy to understand regardless of how much or how little you have built before.
Christina Ott - Modern earthen (cob) building and natural finishes
Barefoot Builder http://www.barefootbuilder.com
Deanne Bednar – Earthen sculpture and design, reed thatch roofs
Strawbale Studio http://www.strawbalestudio.org
Chris McClellan – Rocket stoves and mass heaters, natural building author, workshop coordinator
Industrial Rustic http://www.industrialrustic.com/nb/
Where can I see more pictures of the instructors’ work and past workshops?
Check out our Photo Gallery! You can also see pictures and learn more about each of our instructors at their individual websites. There are also some pictures of our past NCP workshop here https://www.facebook.com/groups/StrawbaleProject.2012/
“The instructors were awesome! They demonstrate skills, they share knowledge, and give ample opportunities for willing students to learn.”
– Bill, Yorktown, VA
Building the Straw Bale and Cob Hobbit Sauna
July 13 – 26, 2013
Oxford, Michigan
Learn the basic techniques of natural building as we construct a cabin-sized sauna building from the foundation to the roof. We will integrate a stone foundation, cob construction, load-bearing straw bale walls, window and door framing, a living roof, and more. We’ll also use traditional woodworking skills to cut and raise a timber-framed pavilion – which may go home with one of our participants!
To register online use the link below, or email us at info@naturalcottageproject.com or call 440-682-0502. We look forward to talking with you!
Straw bale construction
Timber framing
Cob
Stone masonry
Living (planted) roofs
Earthen floors
Clay plastering
Window, door, and roof carpentry for straw bales
What topics will be covered in a classroom setting?
Foundations for natural buildings
Choosing materials
Site selection
Designing a home
Planning for plumbing and electrical wiring
Passive solar design
Thermal mass and insulation
Structural concepts: how to make sure it doesn’t fall down
Climate-appropriate design
Building Codes and how to work with them
Becoming an owner-builder – planning and managing your project
Strategies for getting more experience and education
Who should take this workshop?
This workshop is an excellent introduction to natural building for those with lots of interest and little or no experience. However, because of the additional time devoted to details and advanced classroom topics this course will also be of significant value to graduates of our previous introductory workshops and to experienced builders.
What does it cost?
Full price for this 2-week workshop: $1,450
Early Bird Discounts: $975 if paid in full by February 1 – that’s 35% off!
$1,150 if paid in full by February 15 – that’s 20% off
$1,230 if paid in full by March 15 – that’s 15% off
Bring a friend and pay $975 each!
Alumni pay $870 if registered by February 15
Kids come for $20/day
Our instructors each have a decade or more of experience in teaching and building and we work hard to present information in a way that is useful and easy to understand regardless of how much or how little you have built before.
Sarah Highland – Traditional timber framing, straw bale construction
Highland Artisan http://www.highlandartisan.com
Christina Ott - Modern earthen (cob) building and natural finishes
Barefoot Builder http://www.barefootbuilder.com
Deanne Bednar – Earthen sculpture and design, straw bale building
Strawbale Studio http://www.strawbalestudio.org
Chris McClellan – Natural building author and organizer, workshop coordinator
Industrial Rustic http://www.industrialrustic.com/nb/
Where can I see more pictures of the instructors’ work and past workshops?
Check out our Photo Gallery! You can also see pictures and learn more about each of our instructors at their individual websites. There are also some pictures of our past NCP workshop here https://www.facebook.com/groups/StrawbaleProject.2012/
“This workshop has been an incredible eye-opener to the power and beauty of nature’s perfection. I found the instructors to be world class in their trades, as well as being incredibly generous with their sharing and caring for each and EVERY participant. Thank you’s are not enough.”
This fourteen-day building intensive will offer a complete introduction to all the skills you’ll need to complete a cob cottage from the foundation to the roof, and the carpentry skills needed for a wide range of natural building projects. We will mix cob by both feet-power and tractor, frame a round-pole roof, and cut a traditional timber frame from square timbers. The workshop will also cover, both hands-on and in classroom sessions, foundation options, how to install windows and doors, and how to install plumbing and electrical wiring in the cob, all at this start-to-finish construction workshop.
To register online use the link below, or email us at info@naturalcottageproject.com or call 440-682-0502. We look forward to talking with you!
Hands-on Sessions:
Cob – made by both feet-power and tractor
Traditional Timber Framing with square timber and wooden joinery
Round Pole Framing
Electrical Wiring in cob
Carpentry for natural buildings
Stone-Laying for foundations
Arches, Niches, and Sculpture in cob walls
Living Roof
Classroom presentations:
Working with Code Officials
Foundation options
Structural Integrity basic principles: how to make sure your house stands up
Site selection
Designing your home
Passive Solar heating
Selecting materials
Becoming an Owner-Builder
…and lots more!
How is “Complete Cob and Timber Cottage I” Different from “Complete Cob II? Do I deed to take I before II?
The “Complete Cob I” workshop in April will cover a broad range of skills with a greater emphasis on finishing details. We will accomplish this by working on a variety of buildings already at various stages of completion. New construction will be on a very small building.
In the September course we will focus on completing the basic structure of a single larger cob cottage from foundation to roof. We will still cover details but more emphasis will be given to basic hands on construction of a full sized cottage.
Both workshops are complete on their own and there is no need to take one before the other. If you would like help choosing which workshop is best for you, please just give us a call 440-682-0502. We look forward to talking with you!
All 2-Week Workshops, full price: $1,450 Early Bird Discounts: $975 if paid in full by three months in advance – that’s 35% off! $1,150 if paid in full by two months in advance – that’s 20% off $1,230 if paid in full by one month in advance – that’s 15% off Bring a friend and pay only $975 each if registered by two months in advance. Alumni pay $870 if registered by two months in advance Kids come for $20/day
Registration Options
To register and for more information, email us at info@naturalcottageproject.com or call 440-682-0502. We look forward to talking with you!
