SUMMER WORKSHOP SERIES: Natural Building with Dreamweavers Collective

Posted by Darcy Smith on June 16, 2017 2 Comments

COB OVEN WORKSHOP

JUNE 24th – 25th 2017
SALT SPRING ISLAND, BC
200$/person

Spend two days getting your hands dirty while learning the basics of cob, natural building, and how to build a traditional, earthen, wood fired oven! Covering both technique and theory, you will walk away with the confidence and inspiration to take on your own natural building project. We will also go over various principles of heat and fire, including rocket stoves, and simple earthen stoves you can make while camping.

The workshop will be taking place at a beautiful farm near Ganges. A great opportunity to spend a weekend exploring Salt Spring and meeting new people, while learning about natural building. We will be cobbing from 11am – 5pm both days.

 *Register Here*

We would also like to acknowledge the traditional lands of the Hul’qumi’num people that once resided here, and still do.

Inquire about couples/ friends rates, as well as other discounts for seniors, youth, etc.

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NATURAL BUILDING BASICS – PART I

JULY 8TH/9TH 2017
PACIFIC RIM COLLEGE + RAVENHILL HERB FARM

Come and get your hands dirty learning about Natural Building Basics, and working with sustainable, local building materials! This work party workshop (plan to get muddy!) will cover wall prep, mixing, and application of Light Clay with straw and wood chips, as well as Cob. This is the first of a series of 2-day workshops and will hopefully inspire you to delve deeper into the world of Natural Building. When so much of the material world is now made up of toxic building materials, we have to look for new/old ways to help improve the built environment. Light Clay and Cob are sustainable, long lasting, non-toxic, breathable, local, and completely waste free. Light Clay is a mixture of clay and straw or wood chips, which is then packed into a wall. It can be covered in many different natural finishes (see Natural Building Finishes workshops) and works well in the renovation of existing buildings. Cob is a mixture of clay, sand, and straw, and is similar to Adobe, but instead of making bricks, you sculpt the walls. There are many Earthen homes around the world, built with the ground beneath your feet, that have been standing for hundreds of years.

For a more complete learning experience, register also for Natural Building Basics – Part 2 on July 15th/16th.

Online registration can be completed through Pacific Rim College

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NATURAL BUILDING BASICS – PART II

JULY 15TH/16TH

PACIFIC RIM COLLEGE + RAVENHILL HERB FARM

A continuation of Natural Building Basics Part I. Hone your skills and spend more time becoming familiar with Cob, and Light Clay construction. Ask questions that come up in between the workshops, and gain even more confidence to take on your own natural building projects.

Online registration can be completed through Pacific Rim College

NATURAL FINISHES: BASE COATS

JULY 22ND/23RD
PACIFIC RIM COLLEGE + RAVENHILL HERB FARM
CENTRAL SAANICH, BC 

Learn how to create and apply non-toxic finishes to a variety of surfaces using local, natural materials. We will spend this weekend focusing on base coats for Light Clay, Cob, and conventional wall surfaces. There will be a lot of hands-on application, and the weekend will provide a good base of understanding of how to get a variety of wall systems ready for final plasters such as earthen plaster, lime plaster, clay paints (alis), milk paints, and more.

For a more complete learning experience, participants are encouraged to take Natural Building Finishes: Finish Coats on August 12-13.

Register online through Pacific Rim College

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NATURAL FINISHES: FINISH COATS

AUGUST 12TH/13TH
PACIFIC RIM COLLEGE + RAVENHILL HERB FARM
CENTRAL SAANICH, BC

Natural finishes provide an alternative to conventional paints and manufactured finishes. Learn how to create and apply breathable, non-toxic finishes to a variety of surfaces using natural and often local materials. Participants will spend the weekend focusing on finish coats for Light Clay, Cob, and other natural and conventional wall systems. An additional emphasis will be placed on earthen plasters, cover lime plaster, alis (clay paint), milk paints, and more. Participants will also become familiar with plaster tools and techniques to achieve a variety of textures and finishes.

For a more complete learning experience, participants are encouraged to take Natural Building Finishes: Base Coats on July 22-23.

Register online through Pacific Rim College

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2 thoughts on “SUMMER WORKSHOP SERIES: Natural Building with Dreamweavers Collective

  1. Hello,
    I am looking for help building a cob house in Nelson BC. Do you know of any builders you could recommend?

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