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Mixing the cob via "The cob dance" |
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Making cob loaves |
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Sewing the cob with a cobber's thumb |
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Plastering the cob bench |
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One down, one to go! |
Workshop Mission Our workshop mission is to educate the general public about the many benefits of building and living with earth. Both fun and educational, earth building workshops provide people with the tools to redefine where and how they live their lives. With a focus on urban and residential environments, our workshops are geared for everyone to enjoy. With plenty of hands-on experience, participants will leave with confidence to start their own earth building project at home. Join the List I am always adding new workshops and events, so if you don't see a workshop that works for you, contact us and you will be put on the mailing list. Once on the list, you will receive updates on new workshops and upcoming public events. I also encourage feedback from people on what kind of workshops they need and of course, I am always looking for new host sites. Thanks for your interest! Brian B. |
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Urban Earth Solutions Home - Earth Building - Workshops - Consulting - Sculpture - Ovens - Contact - Links |
Earth Building Workshops
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Earth Oven Workshop
June 27th & 28th - Santa Cruz, CA
Fun to make and even more fun to use, earth ovens bake like expensive commercial wood-fired ovens while costing a fraction of the price. Ideal for baking breads and pizzas, earth ovens use radiant, conductive and convection heat simultaneously - producing crunchy, caramelized crusts with moist goodness on the inside. Built out of unfired clay, they can be hand-sculpted into beautiful works of art, making a creative addition to any backyard or patio.
During this weekend workshop we will build an earth oven at a private residence in the Santa Cruz area. The workshop will cover basic earth oven construction from start to finish. Participants will learn all of the essentials about building an oven which includes: how to gather raw materials, build foundations and apply protective plasters. An earthen bench will also be included in the oven design, so participants will get a chance to explore simple earth bag and cob building techniques. This workshop is labor intensive, giving ample “Hands-on” experience. Participants will walk away from the weekend feeling confident about building their own earth oven. This workshop is geared for people of all ages and skill levels.
The workshop will run from 10am to 3:30pm. Participants are encouraged to arrive at least 15 min. before the workshop begins to sign in and get settled. Participants should plan on bringing their own water, snacks and lunch. There is a sliding scale set up for those of us whom are experiencing economic hardship (trust me I know!). For more information please feel free to call Brian @ 530-848-8088. To register follow the directions below.
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Single Adult - $75 Couples - $110 Sliding Scale - $75 to $45 Kids 12 to 17 years old- $25 (Children under 12 are free) |
May 16th & 17th - Arcata, CA
This weekend workshop will teach you how to transform your home into a hand-sculpted work of art. Using a few simple earth-building techniques, you will learn how to sculpt rooms into organic and inspirational, living environments. Non-toxic and eco-friendly, Earthen Remodeling is a quick, fun and creative way to add new vitality to your home.
During the workshop we will begin retrofitting an old garage into an earthen sanctuary. Each participant will learn how to create hand-sculpted walls using a variety of earth building techniques, including: earthen plasters, sculptural adobe and clay paints. We will also address cob, rammed earth and slip straw building techniques. The goal to the workshop is to complete a series of walls from start to finish.
We will construct the walls directly over the existing stud framework using a simple plaster lath technique. Throughout the building process, we will demonstrate how to create architectural features, such as relief sculpture, rounded door jams, bookshelves, niches and more. The workshop will cover all aspects of the building process including room preparation, mixing materials and surface applications. This information will be complimented with lunchtime lectures on natural design and slide shows on contemporary earth building techniques.
The workshop will run from 10am to 3:30pm. Participants are encouraged to arrive at least 15 min. before the workshop begins to sign in and get settled. Participants should plan on bringing their own water, snacks and lunch. For more information please feel free to call Brian @ 530-848-8088. To register follow the directions below.
Before After |
Single Adult - $80 Couples - $120 Student - $60 Kids 12 to 17 years old- $20 (Children under 12 are free) |
Building with Earth Bags and Straw Bale
May 20th -Granite Bay, CA fee:$35
Learn the ins and outs of building with natural materials like straw bale and native soil in this hands-on workshop. We will be building the foundation for an outdoor kitchen countertop using earth bags and straw bale. We will discuss the versatility of different materials and how to create a load bearing structures. Participants will get experience stacking, tying and compressing earth bags and straw bales.
This workshop will be held at Peas & Harmony organic garden in Granite Bay. This is an afternoon workshop and will run from 4:00 to 8:00. To learn more about peas and Harmony please go to www.peasandharmony.net.
May 9th - Davis, CA fee: $50
Come and explore the creative potential of Sculptural Adobe as an artistic medium. An unfired mixture of clay, sand and straw; Sculptural Adobe is versatile as well as durable. Ideal for large-scale sculptures and murals, Sculptural Adobe can be applied to most surfaces with no shrinkage. This allows you to sculpt directly onto armatures and walls, transforming any pre-existing object into a personalized work of art. Since this adobe mix does not need to be fired, you don’t need a kiln, making it a cost effective and eco-friendly alternative to conventional ceramic sculpture.
During the workshop participants will get hands-on experience mixing and building with Sculptural Adobe. We will be covering a variety of building techniques including the use armatures, sculpting directly onto walls and ram pressing. We will also discuss clay paints, earthen plasters, weather resistant finishes and stabilization methods for outdoor sculpture.
The workshop will be held at The John Natsoulas Center for the Arts in downtown Davis. The workshop will run 1:00pm to 5:00pm. For registration and more information about the gallery workshop series, please go to www.natsoulas.com or call 530-756-3961. The workshop fee is $50 per participant.
May 30th - Granite Bay, CA Fee: $35
This workshop will explore a variety of earthen plasters applications. During this workshop we will be plastering the newly constructed Earth Oven and counters at Peas & Harmony organic garden. We will be plastering over a multiple exterior surfaces including wood, cob, urbanite and straw bale. Participants will get plenty of hands on application experience while also learning about surface preparation, mixing ratios and weather resistant finishes.
To learn more about Peas & Harmony please go to their website www.peasandharmony.net
Workshop times are from 10am to 3pm
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To register for a class or workshop please e-mail us with the name of the workshop. We will respond with further details about the event and directions to the workshop location. If you do not hear back from us with in 24 hours, please call us at #530-848-8088. Space is limited, so to reserve your spot, we require that at least 50% of the workshop fee be paid in advanced. All paid fees are non-refundable unless the workshop has been cancelled but can be applied toward future workshops. Thank you for your interest in earth building and we look forward to meeting you. |