Established permaculture farm
Natural Building Course Portugal
Join us for a Natural Building course and learn about all aspects of sustainable building with natural materials. Live in and explore the natural builds around our farm, enjoy off-grid permaculture, live deep in nature, eat nutrient-rich organic food, and attend some yoga classes.
Natural Building Course Portugal
All our buildings at Keela are made with natural materials, and many of the materials are harvested from our own land. This course introduces natural building methods. You will spend the week building with different methods and seeing the process from start to finish.
This is a hands-on course on an off-grid permaculture farm, where you will also experience permaculture living, farm-to-table food, and communal living.
Natural Building Course Portugal
What is included in this Natural Building Course?
Theory classes on Natural and Sustainbale buidling
Selecting and harvesting materials
Corwdwood Practical
Wattle & Daub Practical
Earth Brick Practical
Earth Plastering & finishing plastering practicals
Tour of natural buildings including strawbale houses, cordwood, wattle n daub, earth bag and stone.
3 healthy organic farm to table meals per day – a chef cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner for you.
Free camping in your tent or camper, or hire a caravan or tent with bedding
Photos from past Natural Building courses at Keela
Natural Building Course Dates
All our natural building courses are sandwiched between our two-week permaculture design course and our one-week Permaculture in Practice course. You can join the Natural Building course alone or with one or both other courses.
Discounts available for low-income, Portuguese residents or past guests. See pricing section below.
- 19th July – 1st August – 2 week Permaculture Design Course (€950)
- 3rd-9th August – Permaculture in Practice Course (€500)
- 12th-18th August- Natural Building Course (€500)
- Join the full 1 month for €1500 (€450 Discount)
October 2025 Natural Building Course
- 25th Sept-8th Oct – 2 week Permaculture Design Course (€950)
- 10th-16th Oct – Permaculture in Practice Course (€500)
- 19th-25th Oct – Natural Building Course (€500)
- Join the full 1 month for €1500 (€450 Discount)
May 2026 Natural Building Course
- 12th – 25th April 2026 : 2 week PDC (€950)
- 27th April – 3rd May 2026 : Permaculture in Practice Course (€500)
- 5th – 11th May – Natural Building Course (€500)
- Join all three for €1650 (€300 discount)
June 2026 Natural Building Course
- 7th – 20th June 2026 – 2 week PDC (€950)
- 22nd-28th June 2026 – Natural Building Course (€500)
- Join both for € 1300 (€150 Discount)
August 2026 Natural Building Course
- 19th July – 1st Aug 2026 – 2 week PDC (€950)
- 3rd – 9th August 2026 – 1 week Natural Building Course (€500)
- Join both for € 1300 (€150 Discount)
September 2026 Natural Building Course
- 30th Aug – 12th Sept 2026 : 2 week PDC (€950)
- 14th – 20th Sept 2026- Permaculture in Practice Course (€500)
- 22nd-28th Sept 2026 : – Natural Building Course (€500)
- Join all three for €1650 (€300 discount)
Video from our Summer 2023 Course
Natural Building Course in Europe
Your Course host and Teacher
Laurence Manchee
Lead Teacher
Co-founder of Keela Yoga Farm. Laurence is certified by the Permaculture Association to teach certified PDCs. He lives in a straw bale house which he built. He has been taught natural building courses for eight years. He has built a large straw bale community house, a wattle and daub chicken house, a large barn with various natural building techniques, a straw bale greenhouse, a yoga room and a garage, each with multiple building methods. Laurence is a keen advocate of sustainable building, which means using materials you can source locally, recycling materials and creating low-energy input buildings.
Prices & travel information
Traveling to Keela Permaculture Farm
Keela is Based in the Village Mata Da Rainha near Fundao in Central Portugal
- Fly to either Lisbon or Porto Airport.
- Take a coach or Train to Fundao Station
- Arrive by group taxi from Fundao station to the farm
Breakdown of Natural Building Course
- Natural Building Course (including food): €500
- Extra nights (including food): €50 per night
- Accommodation (more info and photos)
- Your tent or Caravan (free)
- Private Caravan €150
- Tent or tipi €100
- Discounts available:
- €75 for Portuguese residents
- €75 per week for volunteering during the course
- €75 if you have done a PDC with us.
- Only one discount can be applied.
Booking Form
Stay in Touch
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to gain the knowledge and skillsTake advantage of this opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for creating sustainable systems that benefit both people and the environment. Register now to embark on your journey toward becoming a permaculture designer! Click here to secure your spot.Take advantage of this opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for creating sustainable systems that benefit both people and the environment. Register now to embark on your journey toward becoming a permaculture designer! Click here to secure your spot. needed to create sustainable systems that benefit both people and the environment. Register now and start your journey towards becoming a permaculture designer! Click here to secure your spot.
