Natural Home Building Workshops and Learning Opportunities
Straw-clay walls, earthen plastering, and earthen flooring are all ancient building arts that are being revived to complement modern natural homebuilding. During workshops we teach you the art and science, the tools and techniques.
In our hands-on workshops, you will:
• Learn how to evaluate your raw materials.
• Find out how natural ingredients affect the durability of your house.
• Design mixes to best suit your needs.
• Gain the skills to build confidently.
• Use a variety of tools & techniques and find out which ones will work best for you.
If you'd like to be placed on our workshop mailing list, or if you're interested in hosting a training at your site, contact christi@designcoalition.org
left: Lou and scientist Douglas Piltingsrud confer with Don Smith of SmithWorks Natural Homes during a September 2011 crew training for straw-clay technology in Crested Butte, Colorado.
left: Roger pitches in during a May 2011 straw-clay training day with Alex Greene and the crew of Red Beard Woodworks, in Spring Greene, Wisconsin.
left: Lou teaching Earthen Plastering in November 2002 at Small Waters in Harvard, Illinois.
Solar Tour of Buildings
The Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) presents a Solar Tour of Buildings annually. The Affordable Natural House is frequently on the tour. For dates and more information, see MREA's website.
