This is a full immersion 5 day Natural Building workshop where Cob Therapy will team up with the Finger Lakes School of Natural Building students. From the ground up we will construct a small structure using materials from the environment we all harvest, process and manipulate together to create a outhouse/humanure building on the beautiful Backbone Farm You will learn a variety of natural building skills in this workshop and gain the confidence that will be needed for you to become an earthen builder and construct a building on your own property.
Who: professional builders and novices alike who want to learn in a hands on environment about building with locally available materials including round wood, clay, sand, and straw, and salvaged or surplus material.
What: We will construct a small building from foundation to roof using natural material. We will select and process round wood poles for the frame and clay, sand, and straw for the walls. Students will also work with rammed earth tires, slip form stone and salvaged wood.
At the end of the workshop, students will retain a baseline knowledge of the basic materials needed to create a natural building.
Discussions will include: wood species and selection, natural plaster and cob formulation, foundation and roof design, and site selection/ passive solar design.
We will also tour completed natural buildings on site including a large barn, smaller outbuildings, and a strawbale timber frame home.
When: Wednesday - Sunday 9am-5pm
Where: Backbone Farm, Trumansburg N.Y.
Cost: $555 earlybird: ($600 after June 1st)
(this includes lunch each day and a Saturday night BBQ)
to register or more info: email matteolundgren@gmail.com
Where to stay: here are some options
There is free rustic camping in the Fingerlakes National Forest 5 minutes from site
Camping at Our Friends at Hawk Meadow Farm Hip Camp
Camping at TAUGHANNOCK FALLS STATE PARK