The Practical Natural Building Workshop at the Mount of Oaks is a 8 day experience of ‘learning by doing’.

The workshop is designed as an introduction to Natural Building. Participants get the chance to learn and experiment with MANY different techniques as the course content is beautifully varied. 

There is a progression in the teaching and practical methods that allows participants to grow in confidence as the course continues. This course is designed with the ‘non-professional’ builder in mind and is aimed as an introduction course.

*French Drainage

* Strawbale walls

* Adobe bricks and light Earth slabs

* “Wattle and Daub” walls

* Cob with glass bottles and Cordwood

* Earth and Lime Plasters

* Lime-wash painting with Natural Pigments

This Course will be facilitated by Barbara Leite, a pioneer of the Mount of Oaks community since 2006 (another community local to us), with 9 years experience in Permaculture Design and Natural Building… with all the mistakes and successes that go with starting from scratch 🙂

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM THIS COURSE?

The Course will have a daily chunk of theory and introduction to all these different techniques and use of local and natural materials, but mostly it will be practical to really get a feel for each material and technique.

Each participant is welcome to share their own experience since Natural Building is as diverse and flexible as each human being and culture is.

Also there is no need of any previous experience as a builder, or engineer or architect. ( if you do have previous experience and just want to get a feel for different materials, please come with patience because there might be others who don’t ).

If you have what is takes, you will be able to come out of it encouraged to design and build your own small house 🙂 .

Lets play with the natural elements and learn with them 🙂

We expect to learn with each other and have an unique experience of life in community during these 8 days we eat together and often in the evenings we sit around the fire telling stories or singing songs!

We will be working on several buildings on the site so that our experience can be as diverse as possible

We may even improvise things that were not part of the program… like showing the basic technique of a reciprocal roof 🙂