Archive for March, 2010

[ June 5, 2010 to June 6, 2010. ] This class is a conceptual and hands on introduction to earthbag construction, also known as superadobe or free-form rammed earth. This technique was originally popularized by Nadir Khalili, at the Hesperia Institute in southern California; and more recently by Kaki Hunter and Doni Kiffmeyer, the authors of the book Earthbag Building. The hands-on [...]

[ June 19, 2010 to June 20, 2010. ] Adobe block, a sun dried earthen brick, is the most common natural building technique in the world. Many of the worlds most striking earthen structures and techniques are executed in adobe brick, and more people around the world know how to build with adobe than any other construction technique. The hands-on [...]

[ July 8, 2010 to July 11, 2010. ] This is our most intensive hands-on class of the summer. Cob, the traditional earthen building technique of the British Isles, has been reborn on both sides of the Atlantic. In this country it is famous for its whimsical forms and artistic expressiveness. This class will provide students with an in-depth feel [...]

[ July 26, 2010 to July 27, 2010. ]
Come to sunny eastern Oregon, and learn to do miraculous things with dirt! EORenew will offer three Workshops in John Day, Oregon this July on natural building techniques. Camping is available on-site for workshop students, and most meals will be provided. Sign up for one, two, or all three workshops! Join us in making new [...]

[ May 2, 2010; ] Making adobes is something best done in a group, and a group is happier when there is music. The Malinke people know this better than anybody: kassa in their tradition is a ritual, very energetic, interchange between work and music during harvest time; and kassa also refers to the drum rhythms that are [...]

[ July 24, 2010 to July 25, 2010. ] Learn to build your own earthen bread and pizza oven using natural materials from your backyard. Using wood, stone, clay and straw, we will explore the entire construction process from foundation to roof. Class sessions will be comprised of hands-on construction, lecture, and presentations covering building fundamentals that include structure, moisture protection, materials selection, heating [...]

[ August 6, 2010 to August 8, 2010. ] This workshop offers a hands-on introduction to working with clay, sand, and fibers to make beautiful, non-toxic plasters and finishes. These methods and materials can be used over conventional sheetrock as well as earthen and straw bale walls. We will process both unrefined and store-bought materials into plaster and paint, and we will apply these [...]

[ July 19, 2010 to July 22, 2010. ]

Come to sunny eastern Oregon, and learn to do miraculous things with dirt! EORenew will offer three Workshops in John Day, Oregon this July on natural building techniques. Camping is available on-site for workshop students, and most meals will be provided. Sign up for one, two, or all three workshops! Join us in making new [...]

[ July 23, 2010; ]

Come to sunny eastern Oregon, and learn to do miraculous things with dirt! EORenew will offer three Workshops in John Day, Oregon this July on natural building techniques. Camping is available on-site for workshop students, and most meals will be provided. Sign up for one, two, or all three workshops! Join us in making new [...]

[ April 25, 2010 to May 1, 2010. ] Start Date / End Date:: 4/25/10-5/01/10Over the last two decades, the historic craft of timberframing in residential construction has experienced a revival. Students will learn the fundamentals of designing and constructing a timberframe using mortise and tenon joinery. Layout techniques, tool use and sharpening, and joinery cutting methods are taught as we work on a [...]

[ May 1, 2010 to May 2, 2010. ] This hands-on workshop will provide students with basic skills for working with stone and masonry. Students will learn various methods of constructing stone walls and will be exposed to a variety of examples of stonework incorporated in residential design. Each student will have the opportunity to work firsthand with footings and dry-laid, masonry-laid and masonry-veneered [...]

[ May 2, 2010 to May 7, 2010. ] Have you always wondered about strawbale construction? Heard it is only for hot and dry climates? Think again! With their combination of insulation and thermal mass, plastered strawbale walls can be perfect for cold – and even wet – climates if they are designed and built according to a set of time tested principles. This [...]

[ May 8, 2010 to May 9, 2010. May 8, 2010 9:00 pm to May 9, 2010 9:00 pm. ] Start Date / End Date:: 5/08/10-5/09/10Mud, earth, clay, soil – an awesome and versatile building material which can act as a thermal battery, holding heat. People have used this technology for thousands of years to bake bread and other staples. Today wood-fired earthen ovens are seen as an appropriate technology in an increasingly over-complicated world. [...]

[ May 9, 2010 to May 14, 2010. ] Henry Beston noted how the hand-made thing has the mark of the living soul. This course will teach you how to create and apply beautiful hand finished plasters and paints on many wall surfaces. People around the world have been using clay, gypsum, and lime as plasters and paints for millenia, and these materials have [...]

[ May 30, 2010 to June 4, 2010. ] Start Date / End Date:: 5/30/10-6/04-10Green roofs are gaining popularity for several reasons. They are super efficient at insulating a home. They also minimize our ecological footprint by retaining and filtering water before it reaches our rivers and streams. In this course, we will explore intensive and extensive green roof systems. We will discuss various [...]