Cob Workshops

Intro to Fast Cob & Natural Finishing
2020-08-13 15:30 - 2020-08-17 11:00 (America/Denver) | Lasqueti Island, 1 Beautiful Bicycle Lane, Lasqueti Island, BC, V0R 2J0, Canada
Last year, we introduced this Short Course and it was a great success. You’ll get a full sense of our Fast Cob technique (which allowed 1.5 people to build the 900 sq.ft. house in the photo in just 5 months!), and you’ll get to know how to finish buildings naturally, from base layer to finish layer and even whitewash. Everything we use is completely natural and everything you learn can be done anywhere on the planet. Of course, without prior building experience, a 3 day workshop will not give you everything you need to start building your home. But if you’re curious about Fast Cob or cob in general (but don’t want to exhaust yourself), this course is for you. Come and let your creative side have fun!
The cost of the 5 day Short Course workshops includes all meals (3 hot vegan/vegetarian meals prepared for you for each of the 3 full workshop days, plus a welcoming dinner and a good-bye breakfast on the final day), on-site camping with running potable water, hot showers, and hands-on instruction.
You can apply for any of our workshops by visiting https://cob.lasqueti.ca/workshops.html…simply read through our full descriptions, then scroll to the bottom of the webpage and fill in our quick and easy application form. You’ll receive an email confirming your application soon after with all the necessary information to complete your registration. We only have 3 spots remaining for this workshop.
Fast Cob is a truly revolutionary technique: it can empower anyone (a 60 year old woman with bad knees has been cobbing like mad since her full week workshop last August) to build just about anything, without exhausting yourself, going into debt or spending years on a project. Any building up to 2000 sq.ft. can be built in one season with Fast Cob, and without machines or thousands of dollars of tools!

1-Day Natural Building Intro – Cob + Natural Plasters
2020-08-29 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$85 Early Bird Discount (Register before July 15th, 2020)
$100 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
Join us in constructing a garden wall on our campus! This is a great beginner project that provides you with the basic knowledge of how to build a strong, long-lasting cob wall. We will mix and build with cob all morning, and then get our hands dirty with natural plasters in the afternoon!
– mixing and building with cob
– mixing and applying earthen plasters
– lunch discussion: “pros and cons of different natural wall systems”
– touring our campus buildings
A wholesome lunch will be provided.

The Fundamentals of Fast Cob…Everything you need to get Building…Fast!
2020-08-29 15:30 - 2020-09-05 11:00 | Lasqueti Island, 1 Beautiful Bicycle Lane, Lasqueti Island, BC, V0R 2J0, Canada
Fast Cob is a truly revolutionary technique: it can empower anyone (a 60 year old woman with bad knees has been cobbing like mad since her full week workshop last August) to build just about anything, without exhausting yourself, going into debt or spending years on a project. Any building up to 2000 sq.ft. can be built in one season with Fast Cob, and without machines or thousands of dollars of tools!
At a relaxed pace, we’ll learn and practice mixing and building with Fast Cob. As the week progresses, you’ll gain the skills, confidence, and inspiration to build your own structures. This year, we’ll complete the 200 sq.ft. wood shed – with a living roof. In 2018, a workshop of 4 people built a 12′ high by 8′ wide wall…and that was only half of what we accomplished.
In between hands-on Fast Cob sessions, we’ll look at foundations, electrical, plumbing, floors, roofs, and general design. You get everything you need to go off and start building on your own because we design every workshop around you and your needs!
The cost of the 8 day Fundamentals of Fast Cob workshops includes all meals (3 hot vegan/vegetarian meals prepared for you for each of the 6 full workshop days, plus a welcoming dinner and a good-bye breakfast on the final day), on-site camping, hot showers, and hands-on instruction.
You can apply for any of our workshops by visiting https://cob.lasqueti.ca/workshops.html…simply read through our full descriptions, then scroll to the bottom of the webpage and fill in our quick and easy application form. You’ll receive an email confirming your application soon after with all the necessary information to complete your registration. This workshop is sold out for 2020. It will run again in 2021 during the last week of August/Summer/before the Labour Day holiday in Canada.

Intro to Earthen Building Workshop
2020-08-31 - 2020-09-04 | Unnamed Venue, Keystone Heights, FL, United States
Dates: August 31 – September 4, 2020
Location: Keystone Heights, Florida
Come and join us in Florida for our next Introduction to Earthen Building Workshop! We will be constructing a 6 foot tall rammed earth column and applying earth plaster to the cob cottage. A perfect project for beginners and experts alike! You will get the knowledge to build earthen building projects scaling from smaller things, such as cob ovens and benches, up to large projects like homes and buildings. You will also get the opportunity to experience a completed cob building, which was built on-site from previous workshop students.
This workshop is a great experience to learn how to build with rammed earth and cob, and to get a broad learning overview of natural building techniques. You will get a solid foundation in earthen building fundamentals. We will be constructing an outdoor rammed earth courtyard, and we will be studying Natural Building together each day. After this workshop, you will have the basic know-how and confidence to design and build your own earthen constructions or buildings.
Hands-On Work Topics:
– How to make cob (with the traditional tarp method)
– Selecting and testing soils for cob and rammed earth (learn several ways to test your soil composition)
– Building with rammed earth (we will be building a rammed earth 6 foot tall column)
– How to build foundations (learn hands-on how to build concrete foundations for earthen walls)
– Earthen Plaster (learn to mix and apply earthen plaster and lime plaster)
– Creating window and door frames (how to build and attach frames to earthen walls)
Classroom and Discussion Topics:
– Site selection and design (includes Passive Solar design principles)
– Materials and tools (covers traditional and modern cob building toolset and materials)
– Rubble trench foundations (Plus general foundation building)
– Drainage principles (Important: water can be cob’s worst enemy)
– Basic Electrical and Plumbing integration for cob homes
– Installing windows and doors
– Roofing and Bond Beams
– Natural plasters and finishes (Vapor Permeable / “Breathable” finishes)
– Overview of Natural Building materials
This workshop is a unique experience for people to learn about building earthen homes and to get an overview of Natural Building. Not only are there plenty of hands-on lessons to learn from, but we will also have ample discussion and informal classroom time. Most earthen construction workshops don’t cover this many topics. But here, you will learn all the core lessons needed to start building from this one workshop!
Plus – there will be many hours of discussions about building cob homes and natural building throughout the workshop. Its a great way to get your questions answered and brainstorm your building ideas!
The workshop will be held at a private property in Keystone Heights, Florida.
Each day will begin at 9:00 AM, and the days will include hands-on building, classroom sessions, discussions, and learning activities related to cob and natural building topics. We will break for lunch between 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and we will complete each day at around 4:00 PM. They will be full-packed days! Worth your every penny!
The workshop will be taught by Alex Sumerall, an east coast Natural Builder who has a focus on creating earthen structures that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, and functional for modern life. He is the owner of This Cob House, LLC, which is dedicated to teaching people about cob and natural building techniques. Alex has a background in business and advertising, and has been practicing Natural Building since 2011. He graduated from the Aprovecho School of Natural Building in 2013 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and continues to teach, present, consult, and construct.
Earn A Certificate of Earthen Building!

Upon completion of this workshop, you will be awarded with a certificate of earthen building. This certificate is earned by all of our 5-day workshop students. It will be printed and signed by Alex for you to take home with you at the end of the week.
Free Bonus!
Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a printed copy of Alex’s book, “Build a Cob House: A Step-By-Step Guide”, and the downloadable PDF version, FREE! We only make printed copies for workshop students, so this is your chance to get one. We will be using the book as a lesson guide throughout the workshop too so you can follow along with your book in hand.
Listen to the great things that our workshop participants are saying!
“The cob workshop was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about natural building, not only from Alex’s instruction, experience and demonstrations, but from interacting with people from different backgrounds who were a great source of collective knowledge. The hands-on experience was priceless!” Tony Romo, Texas
“The Cob Building Workshop was a great investment of my time! It was well organized, extremely inspiring, and FUN! Alex was able to explain construction basics to neophytes like me, yet he could also answer the complex questions asked by the more experienced workshop attendees. I can’t wait until the next workshop!”
Marybeth Babos, Tennessee
Lodging
There are two options for lodging: free camping on site, or making reservations at one of the local hotels or AirBnB. Hotels are available in the neighboring towns of Stark and Waldo, per Google maps, and possibly in Keystone Heights.
Camping is FREE and is available throughout the property. There are plenty of great locations to set up a tent here. Multiple camp areas are available with oak trees shading the majority of the property. Trees can be used appropriately for hammocks & camp gear. Campers will have access to a clean bathroom and private outdoor shower.
A modernized, yet simple, building contains a flushable toilet with a private outdoor shower that’s tucked away. It is spacious with room to keep things up and dry.
Our location has electricity & water. Electric outlets are minimal, with the ability to charge phones & power tools, in a single location. The water is well water and is drinkable, yet you may wish to bring your own.
Food
Meals will not be included in this workshop so participants will need to provide their own food. There are several local restaurants and grocery stores nearby the workshop site.
Each is responsible for their own meal preparation, unless decisions are made to share or combine. An hour for lunch is provided, allowing adequate time for a quick nap, a trip into town, fast food, cooking over the fire, or utilizing the grill. There is no official kitchen on site, but there is a small operational microwave, and a few pieces of kitchen camp gear available for use. Coolers are welcome and encouraged.
Local Places to Eat: McHenry’s (food & pub), Keystone Inn (country buffet, known for chicken) Hardee’s, McDonald’s, Subway, Johnny’s BBQ
Recreation & Surroundings
Bring a camp chair for some quality R&R. Build a community camp fire, while reflecting on the day. Enjoy the grassy area to throw a ball, walking trails through the woods, blackberry bushes, slightly traveled road that’s great for a leisurely walk, and the open field in the distance to spot deer, crane, & rabbits in the early mornings.
Family & Groups
Ask about discounts. We encourage group & family activities because it enhances learning among your support group. Email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com for custom group/family invoice.
Children/young people of any age are welcome to join in and learn. Please be aware that some areas are under construction, as is the purpose of this workshop. Previous workshop parents have brought playpens, pop up tents, outside toys, and so forth. Children are welcome to explore through “hands-on” learning. It’s okay if they play in the dirt.
Prices
Price: $499

Additional Discounts: 10% for family and friends participating together.
Teens accompanying a parent/guardian are half price. Children under 13 accompanying a parent/guardian are free.

Click here to register: https://www.thiscobhouse.com/introduction-cob-workshop-keystone-heights-florida/
If you have any other questions about the workshop, please feel free to email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com
If you have a large party of people registering, they can all register separately, or contact me for a custom invoice.

3-Day Natural Building Immersion – [WAITLIST ONLY]
2020-09-04 - 2020-09-06 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$250 Early Bird Discount (register before August 1st, 2020)
$300 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
We will cover a lot of material in 3 days! One focus will be work on our existing dining building: completing the top of a cob wall, applying earthen plasters on the interior, applying lime plasters on the exterior, and making/using clay paints. We will then begin construction on a lean-to that will be used for dishwashing and storage, using cob, straw bale, and slip-straw techniques. If time allows, we will construct a small living roof atop our work!
– mixing cob by machine and by foot
– building and sculpting with cob
– installing straw bales, and preparing them for plaster
– mixing and applying earthen plasters, lime plaster, and natural paints
– installing a window
– lunch discussions: “foundation/siting”, “roof options”
– touring two natural, permitted home, plus our campus
Seven wholesome meals will be provided (Friday’s lunch through Sunday’s lunch). On either Friday or Saturday evening we will share a pizza dinner from our cob oven!

Introduction to Cob Workshop
2020-09-07 - 2020-09-11 | Unnamed Venue, Jonesborough, TN, United States
Dates: September 7 – September 11, 2020
Location: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Come and join us in beautiful eastern Tennessee for our next Introduction to Cob Workshop! We will be constructing a cob house. A perfect project for beginners and experts alike! You will get the knowledge to build cob projects scaling from smaller things, such as cob ovens and benches, up to large projects like homes and buildings.
This workshop is a great experience to learn how to build with cob and to get a broad learning overview of natural building techniques. You will get a solid foundation in cob building fundamentals. We will be constructing the walls on a new cob building and studying Natural Building together each day. After this workshop, you will have the basic experience and confidence to design and build your own simple cob constructions or cob building.
Hands-On Work Topics:
– How to make cob (learn how to make cob with a mortar mixer)
– Selecting and testing soils for cob (learn several ways to test your soil composition)
– Building cob walls (learn my four steps to efficient cob wall building)
– Creating window and door frames (how to build and attach frames to cob walls)
– Rammed Earth Demonstration (building rammed earth forms and compaction process)
– Earthen Plaster (learn to mix and apply earth plaster)
Classroom and Discussion Topics:
– Site selection and design (includes Passive Solar design principles)
– Materials and tools (covers traditional and modern cob building toolset and materials)
– Rubble trench foundations (Plus general foundation building)
– Drainage principles (Important: water can be cob’s worst enemy)
– Basic Electrical and Plumbing integration for cob homes
– Installing windows and doors
– Roofing and Bond Beams
– Natural plasters and finishes (Vapor Permeable / “Breathable” finishes)
– Overview of Natural Building materials
This workshop is a unique experience for people to learn about building cob homes and to get an overview of Natural Building. Not only are there plenty of hands-on lessons to learn from, but we will also have ample discussion and informal classroom time. Most cob workshops don’t cover this many topics. But here, you will learn all the core lessons needed to start building from this one workshop!
Plus – there will be many hours of discussions about building cob homes and natural building throughout the workshop. Its a great way to get your questions answered and brainstorm your building ideas!
The workshop will be held at a private property in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Each day will begin at 9:00 AM, and the days will include hands-on building, classroom sessions, discussions, and learning activities related to cob and natural building topics. We will break for lunch between 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and we will complete each day at around 4:00 PM. They will be full-packed days! Worth your every penny!
The workshop will be taught by Alex Sumerall, an east coast Natural Builder who has a focus on creating earthen structures that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, and functional for modern life. He is the owner of This Cob House, LLC, which is dedicated to teaching people about cob and natural building techniques. Alex has a background in business and advertising, and has been practicing Natural Building since 2011. He graduated from the Aprovecho School of Natural Building in 2013 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and continues to teach, present, consult, and construct.
Free Bonus!
Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a printed copy of Alex’s book, “Build a Cob House: A Step-By-Step Guide”, and the downloadable PDF version, FREE! We only make printed copies for workshop students, so this is your chance to get one. We will be using the book as a lesson guide throughout the workshop too so you can follow along with your book in hand.
Listen to the great things that our workshop participants are saying!
“The cob workshop was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about natural building, not only from Alex’s instruction, experience and demonstrations, but from interacting with people from different backgrounds who were a great source of collective knowledge. The hands-on experience was priceless!” Tony Romo, Texas
“The Cob Building Workshop was a great investment of my time! It was well organized, extremely inspiring, and FUN! Alex was able to explain construction basics to neophytes like me, yet he could also answer the complex questions asked by the more experienced workshop attendees. I can’t wait until the next workshop!”
Marybeth Babos, Tennessee
Lodging
There are two options for lodging: free camping on site, or making reservations at one of the local hotels or AirBnB. Hotels are available in the neighboring towns of Jonesborough, Gray, and Johnson City.
Camping is FREE, but space is limited on the property so let us know ahead of time if you will be camping or lodging off-site. Campers will have access to a portable toilet and private outdoor shower.
The location has electricity & water. Electric outlets are minimal, with the ability to charge phones & power tools.
Food
Meals will not be included in this workshop so participants will need to provide their own food. There are several local restaurants and grocery stores nearby the workshop site.
Each is responsible for their own meal preparation, unless decisions are made to share or combine. An hour for lunch is provided, allowing adequate time for food and a quick nap or trip into town. There is no official kitchen on site. Coolers are welcome and encouraged.
Recreation & Surroundings
Jonesborough is located near the edge of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Tennessee. It is a beautiful area, and there are many scenic places to visit nearby. You can also travel to places like Gatlinburg, TN or Asheville, NC within a short driving distance.
Family & Groups
Ask about discounts. We encourage group & family activities because it enhances learning among your support group. Email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com for custom group/family invoice.
Children/young people of any age are welcome to join in and learn. Please be aware that some areas are under construction, as is the purpose of this workshop, but it is generally child-safe.
Prices
Price: $499

Additional Discounts: 10% for family and friends participating together.
Teens accompanying a parent/guardian are half price. Children under 13 accompanying a parent/guardian are free.

Click here to register: https://www.thiscobhouse.com/introduction-to-cob-workshop-jonesborough-tennessee-september-2020/
If you have any other questions about the workshop, please feel free to email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com
If you have a large party of people registering, they can all register separately, or contact me for a custom invoice.

Natural Building Workshop September 7 – October 11: We are building a PermaHome guesthouse for Christoph & Mario’s permaculture project in southern Italy
2020-09-07 - 2020-10-11 | Christoph & Mario’s permaculture project, Strada Provinciale 136, Badolato, Catanzaro, 88060, Italy
Natural Building Workshop : September 7th – October 11th

In this Natural Building Workshop we are building a PermaHome guesthouse for Christoph & Mario’s permaculture project in southern Italy. See this link for a full description.
From September 7th to October 11th we will start another 35-Day Natural Building Workshop near Badolato in southern Italy. This workshop will provide you an opportunity to get hands-on experience in Natural Building, all the skills and especially the confidence you need to build a little cabin for yourself. The highlights of this workshop are a natural rock foundation, a wooden frame and roof, light-straw-clay, straw bale as well as cob walls, earthen floors, earthen plasters, a rainwater harvesting roof and even cob sculpting, Tadelakt and an integrated greenhouse to make this building something like an earthship. The difference is that in a PermaHome we try to stick with natural materials only.

Certification
Natural Building Certificate

Date
September 7th – October 11th

Building Style
PermaHome

Instruction language
English / English & German

Location
Badolato, CZ, southern Italy

Project: a PermaHome guesthouse for Christoph & Mario’s permaculture project
In this year’s 35-Day Natural Building Workshop we will build Christoph & Mario an earthship inspired guesthouse for their permaculture project. They would like a big room of about 20 m² that can host 2 people comfortably, 1 shower and a little kitchen area to prepare snacks. Imagine the following plan without the bedrooms:
Workshop: Natural Building
A 35-Day Natural Building Workshop consists of 25 days of theoretical instruction (in English or English & German) with lectures & graphics as well as hands-on construction for 7 – 8 hours a day.
Hands-on Construction
In this Natural Building Workshop you will build a complete building from foundation through floors and walls to the roof with your own hands. We are trying to use only natural materials, so you know exactly what you are working and surround yourself with.
Our hands-on practice will include:

creating a foundation with drainage for heavy rainfall
adding plumbing for a sink, shower and toilet
insulating and pouring an earthen floor
connecting wooden frame and foundation
building a green house
making cob with partner and solo
building cob walls, straw bale walls and light-straw-clay walls
preparing and inserting doors and fixed and opening windows
preparing and inserting shelves
making bottle bricks/windows
inserting bottle bricks/windows, niches and other objects
inserting electrical wiring and plumbing in walls
preparing walls for roof connection
cob sculpting
preparing and applying earthen plaster (2 coats)
preparing and pouring earthen floor (2 layers)
building a roof with natural round wood
building a water harvesting roof cover
making small-scale models of future projects, time permitting
and A LOT more …

Please consider that this workshop will sometimes be physically demanding, as we are building a whole house bare-handed and -footed. If you are not able to do physical work please let us know beforehand, so we can arrange accordingly.
Lectures
Our lectures in the Natural Building Workshop will include information about:

deciding on best location for a passively, sun heated building
analyzing soils and materials
deciding on correct cob mixture for long living earthen structures, earthen floors and earthen plasters
natural building design
cost analysis and planning
where to get materials
legal issues about cob, straw bale and light-straw-clay
creating a natural building business
assisting, interning and teaching with Suski
and A LOT more …

In addition to the lectures, slideshows and videos will be shown to support and enhance your understanding of materials, building, design, geography, budgeting, project management, business options and legal issues.
Extras
Because this is an area with possibility of light earthquakes, we will talk about earthquake protection and apply what we learned on the building.
In order to be able to manage a building project yourself you will get information on how to calculate the amount of material you need, as well as where to get it from as cheap and environmentally friendly as possible.
Natural Builder Certification
You will receive an Natural Building Certificate, all the teaching materials by email and the permaskills – Natural Builder’s Handbook, which is a summary of the workshop building steps, upon Graduation.

Workshop schedule
This 35-Day Natural Building Workshop begins on Sunday, September 6th, 2020 at 4 pm with the Opening Circle and Introduction to Site & Project, the Welcome Dinner and Introduction to the Workshop. It ends on Saturday, October 10th, 2020 around 2 pm after the Closing Circle & Lunch.
You can arrive a day or two before to acclimate and settle in, but food and our chef’s services will only be provided from Sunday evening.
Overall Schedule

Sun Sep 6, 4 pm: Opening Circle / Welcome Dinner / Introduction
1st week: Foundation / Plumbing / 1st Floor
2nd week: Wooden Frame / Roof
3rd week: Walls / Electrical / Windows
4th week: Walls / 1st Plaster
5th week: 2nd Plaster / 2nd Floor /
Sat Oct 10, 10 am: Closing Circle

Weekly Schedule

Mon – Fri: all-day hands-on class
Mon, Wed, Fri: 60 min lecture after Lunch & Rest time
Sat: morning hands-on (optional), afternoon off
Sun: all-day off

Saturday mornings are optional buffers, should we fall behind in schedule. Saturday afternoons and Sundays are off to explore the region further and stay somewhere over night.
Daily Schedule

6:30-7:30 :Meditation/Yoga (voluntary)
7:30-8:30: Breakfast
8:45-1:00: Class
1:00-2:30: Lunch
2:30-5:30: Class
5:30-7:00: Rest/Yoga
7:00-8:00: Dinner
8:00-9:00: Slides / Videos/Discussion (once a week)

There is often someone who leads yoga or some other movement practice in the morning and/or the afternoon. We like to have one evening a week to show slides, videos or have workshop related debates. The rest of the time you can spend on your own, join a jam session around the fire or contribute something to share with the group.

Workshop Hosts: Mario & Christoph
Chris and Mario have been involved with permaculture, agroecology and natural building for several years and gained experience in different countries and projects worldwide. Their passion is contributing to a healthy and thriving planet.
After having attended several PDC’s, natural building workshops, agroecology workshops and more, their focus lies on soils and how to improve them in particular. They want to boost the microbial life in it and therefore its ability to capture more atmospheric carbon. Their goal is to create and build a demonstration site for sustainability in Calabria. A place where adults and children can learn about regenerative practices, permaculture and soil management.
At first their efforts will be focused on establishing effective water management systems and improving the soil structure and quality. In the following years they will also create edible forests and medicinal herb gardens. Eventually they will convert the existing olive monoculture into various polycultural crop management systems.
Although the primary purpose of the building will be to serve as a guesthouse to accommodate guests and workshop students.

Workshop Location: Badolato
The town of Badolato is divided into two different parts. One part is the medieval center ‘Badolato Borgo’ sitting on a hill at a height of 240 meters. The other part is the more developed ‘Badolato Marina’ at the coast. It is a unique jewel with its own history, culture and tradition. The thousand-year-old Borgo still retains its medieval urban structure. Here you will find romantic, narrow alleys, lined with flower pots, winding around old ruins, beautifully restored houses and 12 historical churches.
The area around Badolato offers beautiful deciduous forests, waterfalls and peaceful beaches. In the North there are hot springs in Lamezia Terme. In the South you can visit Aspromonte National Park, beautiful Reggio di Calabria and Mount Etna, highest active volcano of Europe (no worries, its far enough).
Christoph & Mario’s land is hidden behind a ridge just outside Badolato Borgo in a green oasis filled with olive, orange, khaki and avocado trees, date palms and oaks. The place has, like most of the surrounding area, been used as an olive grove for the last 30 years. Christoph & Mario want to change that and grow a Food Forest here that will provide them, as well as friends and later workshop students with an abundant supply of healthy, fresh and organic fruits and vegetables.

Workshop Requirements
There are no skill requirements for the 35-Day Natural Building Workshop! That said, it certainly won’t hurt if you know some things and put it to good use or share it with others. Nobody is perfect and we are always curious to learn other ways of doing things.
Please bring an open mind and be prepared to do some demanding physical work from Day 1. This includes:

Watch or Phone to be on time (bring a charger)
Work clothes appropriate for the country and climate we are in
Work boots or other closed-toe shoes
Flip-flops for cobbing days
Rubber dishwashing gloves (thick, for lime mortar)
Work Gloves (rubber palm, breathable back)
Ear Plugs (roof week)
Good Moisturizer
Hat
Sunglasses
Safety Glasses
Water Bottle
Notebook/Pen/Camera
Sample of Your Soil (Optional)

optional, if you like bring your own tools:

Tape Measure (we will use the metric system)
Level (60cm / 2ft)
Carpenter Hammer (the one that can remove nails)
10-15cm / 4”-6” diameter round plastic yogurt lids (for plastering)

What else to bring
In short, bring whatever you NEED to be comfortable and happy when camping for over a month. ? There are many local stores in case you forget something or prefer to buy it in Italy! Our recommendations for stuff to bring are:

Bathing Suit for swimming in the sea, we have almost no waves here and the water is pretty warm, windsurfing might be an option though
Clothing for hiking
Warm jacket for evening time
Chocolate! Or whatever essential snacks you’re craving
Pillow and favorite cuddle blanket

Be prepared
Please read “Natural Building Companion” before the workshop. Watch some videos on YouTube about natural building and browse our gallery to get an idea of what to expect from the workshop. Please bring your book(s) and any other books or poems to share as well as slideshows, videos, movies and downloaded building site music playlists!!!

Share what you are good at
If you are a qualified teacher or leader in something beneficial to our month-long time together, and would like to offer it up, please don’t hesitate to speak to the Instructors before or during the Workshop! We are open to non-building activities in the evenings and at night…if the energy is there of course.

Take care of yourself
Make sure to take care of your personal needs, drink a lot of water, rest when needed and exert yourself at a steady pace. Let us know if you cannot do strenuous physical work before the workshop begins, so we can adjust appropriately. It is totally OK to come for the lecture/theory part, and then help the building part in less physically demanding ways, for example cutting straw, sifting for plaster, hammering nails into frames or shelves, sculpting, plastering, cutting bottles. There is a lot to do besides making and building!

Important information

Accommodations
You will be camping in the lovely olive grove. Compost toilets, hot and cold showers, a dining area, yoga/dance space and a cozy hangout communal area with fire circle will be offered for maximum comfort and enjoyment during this wonderful and transformational time together. Wifi may be available onsite, if not, you can get a prepaid sim card at the airport (vodafone for 18,99€ with 40 GB including limited international calls).
If you don’t want to bring your tent, Christoph & Mario offered to provide one for a one time fee of 50€ for the whole workshop. This could save you some kilos of luggage maybe even reduce your air fare.
There are also 5 beds available for rent in the main residence building upon request.

Meals
You will be fed 3 delicious meals a day during the weekdays, prepared by experienced cooks. Permaskills workshop hosts always serve amazing food to students in gratitude for their hard work! We will be providing mainly ovo-lacto-vegetarian food. Therefore we can be sustainable and meet most culinary tastes. Depending on student’s needs we could have fish, meat or vegan options however. We will try to meet people’s requirements, so make sure to communicate them as soon as possible. On weekends, food will be available on site for you to prepare.

Workshop Instructor
Robert ‘Cob-Rob’ Brendler has been doing construction work since the age of 12 when he accompanied his grandpa on construction sites during his summer vacation. He’s a Jack of all trades, experienced in Masonry, Carpentry, Plumbing, Electrical Wiring, Home Automation, Cob Building & Sculpting, Green-Roofs, Non Violent Communication, Teaching and Team-Building and is bringing it all together to give you a complete experience from foundation to roof. Robert loves the Natural Building Community and bringing together the kind of people that are interested in it. He loves teaching and the look on faces when people succeed in doing things they never imagined they could do.

Transport & Logistics
Arriving by plane, you can fly into Lamezia Terme. First thing in Lamezia Terme Aeroporto (airport) is to get to Lamezia Terme Centrale (train station) by taxi, bus LMS47 or foot (2.5 km).
From there take a bus or train for 1.5 hours to Badolato Marina ( 6.90 € ) where we will pick you up. Check out the trainline app (android | ios) for a paperless ticket or the trenitalia website for direct booking (link). Please aim to arrive onsite by Sunday at noon at the latest but if you are coming from far away better to arrive on Friday or Saturday to have time to settle in and adjust.

Registration & Payment
The fee for the 35-Day Natural Building Workshop is:

VERY EARLY BIRD rates start at 600€ for 2 weeks
option: save another 50€ per week with a work trade

Payment can be made by bank transfer in Euros, using Transferwise, Paypal, Zelle or Venmo. To hold your spot in this workshop you will need to pay 50% of the fee with the balance due by one week before the workshop start date. Please contact robert.brendler@gmail.com to register.
We always offer 4 work trade discounts, 2 in the kitchen making breakfast in the morning and 2 onsite in the morning before breakfast or in the afternoon between class and dinner. Each work trade is for one hour a day for 10€ off per day or 50€ off the tuition cost of a week. To apply for these work trade positions please contact robert.brendler@gmail.com.
Also please contact robert.brendler@gmail.com for more information. Optional via Whatsapp +4915158593588.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU!!!!

1-Day Natural Building Intro – Cob + Natural Plasters
2020-09-12 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$85 Early Bird Discount (Register before August 1st, 2020)
$100 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
Join us in constructing a garden wall on our campus! This is a great beginner project that provides you with the basic knowledge of how to build a strong, long-lasting cob wall. We will mix and build with cob all morning, and then get our hands dirty with natural plasters in the afternoon!
– mixing and building with cob
– mixing and applying earthen plasters
– lunch discussion: “pros and cons of different natural wall systems”
– touring our campus buildings
A wholesome lunch will be provided.

6-Day Natural Building Immersion
2020-09-21 - 2020-11-26 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$875 Early Bird Discount (register before August 15th, 2020)
$950 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!

Join us in constructing a meditation cottage with natural materials! We will build cob walls using an engineered forming system, as well as strawbale and slip-straw walls. Many of the materials we use will be harvested directly from the site, in combination with other locally-sourced products. This class is designed so that you leave with the knowledge to take on your own substantial project. Enjoy six days of meaningful hands-on work, as well as a sense of community with the group that you will be building, eating, and relaxing with!

Hands-on learning:
– How to mix cob by foot, and by machine
– How to install cob, and sculpt with it
– How to prepare for a strawbale wall system, and how to install the bales
– Preparing strawbale walls for plaster
– Installing slip-straw walls
– Natural plastering on natural wall systems (clay plasters, and lime)

Discussion topics:
– The thermal spectrum: “from cob to strawbale”
– Siting/Design
– How to build a good foundation and good roof
– Building details with cob and strawbale

The worksite is in beautiful Saxapahaw, NC, on a rural property. Our home base for the workshop will be at our Mud Dauber School campus, where there are the following amenities available:
– free tent sites
– several natural sleeping huts available for rent
– hot showers
– a swimming pond
– electricity and drinking water
– a fire pit for evening campfires
– a cob oven for pizza night
– a hot breakfast each morning before we leave for the worksite
We hope you can join us!

First Cob Bungalow on the Island of São Miguel in the Azores (Portugal)
2020-10-11 - 2020-11-15 | Quinta da Vida Beleza, Lagoa, Azores, 9560-418, Portugal
LOCATION & HOST
Discover the beautiful Azores islands in the Springtime on the largest and most diverse of all the islands where Claudine, director of CruzinCobGlobal, has just bought a few acres of land near the ocean and forest to create the Quinta da Vida Boa Cob Ecovillage Retreat & Educational Center. Come and learn Cob Building while building the island’s and the Quinta’s first official Cob Bungalow with the island’s own materials of course!!!
The Azorean island of São Miguel is a true paradise. Every time I walk, bike or drive around I am in awe of the peaceful and gentle beauty. The island is the first and main stopping point for visitors of the Azores and, in my opinion, is the most beautiful, and interesting to explore. It is 62km/40 miles long and 16km/10 miles wide at its widest point. It is shaped like a caterpillar with the crown chakra at the northwesternmost point called Mosteiros, a jewel with large cliff rocks in the ocean that reminded locals of 2 nuns and a priest, ergo the name Mosteiros which means “Monasteries”. The island has a variety of microclimates and micro regions which make it seem alot bigger. The Nordeste (Northeast) seems like another world with its big forests and cliffs and intense greenscape. The middle of the island is where the “action” is with the best and most accessible surf beaches, markets, and cultural life, centered in Ponta Delgada, the capital, as well as Lagoa, Vila Franca and Ribeira Grande. Ponta Delgada is the capital of the island and the main hub for the whole Autonomous Region. Its population is 50,000, about 1/3 of the whole island and like any other European city has many places to eat, hear live music, shop and people watch. However each part of the island is special in its own way.
The Quinta da Vida Boa (The Good Life Farm) is located in Atalhada, a section of Lagoa, about 8km/5miles east from the center of Ponta Delgada. It’s an easy bike ride along the coast with a nice bike path covering alot of the way. It is located in a “rustic” area surrounded by other farms, yet also only a 10-minute walk to the ocean and a short bike or car ride to the Natural Swimmming Pools of Lagoa, Santa Cruz Beach and, my favorite, Praia das Milicias, a fine black sand beach with great swimming and surfing. There is a big native forest right behind the Quinta for walking and exploring full of red and black volcanic rock, a Volcanic/Seismological Observatory close by and on weekends, students can rent a car (for as low as 2€ or less a day!) to visit different parts of the island like the 3 different hot springs, the highest peak, caves, iridescent green and blue volcanic crater lakes, two important botanical gardens, amazing vistas, villages, beaches, hikes, and waterfalls. People who are into scuba diving, sailing, whale and dolphin excursions and even visiting Santa Maria, the closest island, will have time to do so as well.
The Quinta is 2 acres of lightly undulating mostly grassy land with an area of banana forest, endless indigenous mini-guava trees of different species, kumquats, native orange limes and passion fruit. It is totally enclosed with traditional lava rock walls and very private. A central higher area with eucalyptus and criptomeria will provide support for an ocean-view platform and hammocks to chill. The vision and design for the whole Ecovillage is already in the works and this lucky group of students will be the ones to initiate the first liveable cob building on the island. A few years ago another workshop built a sauna which students can visit on the weekend.
Claudine will be hosting and teaching the workshop with the support of local assistants who will help wih food preparation and site preparation.

PROJECT

This Advanced Cobber Certification training offers a complete foundation to roof build over a period of 5 weeks. We will be building the island and the Quinta’s first complete cob studio from lava rock foundation to reciprocal green roof, our trademark structure for the Advanced Cobber Certification Courses. The structure will be between 12-15m2 depending on the size of the class. Usually about 1m2 per student. We will be using local clay soil, sand and either straw bales or other wild local grasses.
The foundation will be built in Week 1 from the local lava rock on and near the land using lime and sand mortar. On Day 5 we will also pour the first layer of cob floor over tamped gravel and insulation. In weeks 2 & 3 we will build the circular Cob Wall with opening and fixed windows, niches, shelves, bottles, other useful natural elements inserted into the wall for hanging towels/clothes/art work, electrical and plumbing fixtures and pipes/housing, and the roof connection. In week 4, we will sculpt and plaster the wall, allowing it to dry enough for the reciprocal living green roof to be installed in Week 5, along with the second floor coat on the final day. Students will learn ALOT by building every day with continuous instruction both practical hands-on and theoretical using lecture time, slides and videos. You will leave fully confident to build your own cob house or someone else’s, which is your next step after graduating from our training! This will take you to the next level of understanding and experience after which you can be a competent cob workshop assistant and builder.

ADVANCED COB BUILDING WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

The 35-day Advanced Cob Building Workshop consists of 25 days of theoretical instruction
(lectures with graphics) and construction for 4 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon.
Students arrive on Sunday, October 11th, and settle in. The workshop begins at 4pm with an Opening Circle, a Host Site orientation and Introduction to the Project. Dinner is served at 6pm and followed by an Introduction to the 5-week Workshop by Instructor. Monday morning we begin digging the trench for our Cob Building!!!!
Following Breakfast, the morning session lasts 4 hours with a 20-minute snack pause. Lunch break lasts 1.5 hours which includes rest time before the 3-hour afternoon session begins. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays there is a 60-minute lecture, followed by construction. Tuesdays and Thursdays we start building right after the rest time. After class in the afternoon there is a 90-minute break before dinner, in which students are encouraged to stretch, do yoga, relax. There is often someone officially or informally leading yoga or some other movement practice in the morning and/or afternoon. There will also be 3-4 evenings (once a week) after dinner for showing slides, videos and having Course-related discussions. Other evenings are free and sometimes other students offer informal courses in their specialties and passions.
The 35-day Course will offer practical learning by building a complete 12m2-15m2 (depending on number of students) curvilinear building from foundation to roof, as described in the “Project” section above. Those who complete the 35-day Workshop will receive an Advanced Cobber Certificate of Completion for Foundation, Cob Walls (which includes Door, Windows, Shelves, Art, Electrical & Plumbing), Floor, Plaster & Roof.

SCHEDULE

The Advanced Cob Building Workshop begins on Sunday, October 11th 2020 at 4pm with the Opening Circle and Introduction to Site & Project, the Welcome Dinner and Introduction to the Course. It ends on Sunday, November 15th, 2020 after the Closing Circle & Lunch. Students can arrive a day or two before to acclimate and settle in but will need to cover their own food needs.
The daily schedule (subject to slight modifications due to climate) will be:
7:30-8:30 Breakfast
8:45-1:00 Class
1:00-2:30 Lunch
2:30-5:30 Class
5:30-7:00 Rest/Yoga
7:00-8:00 Dinner
8:00-9:00 Slides/Videos/Discussion (once a week)

COURSE CONTENTS

Students will learn every phase of building a cob building from foundation through the roof in
lectures/theory. In addition to the lectures, slideshows and videos will be shown to support and
enhance their understanding of cob materials, cob building, design, geography , budgeting,
business options and legal issues.
Our hands-on practice will include:
digging foundation trench
pouring gravel and inserting drainage pipe (if applicable)
building foundation stemwall
analyzing soils and materials
making test bricks
deciding on correct mixture
deciding on best location
making cob w/ partner and solo
building with cob
preparing and inserting the door
preparing and inserting fixed and opening windows
preparing and inserting shelves
inserting bottle windows and other objects
inserting electrical wiring and plumbing in walls
sculpting
preparing and applying earthen plasters (2 coats)
pouring an earthen floor (2 layers)
preparing walls for roof connection
building roof frame
building roof covering
making small-scale cob designs of future projects, time permitting
In addition to Cob Building practices, the Course material also includes:
legal cob construction practices
cost analysis
creating a cob business (building/teaching)
assisting, interning and teaching with CruzinCobGlobal

REQUIREMENTS & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Students will need to come prepared for physical labor from Day 1.
This includes:
Work clothes appropriate for the country and climate we are in
Work boots or other closed-toe shoes
Flip-flops for cobbing days
Rubber dishwashing gloves (for lime mortar)
Work Gloves
Tape Measure
Box Cutter
Carving Knife
Wood Hand Saw (cheap), Level (2ft), Hammer (if possible)
Ear Plugs (roof week)
4”-6” Diameter Round Plastic Container Lids (plastering)
Good Moisturizer
Hat
Sunglasses
Safety Glasses
Water Bottle
Notebook/Pen/Camera
Sample of Your Soil (Optional)

!

These workshops are designed for people that want to learn how to build a complete structure from start to finish in a professional manner and amount of time. They are very intensive and, while we make time for yoga, stretching, dancing, music, relaxing….all students are expected to be present and participating in all building/learning hours unless ill or have some other significant reason. This is because we design the size of the building and organize the structure of the workshop in accordance with the number of students and when people are absent it impacts the whole group and the other students have to work harder. In addition Instructors try to set up building work according to students’ preferences and learning needs.
That being said, the workshop intensity also changes from week 1 to week 5. The first foundation week breaks people in with the work of moving, lifting, rolling and placing rocks and is a new and demanding physical experience for most students. It also includes the first layers and coat of cob floor. The second and third weeks of cob making and building are similar to the rock foundation week in physical demand but are more flowing and active in movement and cardiovascular exercise. The fourth week finally slows down and the body can rest as students tap into their creative source and design and sculpt the walls and around niches, shelves, windows, etc. Plastering follows sculpting and is also an enjoyable lightweight physical experience that lends itself to talking and sharing at the wall in a meditative rhythm as the students have bonded and shared deeply through a variety of experiences for a month. In the fifth week, the roof is the beginning of a change of pace from the earthen building work including carpentry skills, power tools, hammering, screwing, trimming, etc. But now the workshop is in its final stretch and there is a boost of energy to wrap up the green roof and the second floor coat, the grand finale on the last day.
For students wanting a more mellow slow-paced cob experience along with time for personal exploration and experimentation, these workshops are not for you. However you can find a more suitable workshop online that is usually for a shorter period building a garden wall, a bench, acompost toilet or some other small-scale project.
Students are required to read “The Hand-Sculpted House” before the workshop begins and any
other book they find, as well as watching videos on YouTube, especially the ones posted on
CruzinCobGlobal’s website under Gallery to get an idea of what is expected. Please bring your
book(s).

Students must tend to their own personal needs, drink alot of water, rest when needed and exert themselves at a steady pace. Students who cannot do the strenuous physical work should let us know before the workshop begins so we can adjust appropriately. It is totally OK to come for the lecture/theory part, and then help the building part in less physically demanding ways, ie cutting straw, sifting for plaster, hammering nails into frames or shelves, sculpting, plastering, cutting bottles. There is alot to do besides making and building with cob!!Finally, please bring a watch or use your phone to be prompt and ready for each part of the Course including meals. Feel free to share your dietary needs with CCG or the Host and bring your essential snacks and foods, pillow and whatever you NEED to be comfortable and happy. Feel free to also bring slides, videos, movies and books to share, as well as a sample of your soil to test.

TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS

Coming form Europe, you can fly with Azores Airlines, TAP or Ryan Air. These are the main airlines flying here with Ryan Air being the cheapest, especially from Lisbon (19€/one way minimum). There may be one or two others I don’t know about that are small charter airlines. You will be picked up from the airport to go to the land by the Host.
Coming from the North America, direct flights are only from Boston and Toronto with Azores Airlines. Delta was flying here from New York last year, not sure about now. Check TAP too. That being said you can book with Azores Airlines or TAP from anywhere in the US to connect in Boston or buy two separate tickets. You can also fly to Lisbon and then take RyanAir to Ponta Delgada. NorwegianAir is super cheap especially off-season and flies from the US to Barcelona and Madrid from which you can take RyanAir to PDL.
For students wanting to stay on and explore other islands, SATA airlines connects all the islands year-round.

MEALS, ACCOMMODATIONS & WHAT ELSE TO BRING
Students will be fed 3 high-quality prepared delicious meals a day during the weekdays. CruzinCobGlobal hosts always serve amazing food to cob students in gratitude for their hard work! Since this is the Azores there will be fresh and amazing vegetarian food, which will be the basis of our menu. Students that have non-vegetarian requirements can bring personal items to complete their diet and other requirements can be presented to the cooks a month before the start date so they can make sure to have what is needed. We will try to meet people’s requirements of course so it is important to communicate them as soon as possible. Local fish may be served once a week. On weekends, students will be on their own for their meals and can explore and enjoy the island’s offerings!!!
Students will be camping onsite with simple and rustic facilities like compost toilets, hot and cold outdoor showers, an outdoor kitchen & dining area, a yoga/dance space and a cozy hangout communal area with fire circle. This will be the first workshop and we will do everything we can to offer maximum comfort and enjoyment during this wonderful and transformational time together. The site has normal cell phone service with a 10€ sim card (3GB + unlimited calls & texts) which students can hotspot to their computers if desired. There are many cafés nearby for wifi use. There is a local Decathlon store with camping equipment if you prefer to not fly with a tent one way and you may be able to sell it to someone or us when you leave!

!

For those not wanting to camp, there are also other options nearby. The Pés Verdes Teahouse is a very sweet hostel with cute patios right near the Praia da Milicias and the owner Margarida has offered our students an amazing deal!!!! For 180€/5 weeks students can have a bed in a shared room (6 people), full kitchen, several bathrooms, outdoor patios, massage space, great teas and vegan snacks. She also has a few private rooms for 300€/5 weeks. The hostel is right near the beautiful black sand beach and several nice restaurants and cafés facing the beach. Those choosing to stay there will need to either rent a vehicle (maybe shared together and which currently is 2€/day or less with GoldCar) or rent a bike for the 5 weeks. Its only a 5-10 minute flat bike ride to Quinta. You could also walk and there may be the option of local students being able to pick you up along the way! If you want this option you will need to let us or them know ASAP. There are also closer locations in AirBnB accomoodations, Hotel Arcanjo, and Alojamento Rural. Let us know and we can help. Meanwhile we will explore other good deals with locals.

INSTRUCTOR

Claudine Desiree is the original “Cob Queen” of Santa Cruz, where she founded the original “Sunflower Cob Building” which quickly morphed into the California-based “Cruzin’ Cob”, the cob workshop and building business that evolved over a decade. Once her three sons were “out of the house”, she went for her dream of traveling around the world on a bike teaching cob workshops everywhere every few months to continue supporting herself by offering up what she loves in the countries and languages she is passionate about. To work internationally with no home base required a new name and a website, hence CruzinCobGlobal was born naturally and appropriately and, after 5 years on the road, Claudine has finally found a new home….for now. On the island of São Miguel in the Azores (where are the Azores?) she will establish a home and a small Cob Village called “Quinta da Vida Boa” for retreats, workshops, education and just plain chillin’in with friends and family!!!! CruzinCobGlobal will continue to do the important work of building the best houses and best communities ever of course… with new Teachers hitting the Cob road in 2020 as CCG-trained students begin leading workshops and builds around the world. Claudine will also keep teaching in her favorite places and spreading the Cob everywhere, with more focus on the Azores land and project now. California will always be one of those favorite places, her and her children’s home for 20 years. And the demand to learn Cob in California is always growing with the fires and earthquakes threatening conventional houses. Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe are calling too! And the best part is we have a “legal” Cob Code to use anywhere in the world thanks to the CRI architects’ and engineers’ hard work and focus!

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
The fee for the 5-week Advanced Cobber Certificate Course which includes tuition, camping and meals from Monday through Friday is:
Full Rate: 2000€ by March 15th, 2020
This workshop was rescheduled from March/April due to CV and most students will be staying on, so we have 4 spots open and two work trades.

***This workshop will be followed by a 5-day Cob Oven Workshop from Nov 16-20 on the same site. Students wishing to stay on for the next workshop will get a 10% discount on tuition! You can register for it at the same time…8-student limit***
For European residents and others, payment can be made by bank transfer in Euros or you can use Transferwise or Paypal. For US residents you can also use Zelle or Venmo. To hold your spot in this workshop you will need to pay the full amount or a 50% deposit that will be non-refundable after August 11th, 2020. The balance will be due by October 4th, one week before the workshop start date. Please contact claudine@cruzincobglobal.org for registration forms and questions.
We always offer four work trade discounts, 2 in the kitchen making breakfast in the morning and 2 helping prepare the site in the morning before breakfast. Each work trade is for 1.5 hours per day for 10€off per day or 250€ off either the food cost or the tuition cost. Work traders need to pay a non-refundable 50% deposit at the time of their registration to guarantee their spot. To apply for these work trade positions please contact claudine@cruzincobglobal.org as soon as possible because these are the first spots to go.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO DANCING WITH YOU IN THE MUD!!!!

Rammed Earth Workshop
2020-10-19 - 2020-10-23 | Unnamed Venue, Sebring, FL, United States
Rammed Earth Workshop – Sebring, Florida

Dates: October 19 – October 23, 2020 (YES. We are still having the workshop as scheduled.)

Location: Sebring, Florida

Come and join us in central Florida for our Rammed Earth Workshop! We will be constructing rammed earth benches for seating. A perfect project for beginners and experts alike! You will get the knowledge to build rammed earth projects scaling from smaller things, such as outdoor garden walls, up to large projects like homes and buildings.
This workshop is a great experience to learn how to build with rammed earth and to get a broad learning overview of natural building techniques. You will get a solid foundation in rammed earth building fundamentals. We will be constructing rammed earth seating benches and studying Earthen Construction together each day. After this workshop, you will have the basic experience and confidence to design and build your own simple rammed earth constructions and buildings.
Hands-On Work Topics:
– Building foundations (learn how to build a concrete stem wall foundation)
– Selecting and testing soils for rammed earth (learn several ways to test your soil composition)
– Form Building (learn how to build your own formwork for small and large rammed earth projects)
– Soil Preparation (learn how to prepare and stabilize soil for rammed earth)
– Building rammed earth (learn to ram earth 100x faster with our pneumatic tamper)
Classroom and Discussion Topics:
– Site selection and design (includes Passive Solar design principles)
– Materials and tools (covers traditional and modern earth building toolset and materials)
– Rubble trench foundations (Plus general foundation building)
– Drainage principles (Important: water can be rammed earth’s worst enemy)
– Basic Electrical and Plumbing integration for rammed earth homes
– Installing windows and doors
– Roofing and Bond Beams
– Natural plasters and finishes (Vapor Permeable / “Breathable” finishes)
– Overview of Natural Building materials
This workshop is a unique experience for people to learn about building cob homes and to get an overview of Natural Building. Not only are there plenty of hands-on lessons to learn from, but we will also have ample discussion and informal classroom time. Most earthen building workshops don’t cover this many topics. But here, you will learn all the core lessons needed to start building from this one workshop!
Plus – there will be many hours of discussions about building earthen homes and natural building throughout the workshop. Its a great way to get your questions answered and brainstorm your building ideas!
The workshop will be held at a private property in Sebring, Florida.
Each day will begin at 9:00 AM, and the days will include hands-on building, classroom sessions, discussions, and learning activities related to rammed earth and earthen building topics. We will break for lunch between 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and we will complete each day at around 4:00 PM. They will be full-packed days! Worth your every penny!
The workshop will be taught by Alex Sumerall, an east coast Natural Builder who has a focus on creating earthen structures that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, and functional for modern life. He is the owner of This Cob House, LLC, which is dedicated to teaching people about cob and natural building techniques. Alex has a background in business and advertising, and has been practicing Natural Building since 2011. He graduated from the Aprovecho School of Natural Building in 2013 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and continues to teach, present, consult, and construct.
Free Bonus!
Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a printed copy of Alex’s book, “Build a Cob House: A Step-By-Step Guide”, and the downloadable PDF version, FREE! We only make printed copies for workshop students, so this is your chance to get one. We will be using the book as a lesson guide throughout the workshop too so you can follow along with your book in hand.
Listen to the great things that our workshop participants are saying!

“The cob workshop was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about natural building, not only from Alex’s instruction, experience and demonstrations, but from interacting with people from different backgrounds who were a great source of collective knowledge. The hands-on experience was priceless!” Tony Romo, Texas

“The Cob Building Workshop was a great investment of my time! It was well organized, extremely inspiring, and FUN! Alex was able to explain construction basics to neophytes like me, yet he could also answer the complex questions asked by the more experienced workshop attendees. I can’t wait until the next workshop!”
Marybeth Babos, Tennessee
Lodging
There are two options for lodging: free camping on site, or making reservations at one of the local hotels or AirBnB. Hotels are available in the neighboring towns of Sebring.
Camping is FREE. Campers will have access to a portable toilet and private outdoor shower.
The location has electricity & water. Electric outlets are minimal, with the ability to charge phones & power tools.
Food
Meals will not be included in this workshop so participants will need to provide their own food. There are several local restaurants and grocery stores nearby the workshop site.
Each is responsible for their own meal preparation, unless decisions are made to share or combine. An hour for lunch is provided, allowing adequate time for food and a quick nap or trip into town. There is no official kitchen on site. Coolers are welcome and encouraged.
Family & Groups
Ask about discounts. We encourage group & family activities because it enhances learning among your support group. Email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com for custom group/family invoice.
Children/young people of any age are welcome to join in and learn. Please be aware that some areas are under construction, as is the purpose of this workshop, but it is generally child-safe.
Prices
Price: $499

Additional Discounts: 10% for family and friends participating together.
Teens accompanying a parent/guardian are half price. Children under 13 accompanying a parent/guardian are free.

Click here to register: https://www.thiscobhouse.com/rammed-earth-workshop-florida/
If you have any other questions about the workshop, please feel free to email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com
If you have a large party of people registering, they can all register separately, or contact me for a custom invoice.

Introduction to Cob Workshop
2020-11-09 - 2020-11-13 | Unnamed Venue, Jonesborough, TN, United States
Introduction to Cob Workshop – Jonesborough, Tennessee

Dates: November 9 – November 13, 2020 (YES. We are still having the workshop as scheduled.)

Location: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Come and join us in beautiful eastern Tennessee for our next Introduction to Cob Workshop! We will be constructing a cob house. A perfect project for beginners and experts alike! You will get the knowledge to build cob projects scaling from smaller things, such as cob ovens and benches, up to large projects like homes and buildings.
This workshop is a great experience to learn how to build with cob and to get a broad learning overview of natural building techniques. You will get a solid foundation in cob building fundamentals. We will be constructing the walls on a new cob building and studying Natural Building together each day. After this workshop, you will have the basic experience and confidence to design and build your own simple cob constructions or cob building.
Hands-On Work Topics:
– How to make cob (learn how to make cob with a mortar mixer)
– Selecting and testing soils for cob (learn several ways to test your soil composition)
– Building cob walls (learn my four steps to efficient cob wall building)
– Creating window and door frames (how to build and attach frames to cob walls)
– Rammed Earth Demonstration (building rammed earth forms and compaction process)
– Earthen Plaster (learn to mix and apply earth plaster)
Classroom and Discussion Topics:
– Site selection and design (includes Passive Solar design principles)
– Materials and tools (covers traditional and modern cob building toolset and materials)
– Rubble trench foundations (Plus general foundation building)
– Drainage principles (Important: water can be cob’s worst enemy)
– Basic Electrical and Plumbing integration for cob homes
– Installing windows and doors
– Roofing and Bond Beams
– Natural plasters and finishes (Vapor Permeable / “Breathable” finishes)
– Overview of Natural Building materials
This workshop is a unique experience for people to learn about building cob homes and to get an overview of Natural Building. Not only are there plenty of hands-on lessons to learn from, but we will also have ample discussion and informal classroom time. Most cob workshops don’t cover this many topics. But here, you will learn all the core lessons needed to start building from this one workshop!
Plus – there will be many hours of discussions about building cob homes and natural building throughout the workshop. Its a great way to get your questions answered and brainstorm your building ideas!
The workshop will be held at a private property in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Each day will begin at 9:00 AM, and the days will include hands-on building, classroom sessions, discussions, and learning activities related to cob and natural building topics. We will break for lunch between 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and we will complete each day at around 4:00 PM. They will be full-packed days! Worth your every penny!
The workshop will be taught by Alex Sumerall, an east coast Natural Builder who has a focus on creating earthen structures that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, and functional for modern life. He is the owner of This Cob House, LLC, which is dedicated to teaching people about cob and natural building techniques. Alex has a background in business and advertising, and has been practicing Natural Building since 2011. He graduated from the Aprovecho School of Natural Building in 2013 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and continues to teach, present, consult, and construct.
Free Bonus!
Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a printed copy of Alex’s book, “Build a Cob House: A Step-By-Step Guide”, and the downloadable PDF version, FREE! We only make printed copies for workshop students, so this is your chance to get one. We will be using the book as a lesson guide throughout the workshop too so you can follow along with your book in hand.
Listen to the great things that our workshop participants are saying!

“The cob workshop was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about natural building, not only from Alex’s instruction, experience and demonstrations, but from interacting with people from different backgrounds who were a great source of collective knowledge. The hands-on experience was priceless!” Tony Romo, Texas

“The Cob Building Workshop was a great investment of my time! It was well organized, extremely inspiring, and FUN! Alex was able to explain construction basics to neophytes like me, yet he could also answer the complex questions asked by the more experienced workshop attendees. I can’t wait until the next workshop!”
Marybeth Babos, Tennessee
Lodging
There are two options for lodging: free camping on site, or making reservations at one of the local hotels or AirBnB. Hotels are available in the neighboring towns of Jonesborough, Gray, and Johnson City.
Camping is FREE, but space is limited on the property so let us know ahead of time if you will be camping or lodging off-site. Campers will have access to a portable toilet and private outdoor shower.
The location has electricity & water. Electric outlets are minimal, with the ability to charge phones & power tools.
Food
Meals will not be included in this workshop so participants will need to provide their own food. There are several local restaurants and grocery stores nearby the workshop site.
Each is responsible for their own meal preparation, unless decisions are made to share or combine. An hour for lunch is provided, allowing adequate time for food and a quick nap or trip into town. There is no official kitchen on site. Coolers are welcome and encouraged.
Recreation & Surroundings
Jonesborough is located near the edge of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Tennessee. It is a beautiful area, and there are many scenic places to visit nearby. You can also travel to places like Gatlinburg, TN or Asheville, NC within a short driving distance.
Family & Groups
Ask about discounts. We encourage group & family activities because it enhances learning among your support group. Email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com for custom group/family invoice.
Children/young people of any age are welcome to join in and learn. Please be aware that some areas are under construction, as is the purpose of this workshop, but it is generally child-safe.
Prices
Price: $499

Click here to register: https://www.thiscobhouse.com/introduction-to-cob-workshop-jonesborough-tennessee-november-2020/
Additional Discounts: 10% for family and friends participating together.
Teens accompanying a parent/guardian are half price. Children under 13 accompanying a parent/guardian are free.

If you have any other questions about the workshop, please feel free to email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com
If you have a large party of people registering, they can all register separately, or contact me for a custom invoice.

∆ EARTHEN RIPPLES, MUDMOB & DIRTY EARL ∆ >>• Earth Building Workshop •<<
2021-03-08 08:00 - 2021-03-20 17:00 | Yan Yan Gurt West, Deans Marsh, Victoria, 3235, Australia
Create your ripple in our earth, learn how to sculpt and build a home from the earth. Take part in building an extension on our whimsical cob cottage on a beautiful property in the foothills of The Otway Ranges, Victoria, Australia.
Our family has been on the land for six generations, more than one hundred years. The healing of our land started with Michelle’s grandfather, who recognized that the land had been unnecessarily cleared and began planting native trees and shrubs in the 1960’s and 70’s. So the healing began. The next 2 generations followed in his footsteps, embarking upon a journey with Mother Nature. We have planted more than 50,000 trees and shrubs over the last 30 years.

Over the last 6 years Michelle and Nick have worked on and lived in their magical little hand-sculpted cob cottage. Birthing both their children into the cottage and preparing to birth their third. They are in need of more space and wish to share their empowering knowledge of being able to build your own home from the earth. We invite you to join us in the next phase of our journey with Mother Nature.

∆ WHAT IS COB? ∆
Cob is a structural composite of earth, water, straw, clay and sand, hand sculpted into buildings while still pliable. There are no forms as in rammed earth, no bricks as in adobe, no additives and no chemicals. Building with cob is a sensory and aesthetic experience much like sculpting with clay.

∆ WHAT YOU’LL LEARN ∆
∆ Each day will consist of hands on practical work and theory classes.

∆ We’ll cover the basics of building with cob:
>>• Design & siting
>>• Wall building
>>• Window installation
>>• Sculpting
>>• Arches
>>• Shelving
>>• Cob Furniture
>>• Incorporating strawbale walls
>>• Stone foundations
>>• Garden walls

∆ We will also cover other natural building techniques such as:
>>• Natural paints
>>• Earthen renders
>>• Earth floors
>>• Timber harvesting
>>• Earth roofs
>>• Cob bale
>>• Stone masonry
>>• Basic carpentry
>>• Light earth

∆ Tours of:
>>• Local earthen homes
>>• Yan Yan Gurt West Regenerative Farm

∆ We will also work with the earth cycles and learn about how they are woven in, around a through us. We will be gathering in circle. An opportunity to share, to connect, to be heard and to listen. To listen to ourselves, to listen to each other and to listen to the land.

∆ You’ll leave feeling nourished, connected and empowered.

∆ THE COB COTTAGE ∆
The cottage we will be working on is an off-grid, solar-passive designed space constructed form load-bearing cob on dry-stone, stacked foundations with strawbales in the south walls. The roof is built from local round-wood timber with an earthen roof on top. Majority of the materials are sourced directly from the property or locally. Features of the cob cottage include an open fireplace, a loft, a wood-fired combustion stove, a grey-water reed bed system, solar power and a composting toilet.

∆ OUR TEACHERS ∆
>>• KATE from MUDMOB •<<
I was introduced to natural building through a wonderful collective of women called Mudgirls in BC Canada. It changed my life and I instantly fell in love with mud. Since learning with them I have spent the last 13 years running workshops, working for owner builders and various professional natural builders across AUS and NZ. I have a Cert. 4 in natural building through TAFE in NZ and I have also built my family home in that time. I love to teach through community building and share my knowledge and love of natural building with others.

>>• DIRTY EARL •<<
Amazing natural builder extraordinaire, full description coming soon…
>>• MICHELLE & NICK from EARTHEN RIPPLES •<<
We live in the little cob cottage we’ll be working on. We stared building it in 2014, our first introduction to the natural building world and have never looked back. Since then we have learnt much in the process of building and living in our own earthen space, working with materials such as cob, strawbale, round-wood timber, stone, earth bag and mud brick. We enjoy teaching and sharing this empowering knowledge. Nick is also a landscape gardener, specialising in native gardens. He loves to work with stone and timber. Michelle grew up on the property and is an artist who loves to work with earthen paints, plasters and cob sculpting. We build large-scale sculptures from natural materials at festivals and love creating spaces that remind us of our deep connection to Mother Earth.

∆ FAMILY FRIENDLY ∆
We want to support families to be able to be a part of this workshop and learn this valuable knowledge. There will be a full-time childcare facilitator caring for the children whist we build. The children will get the chance to partake in the building at certain points and will otherwise spend their time climbing trees, frolicking in the garden, reading stories and doing nature crafts. This is provided at no extra charge, however children’s food will need to be paid for according to age. Children under the age of 18mnths will need to be supervised by parents/guardians.
∆ FOOD ∆
We’re super passionate about health and want to make this experience as nourishing and wholesome as possible. We will provide 3 nourishing meals a day plus snacks. All food will be organic and/or locally sourced wherever possible.All diets will be catered for, please send through your requirements when booking your ticket.
∆ WHERE ∆
The Otway Ranges, Victoria, Australia.
You will receive the exact address on booking.

∆ WHEN ∆
>>• Start Date •<<
Monday March 8th 2021
>>•End Date •<<
Saturday March 20th 2021
∆ Please arrive on Sunday the 7th to get tents set up and settled in for an early start on Monday. Sunday March 14th will be a rest day (catered for). Heading home on Sunday 21st

∆ TO BOOK ∆
www.stickytickets.com.au/vk5vz

Cob Oven & Benches at Wild Culture Farm in Soquel, California
2021-04-08 - 2021-04-11 | Wild Culture Farm, Cherryvale Avenue, Soquel, CA, United States
HOST & LOCATION & PROJECT
Wild Culture Farm will be our host for this short & sweet traditional wood-fired Cob Oven and Benches workshop in my home stomping ground of Santa Cruz! Yeah! I am so grateful to be hosted by a yummy farm that will take good care of all of us as we build them what they are needing right now! An oven for monthly pizza parties. As Farmer Jennifer states:
“Our family farm, Wild Culture Farm, could thrive with a cob oven! Having an outdoor space to make & break bread and celebrate the work of our hands growing food together, would be a dream realized. Doing so with the craftsmanship of willing hands gathering to learn new skills, repurpose waste, and utilize available natural materials fits so well with our ethos and why we do the work we do.”
The workshop will take place in Soquel, California, between Santa Cruz and Monterey right in the middle of the Monterey Bay. The 6-acre farm prides itself on having alot of wild land left open and planting food everywhere possible. They have a wonderful creek running through and many acres of food and space to camp and will even provide the clay soil we will use for building! I am looking forward to seeing and being there.
Students will learn all the steps to building a cob oven after the foundation is built. Since we only have 4 days, we could not include the foundation, which takes 2-3 days to build due to drying time in between layers. However students will learn the process in lecture and be able to see the finished foundation before starting the next steps:
SCHEDULE

The workshop will begin on Thursday morning at 8:30 am with an Opening Circle, Orientation to the Site and Introduction to the Workshop, after breakfast. We will have class every day until 1pm, followed by lunch and rest until 2:30pm. The afternoon session will begin with a Lecture at 2:30 followed by more building until 5:30pm. Students will have downtime until 7pm when dinner will be served. We will have one night of slides and videos and other evenings may include extracurricular fun activities including fire circles and music. The final dinner will be a Celebration that may include use of the Oven, depending on the weather and if the Oven has dried enough to remove the sand mold for use.
The daily schedule looks like this:
6:30-7:30 Yoga/Meditation
7:30-8:15 Breakfast
8:30 Morning Circle
9:00-1:00 Building
1:00-2:30 Lunch & Rest
2:30-3:30 Lecture
3:30-5:30 Building
5:30-7:00 Downtime
7:00-8:00 Dinner
8:00-9:00 Slides/Videos/Other Activities

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Students will learn all the steps to building a cob oven after the foundation is built. Since we only have 4 days, we could not include the foundation, which takes 2-3 days to build due to drying time in between layers. However students will learn the process in lecture and be able to see the finished foundation before starting the next steps:
Under-oven insulation layers
Oven pad
Bricks
Sand Dome Mold
Inner Oven Shell
Insulation Layer
Outer Oven Sculpted Layer
Plaster

and for the Benches…

Stone Foundation
Making Cob
Building with Cob
Sculpting
Plaster

WORKSHOP REQUIREMENTS & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Students will need to come to workshop and class/building site prepared.
This includes:
Work clothes
Work boots or other closed-toe shoes for foundation days
Flip-flops for cobbing days
Work Gloves for rocks
Good Moisturizer
Hat
Sunglasses
Rounded triangular metal trowel
Water Bottle
Notebook/Pen/Camera
Sample of Your Soil (Optional)
Personal music playlists for working
Also, if you haven’t already, reading “The Hand-Sculpted House” by Ianto Evans, Linda Smiley and Michael Smith, or something equivalent, like “The Cobber’s Companion” by Becky Bee, or “House of Earth” by Conrad Rogue beforehand, will benefit you greatly. Also please read Kiko Denzer’s “Build Your Own Earth Oven”. We encourage you to bring your natural building books with you!

GETTING THERE

Wild Culture Farm is located in Soquel, California, not far from Highway 101. Once students are registered more specific directions will be provided as well as carpooling information. Students who fly in should fly to San Jose Airport (SJC) and there are trains and buses to get you closer. Feel free to ask Claudine for more info.

MEALS & ACCOMMODATIONS
Students will receive snacks and 3 delicious healthy vegetarian meals a day prepared by cooks and with alot of fresh, organic bounty from the Farm of course. If there are meat-eaters, we can offer some meat options. We will ask about allergies and restrictions a month before the workshop. If you have favorite food snacks and needs you can’t live without, please bring them. Expect a healthy, balanced menu. Local students can choose to only have lunch and join for dinner on slide night and the final Celebration Dinner.
There is ample land to camp on or car camp. Students wanting indoor accomodations can check airbnbs or talk to Hosts.

INSTRUCTOR
Claudine Désirée is the original “Cob Queen” of Santa Cruz, where she founded the original “Sunflower Cob Building” which quickly morphed into the California-based “Cruzin’ Cob”, the cob workshop and building business that evolved over a decade. Once her three sons were “out of the house”, she went for her dream of traveling around the world on a bike teaching cob workshops everywhere every few months to continue supporting herself by offering up what she loves in the countries and languages she is passionate about. To work internationally with no home base required a new name and a website, hence CruzinCobGlobal was born naturally and appropriately and, after 5 years on the road, Claudine has finally found a new home….for now. On the island of São Miguel in the Azores (where are the Azores?) she has started building an eco homestead for family and friends called “Quinta da Vida Beleza” for chillin’, playing music, dancing and communing!!!! CruzinCobGlobal will continue to do the important work of building the best houses and best communities ever of course… with more new Teachers hitting the Cob road in 2021 as CCG-trained students begin leading workshops and builds around the world. Claudine will also keep teaching in her favorite places and spreading the Cob everywhere, with more focus on the Azores land and project now, but also very interested in working in Africa and Asia. California, however, will always be one of those favorite places, her and her children’s home for 20 years. And the demand to learn Cob in California is always growing with the fires and earthquakes threatening conventional houses. And the best part is we have a “legal” Cob Code to use anywhere in the world thanks to the CRI architects’ and engineers’ hard work and focus!

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
The fee for the 4-day Cob Oven & Benches workshop is $400, which includes tuition, 2 snacks & 3 meals/day and camping.
There is a maximum limit of 10 students.
To register please contact claudine@cruzincobglobal.org to receive application forms and payment information. To hold your spot you will need to pay the full amount or a 50% deposit that will be non-refundable after March 8th, 2021 (see below). The balance will be due by March 25th, two weeks before the start date.
Cancellation Policy: If you cancel before March 8th you will get a full refund or credit towards another workshop to be used within 2 years. If you cancel after March 8th you will only get a credit and forfeit 10% of your payment or $40 for the last-minute cancellation.
We always offer work trades in our workshops depending on size of workshop. Here we will offer 2 work trades, one in the kitchen (making breakfast) and one onsite helping prep before breakfast. These work trades are for one hour per day of work in exchange for a $10 discount per workshop day. In this case work trader would receive $40 off. Please inquire asap because these spots go first.
You can also contact Claudine by Whatsapp at +18312127225 for questions and registration.
SEE YOU IN THE MUD!!!!!

Intro to Earthen Building Workshop
2021-04-12 - 2021-04-16 | Unnamed Venue, Keystone Heights, FL, United States
Dates: April 12 – April 16, 2021 (YES. We are still having the workshop as scheduled.)

Location: Keystone Heights, Florida
Come and join us in Florida for our next Introduction to Earthen Building Workshop! We will be constructing a 6 foot tall rammed earth column, building a cob bench, and applying earth plaster to the cob cottage. A perfect class for beginners and experts alike! What makes this workshop unique is the opportunity to get hands-on experience with cob, rammed earth, and earthen plaster! You will get the knowledge to build earthen building projects scaling from smaller things, such as cob ovens and benches, up to large projects like homes and buildings. You will also get the opportunity to experience a completed cob building, which was built on-site from previous workshop students.
This workshop is a great experience to learn how to build with rammed earth and cob, and to get a broad learning overview of natural building techniques. You will get a solid foundation in earthen building fundamentals. We will be constructing an outdoor rammed earth courtyard, and we will be studying Natural Building together each day. After this workshop, you will have the basic know-how and confidence to design and build your own earthen constructions or buildings.
Hands-On Work Topics:
– How to make cob (with the traditional tarp method and with a mortar mixer!)
– Selecting and testing soils for cob and rammed earth (learn several ways to test your soil composition)
– Building with rammed earth (we will be building a rammed earth 6 foot tall column)
– How to build foundations (learn hands-on how to build concrete foundations for earthen walls)
– Earthen Plaster (learn to mix and apply earthen plaster and lime plaster)
– Basic carpentry skills (learn how to build rammed earth forms)
Classroom and Discussion Topics:
– Site selection and design (includes Passive Solar design principles)
– Materials and tools (covers traditional and modern cob building toolset and materials)
– Rubble trench foundations (Plus general foundation building)
– Drainage principles (Important: water can be cob’s worst enemy)
– Basic Electrical and Plumbing integration for cob homes
– Installing windows and doors
– Roofing and Bond Beams
– Natural plasters and finishes (Vapor Permeable / “Breathable” finishes)
– Overview of Natural Building materials
This workshop is a unique experience for people to learn about building earthen homes and to get an overview of Natural Building. Not only are there plenty of hands-on lessons to learn from, but we will also have ample discussion and informal classroom time. Most earthen construction workshops don’t cover this many topics. But here, you will learn all the core lessons needed to start building from this one workshop!
Plus – there will be many hours of discussions about building cob homes and earthen building throughout the workshop. Its a great way to get your questions answered and brainstorm your building ideas!
The workshop will be held at a private property in Keystone Heights, Florida.
Each day will begin at 9:00 AM, and the days will include hands-on building, classroom sessions, discussions, and learning activities related to cob and natural building topics. We will break for lunch between 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and we will complete each day at around 4:00 PM. They will be full-packed days! Worth your every penny!
The workshop will be taught by Alex Sumerall, an east coast Earth Building Mason who has a focus on creating earthen structures that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, and functional for modern life. He is the owner of This Cob House, LLC, which is dedicated to teaching people about cob and earthen building techniques. Alex has a background in business and advertising, and has been practicing earthen building since 2011. He graduated from the Aprovecho School of Natural Building in 2013 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and continues to teach, present, consult, and construct.
Earn A Certificate of Earthen Building!

Upon completion of this workshop, you will be awarded with a certificate of earthen building. This certificate is earned by all of our 5-day workshop students. It will be printed and signed by Alex for you to take home with you at the end of the week.
Free Bonus!
Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a printed copy of Alex’s book, “Build a Cob House: A Step-By-Step Guide”, and the downloadable PDF version, FREE! We only make printed copies for workshop students, so this is your chance to get one. We will be using the book as a lesson guide throughout the workshop too so you can follow along with your book in hand.
Listen to the great things that our workshop participants are saying!
“The cob workshop was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about natural building, not only from Alex’s instruction, experience and demonstrations, but from interacting with people from different backgrounds who were a great source of collective knowledge. The hands-on experience was priceless!” Tony Romo, Texas
“The Cob Building Workshop was a great investment of my time! It was well organized, extremely inspiring, and FUN! Alex was able to explain construction basics to neophytes like me, yet he could also answer the complex questions asked by the more experienced workshop attendees. I can’t wait until the next workshop!”
Marybeth Babos, Tennessee
Lodging
There are two options for lodging: free camping on site, or making reservations at one of the local hotels or AirBnB. Hotels are available in the neighboring towns of Stark and Waldo, per Google maps, and possibly in Keystone Heights.
Camping is FREE and is available throughout the property. There are plenty of great locations to set up a tent here. Multiple camp areas are available with oak trees shading the majority of the property. Trees can be used appropriately for hammocks & camp gear. Campers will have access to a clean bathroom and private outdoor shower.
A modernized, yet simple, building contains a flushable toilet with a private outdoor shower that’s tucked away. It is spacious with room to keep things up and dry.
Our location has electricity & water. Electric outlets are minimal, with the ability to charge phones & power tools, in a single location. The water is well water and is drinkable, yet you may wish to bring your own.
Food
Meals will not be included in this workshop so participants will need to provide their own food. There are several local restaurants and grocery stores nearby the workshop site.
Each is responsible for their own meal preparation, unless decisions are made to share or combine. An hour for lunch is provided, allowing adequate time for a quick nap, a trip into town, fast food, cooking over the fire, or utilizing the grill. There is no official kitchen on site, but there is a small operational microwave, and a few pieces of kitchen camp gear available for use. Coolers are welcome and encouraged.
Local Places to Eat: McHenry’s (food & pub), Keystone Inn (country buffet, known for chicken) Hardee’s, McDonald’s, Subway, Johnny’s BBQ
Recreation & Surroundings
Bring a camp chair for some quality R&R. Build a community camp fire, while reflecting on the day. Enjoy the grassy area to throw a ball, walking trails through the woods, blackberry bushes, slightly traveled road that’s great for a leisurely walk, and the open field in the distance to spot deer, crane, & rabbits in the early mornings.
Family & Groups
Ask about discounts. We encourage group & family activities because it enhances learning among your support group. Email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com for custom group/family invoice.
Children/young people of any age are welcome to join in and learn. Please be aware that some areas are under construction, as is the purpose of this workshop. Previous workshop parents have brought playpens, pop up tents, outside toys, and so forth. Children are welcome to explore through “hands-on” learning. It’s okay if they play in the dirt.
Prices
Price: $499

Additional Discounts: 10% for family and friends participating together.
Teens accompanying a parent/guardian are half price. Children under 13 accompanying a parent/guardian are free.

Click here to register: https://www.thiscobhouse.com/introduction-cob-workshop-keystone-heights-florida/
If you have any other questions about the workshop, please feel free to email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com
If you have a large party of people registering, they can all register separately, or contact me for a custom invoice.

Cob Oven & Benches & Work Table at the Muddy Mule Farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains
2021-04-25 - 2021-05-02 | The Muddy Mule Farm, Aptos, CA, United States
*This is organized as a 7-day workshop, but we are accepting part-time participation for 4, 5 & 6 days*
HOST & LOCATION & PROJECT
Dave & Lindsey and their tribe will be our hosts for this week-long traditional wood-fired Cob Oven, Benches & Work Table workshop, in the mountains of Santa Cruz. In their words:
Our family is living the Big Foot life with a small footprint in the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains. Other than our family yurt, we spend our time outside and off-grid under the majestic redwoods. Our family of 6 is beyond excited to share our forest home offering a true camping experience. We love the life outdoors and invite you to come stay with us and help us create our first COB project!
You will get to meet the resident farm animals (mules, Nigerian goats, & chickens), the home-schooled Big Foot Tribe and enjoy the nightly campfires. Bring long layers for cool, shady evenings, some possible mosquitoes and a good headlamp! We are excited to meet you!
SCHEDULE
The workshop will begin on Sunday afternoon at 4pm with an Opening Circle and an Orientation to the Site followed by a yummy Welcome Dinner. Then we will have an Introduction to the Workshop before retiring. Monday morning we will begin the hands-on building & learning day at 9am after breakfast, which will be served from 7:30-8:30am. We will have class every day until 1pm, followed by lunch and rest until 2:30pm. The afternoon session will begin with a Lecture at 2:30 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday followed by more building and learning until 5:30pm. Students will have downtime until 7pm, when dinner will be served. We will have two nights of slides and videos and other evenings may include extracurricular & spontaneous fun activities including fire circles, dancing and music. Please bring a musical instrument(s) and your favorite playlists. The final dinner on Saturday night will be a Celebration that may include use of the Oven, depending on whether the Oven is ready to use.
The daily schedule looks like this:
6:30-7:30 Yoga/Meditation (optional)
7:30-8:30 Breakfast
8:30 Morning Circle
9:00-1:00 Building
1:00-2:30 Lunch & Rest
2:30-3:30 Lecture
3:30-5:30 Building
5:30-7:00 Downtime
7:00-8:00 Dinner
8:00-9:00 Slides/Videos/Other Activities

The week-long schedule looks like this:
Day 1: Oven Insulation, Pad, Floor, Sand Form, Inner Shell
Day 2: Bench Foundations, Work Table Foundation, Making Cob, First Layer of Benches & Work Table
Day 3: Removing Sand Form, Continuing Benches & Table, Making Slip
Day 4: Oven Insulation, Continuing Benches & Table
Day 5: Oven Sculpting Cob Layer, Sculpting Oven & Benches
Day 6: Plaster/Burnishing
Day 7: Oiling

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Students will learn all the steps to building a Cob Oven and Benches. Students will also learn from lectures and discussion and a few slide show nights. Evenings will be open for freestyle activities including music, dance, campfires, etc.

For the Oven:
Under-oven insulation layers
Oven pad
Bricks
Sand Dome Mold
Inner Oven Shell
Insulation Layer
Outer Oven Sculpted Layer
Plaster

and For the Benches…

Stone Foundation
Making Cob
Building with Cob
Sculpting
Plaster

WORKSHOP REQUIREMENTS & IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Students will need to come to workshop and class/building site prepared.
This includes:
Work clothes
Work boots or other closed-toe shoes for foundation days
Flip-flops for cobbing days
Work Gloves for rocks
Good Moisturizer
Hat
Sunglasses
Rounded triangular metal trowel
Water Bottle
Notebook/Pen/Camera
Sample of Your Soil (Optional)
Personal music playlists for working
Also, if you haven’t already, reading “The Hand-Sculpted House” by Ianto Evans, Linda Smiley and Michael Smith, or something equivalent, like “The Cobber’s Companion” by Becky Bee, or “House of Earth” by Conrad Rogue beforehand, will benefit you greatly. Also please read Kiko Denzer’s “Build Your Own Earth Oven”. We encourage you to bring your natural building books with you!

GETTING THERE

Once students are registered more specific directions will be provided as well as carpooling information. Students who fly in should fly to San Jose Airport (SJC) and there are trains and buses to get you closer. Feel free to ask Claudine for more info.

MEALS & ACCOMMODATIONS
Students will receive snacks and 3 delicious healthy vegetarian meals a day prepared by cooks and with alot of fresh, organic bounty from the local Farms of course. If there are meat-eaters, we can offer some meat options. We will ask about allergies and restrictions in our Welcome email before the workshop. If you have favorite food snacks and needs you can’t live without, please bring them. Expect a healthy, balanced menu. Local students can choose to only have lunch and join for dinner on slide night and the final Celebration Dinner.
There is ample land to camp on or car camp. Students wanting indoor accomodations can check airbnbs or talk to Hosts.

INSTRUCTOR
Claudine Désirée is the original “Cob Queen” of Santa Cruz, where she founded the original “Sunflower Cob Building” which quickly morphed into the California-based “Cruzin’ Cob”, the cob workshop and building business that evolved over a decade. Once her three sons were “out of the house”, she went for her dream of traveling around the world on a bike teaching cob workshops everywhere every few months to continue supporting herself by offering up what she loves in the countries and languages she is passionate about. To work internationally with no home base required a new name and a website, hence CruzinCobGlobal was born naturally and appropriately and, after 5 years on the road, Claudine has finally planted roots again. On the island of São Miguel in the Azores (where are the Azores?) she has started building an Eco-Homestead for family and friends called “Quinta da Vida Beleza” for chillin’, playing music, dancing and communing!!!! CruzinCobGlobal will continue to do the important work of building the best houses and best communities ever of course… with more new Teachers hitting the Cob road in 2021 as CCG-trained students begin leading workshops and builds around the world. Claudine will also keep teaching in her favorite places and spreading the Cob everywhere, with more focus on the Azores land and project now, but also very interested in working in Africa and Asia. California, however, will always be one of those favorite places, her and her children’s home for 20 years. And the demand to learn Cob in California is always growing with the fires and earthquakes threatening conventional houses. And the best part is we have a “legal” Cob Code to use anywhere in the world thanks to the CRI architects’ and engineers’ hard work and focus!

REGISTRATION & PAYMENT
The fee for the 7-day Cob Oven & Benches workshop is $700, which includes tuition, 2 snacks & 3 meals/day and camping. Normally we don’t accept part-time students, meaning less than the full duration of the workshop. However in this case, because it is a last-minute workshop, we are open to accepting students for 4, 5 or 6 days as well. The rate will be pro-rated at $100/day.
There is a maximum limit of 10 students.
To register please contact claudine@cruzincobglobal.org to receive application forms and payment information. To hold your spot you will need to pay the full amount by April 24th, 2021
We always offer work trades in our workshops depending on size of workshop. Here we will offer 2 work trades, one in the kitchen (making breakfast) and one onsite helping prep before breakfast. These work trades are for one hour per day of work in exchange for a $10 discount per workshop day. In this case work trader would receive $70 off. Please inquire asap because these spots go first.
You can also contact Claudine by Whatsapp at +18312127225 for questions and registration.
SEE YOU IN THE MUD!!!!!

Introduction to Cob Workshop
2021-05-10 - 2021-05-14 | Unnamed Venue, Jonesborough, TN, United States
Dates: May 10 – May 14, 2021 (YES. We are still having the workshop as scheduled.)

Location: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Come and join us in beautiful eastern Tennessee for our next Introduction to Cob Workshop! We will be constructing a cob house. A perfect project for beginners and experts alike! You will get the knowledge to build cob projects scaling from smaller things, such as cob ovens and benches, up to large projects like homes and buildings.
This workshop is a great experience to learn how to build with cob and to get a broad learning overview of natural building techniques. You will get a solid foundation in cob building fundamentals. We will be constructing the walls on a new cob building and studying Natural Building together each day. After this workshop, you will have the basic experience and confidence to design and build your own simple cob constructions or cob building.
Hands-On Work Topics:
– How to make cob (learn how to make cob with a mortar mixer)
– Selecting and testing soils for cob (learn several ways to test your soil composition)
– Building cob walls (learn my four steps to efficient cob wall building)
– Creating window and door frames (how to build and attach frames to cob walls)
– Rammed Earth Demonstration (building rammed earth forms and compaction process)
– Earthen Plaster (learn to mix and apply earth plaster)
Classroom and Discussion Topics:
– Site selection and design (includes Passive Solar design principles)
– Materials and tools (covers traditional and modern cob building toolset and materials)
– Rubble trench foundations (Plus general foundation building)
– Drainage principles (Important: water can be cob’s worst enemy)
– Basic Electrical and Plumbing integration for cob homes
– Installing windows and doors
– Roofing and Bond Beams
– Natural plasters and finishes (Vapor Permeable / “Breathable” finishes)
– Overview of Natural Building materials
This workshop is a unique experience for people to learn about building cob homes and to get an overview of Natural Building. Not only are there plenty of hands-on lessons to learn from, but we will also have ample discussion and informal classroom time. Most cob workshops don’t cover this many topics. But here, you will learn all the core lessons needed to start building from this one workshop!
Plus – there will be many hours of discussions about building cob homes and natural building throughout the workshop. Its a great way to get your questions answered and brainstorm your building ideas!
The workshop will be held at a private property in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Each day will begin at 9:00 AM, and the days will include hands-on building, classroom sessions, discussions, and learning activities related to cob and natural building topics. We will break for lunch between 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and we will complete each day at around 4:00 PM. They will be full-packed days! Worth your every penny!
The workshop will be taught by Alex Sumerall, an east coast Earth Building Mason who has a focus on creating earthen structures that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, and functional for modern life. He is the owner of This Cob House, LLC, which is dedicated to teaching people about cob and earthen building techniques. Alex has a background in business and advertising, and has been practicing earthen building since 2011. He graduated from the Aprovecho School of Natural Building in 2013 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and continues to teach, present, consult, and construct.
Free Bonus!
Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a printed copy of Alex’s book, “Build a Cob House: A Step-By-Step Guide”, and the downloadable PDF version, FREE! We only make printed copies for workshop students, so this is your chance to get one. We will be using the book as a lesson guide throughout the workshop too so you can follow along with your book in hand.
Listen to the great things that our workshop participants are saying!

“The cob workshop was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about natural building, not only from Alex’s instruction, experience and demonstrations, but from interacting with people from different backgrounds who were a great source of collective knowledge. The hands-on experience was priceless!” Tony Romo, Texas

“The Cob Building Workshop was a great investment of my time! It was well organized, extremely inspiring, and FUN! Alex was able to explain construction basics to neophytes like me, yet he could also answer the complex questions asked by the more experienced workshop attendees. I can’t wait until the next workshop!”
Marybeth Babos, Tennessee
Lodging
There are two options for lodging: free camping on site, or making reservations at one of the local hotels or AirBnB. Hotels are available in the neighboring towns of Jonesborough, Gray, and Johnson City.
Camping is FREE, but space is limited on the property so let us know ahead of time if you will be camping or lodging off-site. Campers will have access to a portable toilet and private outdoor shower.
The location has electricity & water. Electric outlets are minimal, with the ability to charge phones & power tools.
Food
Meals will not be included in this workshop so participants will need to provide their own food. There are several local restaurants and grocery stores nearby the workshop site.
Each is responsible for their own meal preparation, unless decisions are made to share or combine. An hour for lunch is provided, allowing adequate time for food and a quick nap or trip into town. There is no official kitchen on site. Coolers are welcome and encouraged.
Recreation & Surroundings
Jonesborough is located near the edge of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Tennessee. It is a beautiful area, and there are many scenic places to visit nearby. You can also travel to places like Gatlinburg, TN or Asheville, NC within a short driving distance.
Family & Groups
Ask about discounts. We encourage group & family activities because it enhances learning among your support group. Email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com for custom group/family invoice.
Children/young people of any age are welcome to join in and learn. Please be aware that some areas are under construction, as is the purpose of this workshop, but it is generally child-safe.
Prices
Price: $499

Additional Discounts: 10% for family and friends participating together.
Teens accompanying a parent/guardian are half price. Children under 13 accompanying a parent/guardian are free.

Click here to register: https://www.thiscobhouse.com/introduction-to-cob-workshop-jonesborough-tennessee-may-2021/
If you have any other questions about the workshop, please feel free to email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com
If you have a large party of people registering, they can all register separately, or contact me for a custom invoice.

5-Day Cob + Straw Immersion
2021-05-14 - 2021-05-18 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$625 Early Bird Discount (register before April 15th, 2020)
$750 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
Join us in constructing a meditation cottage with natural materials! We will build cob walls using an engineered forming system, as well as strawbale and slip-straw walls. Many of the materials we use will be harvested directly from the site, in combination with other locally-sourced products. This class is designed so that you leave with the knowledge to take on your own substantial project. Enjoy five days of meaningful hands-on work, as well as a sense of community with the group that you will be building, eating, and relaxing with!
Hands-on learning:
– How to mix cob by foot, and by machine
– How to install cob, and sculpt with it
– How to prepare for a strawbale wall system, and how to install the bales
– Preparing strawbale walls for plaster
– Installing slip-straw walls
– Natural plastering on natural wall systems (clay plasters, and lime)
Discussion topics:
– The thermal spectrum: “from cob to strawbale”
– Siting/Design
– How to build a good foundation and good roof
– Building details with cob and strawbale
All meals are provided! The worksite is in beautiful Saxapahaw, NC, on a rural property. We hope you can join us!

One-Day VersaTerra Primer
2021-05-15 09:30 - 20:00 | House Alive, 7540 Griffin Lane, Jacksonville, OR, 97530, United States
One-day VersaTerra Primer
Two Dates: Saturday, May 15th & Saturday, May 22nd, 2021
Location: House Alive homestead, Jacksonville, Oregon
Cost: $85 Includes our book “House of Earth” wood-fired pizza and music
Bring your own sack lunch and B.Y.O.B for the pizza party
Class size: 18
Go here to see the House Alive Covid Policy
Join us for a day of learning, mixing materials and seeing all the things you can do with earthen construction. This one-day class is a perfect introduction to building with earth for those who are considering building a house or cottage, for those thinking about using these techniques to remodel their existing home, or for building an oven or a courtyard wall.
​You’ll get hands-on experience in mixing cob and building a section of a wall with it. We will also demo how to install an earthen floor or how to apply an earthen plaster on just about every possible material, from straw bales to drywall. The light straw-clay technique will show you how to remodel an existing home (or garage) and also will give you some tools to start a new construction project that can be code approved.
​There will be plenty of time for looking at cob buildings at the site and answering your questions. We will end in the evening with firing up our earthen oven up to 900 degrees(!) and eating some of the best pizzas. They only take 40 seconds to cook!
Schedule of the day:
​9:30 – 1:00 Mixing cob and learning how to build a wall (you’ll get muddy)
​1:00 – 2:00 Lunch break
​2:00 – 2:30 Lecture: understanding materials and how to find them
​2:30 – 3:30 Demos: Earthen floors, Earthen plasters, light straw-clay
​3:30 – 4:30 Tour of 8 different cob buildings
​4:30 – 5:30 Q&A: Codes, natural renovations, ovens, maintenance, etc.
​5:30 – 8:00 Amazing Pizza out of the wood-fired earthen oven, Music

VersaTerra Plus 35-day Complete Cob Cabin
2021-05-17 - 2021-06-18 | Rosewater Ranch, 30 minutes northwest of Reno, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
Complete Cob & Natural Building Workshop with Earthen Oven
This workshop is offered through the “Be the Change Project“
Go here for the full workshop description & House Alive/Be the Change Project Covid Policy
Maximum Class Size: 12 students
Instructors: Kyle Isacksen with Katy Chandler, Jonathan Vocke and Kathleen O’Brien
Cost: $2500​
This includes all meals (vegetarian with meat options on occasion), coffee & tea, a lovely place to pitch your tent, our book “House of Earth” (we’ll send you a copy before the workshop in the Spring), transportation to and from Reno airport/bus terminal.
Overview
This is the most comprehensive workshop you can find. Decades of teaching on four different continents has helped us design this rich learning experience giving students the tools they need to become confident earthen builders.

Earth is the mother of all building materials. For millennia, all over the world, people have used earth to build beautiful, simple, efficient and inexpensive homes. It’s plentiful, ecological and non-toxic. Plus, it can’t burn, won’t rot and is much simpler to build with than conventional construction.
We will teach you how to use clay-soil to build just about everything from strong structural walls (cob and adobe) to beautiful floors, plasters and light-straw-clay walls. Because the materials are fireproof, they are ideally suited to sculpt ovens, fireplaces and cook stoves.
The essence of your learning experience will revolve around developing a deep understanding of how to process and combine a few simple materials: clay-soil, sand and straw. How you apply that in your building adventures is then up to you, but you will find the possibilities endless and exciting.
During this workshop we will build a beautiful cob cabin from the ground up and an earthen bread/pizza oven. This includes interior and exterior walls, roof, foundation, windows, doors, electricity, plumbing, arches, plasters, niches, roof, and artwork.
​This 35-day VersaTerra Plus workshop is designed to provide a much deeper dive into earth, natural building, and sustainable living through the construction of a complete cabin. Over the five weeks you’ll have the opportunity to get into a building rhythm where your new learning and skills can be applied and fine-tuned with the help of our instructors. Simply put, the more time you have with the mud, the more competent and confident a builder you’ll become. The time frame also gives us more space for discussions, exploration of design philosophy, and engagement with appropriate technologies including microsolar, composting toilets, water harvesting, and more. This course will benefit from real world examples at Rosewater Ranch and the nearby Be the Change Project urban homestead – a Mother Earth News Magazine Homestead of the Year.

What You Will Learn

After this workshop, you will feel confident that you can

Build a cob cottage
Remodel or renovate an existing home using natural materials
Build and use an earthen oven
Use cob to create garden walls, outdoor fireplaces and hot tubs
Design small cottages
Teach a one-day natural building event yourself!

Specifically, you will get hands-on experience and skill development in the following areas:

Foundation systems, rubble trench, stem walls, earthbag construction (as a stem wall)
Identifying the right materials, screening, processing, testing, costs, amount calculations
Mixing cob efficiently, making adobe bricks
Building with cob: strong sculptural walls, arches, windows and doors, niches, artwork and mosaics
Building with adobe, cordwood cob, and balecob
Electricity and plumbing, how to install wires and pipes in the walls
Roof attachment and roof design
Light-straw-clay: this is an infill technique perfect for code-approved buildings and natural renovations of existing homes. You will learn how to make the materials and how to install them
Natural plasters & tools, making your own plasters and paints, colors, applications, how to apply it on earthen walls, drywall, wood, concrete
Tamped floors, finish earthen floors in natural buildings, earthen floors in existing homes on plywood, oriented strand board and concrete
Earthen ovens: from start to finish and how to use them (pizza party!)
Different design strategies, natural design essentials, passive solar, using cob to make models
Building codes, how they work, how to work around them

During every workshop we make time for specific issues related to individual situations. This usually include a careful look at different climates and regions, living with families or in communities, dealing with the building code, physical and financial challenges, appropriate technologies and more.
Our book “House of Earth” will be used as a textbook for the workshop.

​What is VersaTerra?
VersaTerra is a holistic design, building and living philosophy, celebrating clay-soil as its primary building material. Clay-soil is:

plentiful, inexpensive or free, durable, easy to maintain and modify, and endlessly reusable
non-toxic, breathable, soft, beautiful, and displays superior performance in a wide variety of climates
sculptural by nature, inviting to work with needing only simple tools and methods, and easily combines with other natural and human made materials.

By focusing on these specific qualities of clay-soil, we can make the design, building and living process a conduit for community revitalization and personal transformation, while creating housing with dignity for the people of this world.
Evaluations
Here’s what people said about last years’ VersaTerra Plus workshop:

I feel it was all awesome. I loved the whole experience and would do it again in a heartbeat.
I liked working together as a group, learning hands-on how to cob and how to build in general.
I’m now confident I can figure it out. This made everything with building feel accessible.
I really enjoyed the whole process, location and people. The instructors are very good at explaining and diagramming things so I feel I can do them later when I get home.
I loved 99% of the classes and work!
I could mix cob for hours!
You did a great job taking ideas in and adjusting to people’s questions and needs.
I wouldn’t change anything about the workshop.
I’m leaving with a wealth of new knowledge and skills – the platform I needed and can build upon
The instructors were a great team and I liked how everyone added something different either through skill or personality
I enjoyed the teamwork and working with the materials and getting dirty!

Introduction to Fast Cob and Natural Plaster and Paints
2021-05-20 15:30 - 2021-05-24 11:00 | Lasqueti Island, 1 Beautiful Bicycle Lane, Lasqueti Island, BC, V0R 2J0, Canada
We introduced this Short Course in 2019 and it has been a great success since. You’ll get a full sense of our Fast Cob technique, and you’ll know how to finish buildings naturally, from base layer to finish layer and even whitewash.
Everything we use is completely natural and everything you learn can be done anywhere on the planet. Just be warned, this short course is not enough to go off and start building a home on your own without prior experience, but it is more than enough to start with an oven, shed or other smaller project.
If you’re curious about Fast Cob or cob in general, this course is for you. Come and let your creative side have fun!

2-Day Hands-on Foundations
2021-05-26 - 2021-05-27 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$250 Early Bird Discount (register before April 15th, 2020)
$300 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
Join us to learn the basics of building a long-lasting, stable foundation. We will be building a foundation for a natural garden wall. After completing excavation work, and installing a rubble-trench footing system, we will then move on to construct three different stem-wall systems: CMUs (concrete blocks), poured concrete, and dry-stacked stone.
You will learn:
– excavating for a foundation
– installing a rubble-trench footing
– 3 stemwall options: CMUs, poured concrete, dry-stacked stone
– how to integrate a natural wall system on to a foundation
– lunch discussion: “other foundation options”
– touring our campus to discuss the variety of foundations we have here
Five wholesome meals will be provided (Wednesday’s lunch through Thursday’s dinner). Consider staying the 3 following days for our 3-Day Immersion course!

5-Day Foundations, Cob + Straw Immersion
2021-05-26 - 2021-05-30 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$625 Early Bird Discount (register before April 15th, 2020)
$750 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
This is the combination of our 2-day Foundations offering, and our 3-Day Immersion course (see all our offerings on our website, www.muddauberbuilding.com). Many participants who leave our Immersion courses have asked for more opportunities to practice foundation-building skills, as it is a very important and sometimes intimidating part of a long-lasting building. Join us for the full experience of both foundations and walls!

3-Day Cob + Straw Immersion
2021-05-28 - 2021-05-30 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$375 Early Bird Discount (register before April 15th, 2020)
$450 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
We will cover a lot of material in 3 days! Our focus will be on continuing work on the garden wall that surrounds our dining/gathering space. This includes completing the top of an existing wall with cob, building a completely new portion of wall with cob, strawbale, and slip-straw wall systems, and applying earthen and lime plasters. If time allows, we will include hands-on work installing the living green roof atop the wall.
Expect to learn:
– mixing cob by machine and by foot
– building and sculpting with cob
– mixing and installing slip-straw
– installing straw bales, and preparing them for plaster
– mixing and applying earthen and lime plasters
– installing a window
– lunch discussions: “foundation/siting”, “roof options”
– touring our campus demonstration buildings, as well as 2 permitted natural homes
Seven wholesome meals will be provided (Friday’s lunch through Sunday’s lunch). For one lunch or dinner, we will enjoy a pizza party with our cob oven! Consider joining our 2-day foundation workshop that precedes this course, for a full 5-day experience!

1-Day Natural Building Intro
2021-06-05 09:00 - 16:00 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$125 Early Bird Discount (register before May 5th, 2020)
$150 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
Join us in constructing a garden wall on our campus, using the clay from beneath our feet and straw from a local farmer! This is a great beginner project that provides you with the basic knowledge of how to build a strong, long-lasting cob wall. We will mix and build with cob all morning, and then get our hands dirty with natural plasters in the afternoon!
– mixing and building with cob
– mixing and applying earthen plasters
– lunch discussion: “pros and cons of different natural wall systems”
– touring our campus buildings
We will have snacks available, but please bring your own lunch. We will eat together, and enjoy discussion following lunch, leading into our afternoon work session.

3-Day Cob + Straw Immersion
2021-06-11 - 2021-06-13 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$375 Early Bird Discount (register before May 5th, 2020)
$450 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
We will cover a lot of material in 3 days! Our focus will be on continuing work on the garden wall that surrounds our dining/gathering space. This includes completing the top of an existing wall with cob, building a completely new portion of wall with cob, strawbale, and slip-straw wall systems, and applying earthen and lime plasters. If time allows, we will include hands-on work installing the living green roof atop the wall.
Expect to learn:
– mixing cob by machine and by foot
– building and sculpting with cob
– mixing and installing slip-straw
– installing straw bales, and preparing them for plaster
– mixing and applying earthen and lime plasters
– installing a window
– lunch discussions: “foundation/siting”, “roof options”
– touring our campus demonstration buildings, as well as 2 permitted natural homes
Seven wholesome meals will be provided (Friday’s lunch through Sunday’s lunch). For one lunch or dinner, we will enjoy a pizza party with our cob oven! Consider joining our 2-day foundation workshop that precedes this course, for a full 5-day experience!

1-Day Natural Building Intro
2021-06-19 09:00 - 17:00 | Mud Dauber School of Natural Building, 8813 Lindley Mill Road, Snow Camp, NC, NC, 27349, United States
$125 Early Bird Discount (register before May 5th, 2020)
$150 Regular Fee
10% discount for family + friends participating together!
Join us in constructing a garden wall using the clay from beneath our feet and straw from a local farmer! This is a great beginner project that provides you with the basic knowledge of how to build a strong, long-lasting cob wall. We will mix and build with cob all morning, and then get our hands dirty with natural plasters in the afternoon!
– mixing and building with cob
– mixing and applying earthen plasters
– lunch discussion: “pros and cons of different natural wall systems”
– touring our campus buildings
We will have snacks available, but please bring your own lunch. We will eat together, and enjoy discussion following lunch, leading into our afternoon work session.

Cob Oven Weekend
2021-06-19 09:00 - 2021-06-20 16:00 | Heart Song Sanctuary, 658 Co. Rt. 6, High Falls, NY, 12440, United States
In this class we will build a wood-fired cob bread/pizza oven from start to finish. Students will build the stone foundation, firebrick hearth, cob structure, and finish the oven with earthen plasters. You will learn the skills to go home and build your own oven!

What to expect:
Our days will be spent engaged in hands-on building and learning with natural materials. Expect a rich week (or weekend) of natural and community building with the group. We’ll work, learn, eat, and relax with each other in a positive, hard-working, fun atmosphere. Conversation on natural building will provide constant background chatter throughout the week. We’ll work on-site every day with a scheduled mid-week rest. Evenings are typically unscheduled so folks have time to enjoy the site, explore quaint nearby towns, or relax around the fire.
We will make time to tour the finished natural buildings on-site, and have a few focused discussions on building subjects such as foundations, passive solar design, wood framing, roofing, permits and codes, and more. Michael may give an interesting slideshow presentation on a rainy night.
The Site:
Our site is Heart Song Sanctuary, a beautiful 45 acre property with beautifully constructed natural buildings. The site features many acres of woods, a cleared meadow, swimming creek and pond. Accommodations for camping include an outdoor shower, compost toilet outhouse, and firepit gathering area.
Meals/Food preferences:
We will serve three meals daily, cooked on-site by staff. The food will be mostly vegetarian with a vegan option. Many of the ingredients will be sourced from local farms. Please indicate any food allergies upon registration.
Schedule:
Work on-site will begin following breakfast the morning of the date listed. Participants are encouraged to arrive the preceding afternoon or evening to set up camp, and commence the week with an informal dinner and visiting with the team around the fire.
Instructor:
Michael McDonough is a Troy, NY based building contractor, designer, and educator. His work can be found at the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Oxmoor Farm, and a number of happy homesteads around the east coast. He learned a great deal by working with leading natural builders including Ianto Evans, Clark Sanders, Thea Alvin, Ben Simpson, and Greg Allen. He has taught 15 natural building workshops.
What to bring:
* Camping equipment including tent, sleeping bag, flashlight
* Work clothes and shoes. Short rubber boots or old sneakers for cob, gloves * Sunscreen, bug spray, hat, water bottle, rain gear
* Toolkit including tool belt, knife, tape measure, pencil, hammer
* Notebook, building plans or sketches to discuss

To Register:
Tuition includes a week of camping, workshop experience, meals.
Group rates, discounts for previous students, or for taking multiple courses are possible, let’s chat.

7-Day Cob Oven and Natural Building Overview
2021-06-19 09:00 - 2021-06-25 14:00 | Heart Song Sanctuary, 658 Co. Rt. 6, High Falls, NY, 12440, United States
This class is designed to be a broad overview of natural building techniques. The class includes participating in the cob oven workshop, and continues with a more thorough immersion into natural building. In addition to the oven, we will build a cob bench, plaster an existing straw bale building, and complete the living roof of an adjacent structure.

What to expect:
Our days will be spent engaged in hands-on building and learning with natural materials. Expect a rich week (or weekend) of natural and community building with the group. We’ll work, learn, eat, and relax with each other in a positive, hard-working, fun atmosphere. Conversation on natural building will provide constant background chatter throughout the week. We’ll work on-site every day with a scheduled mid-week rest. Evenings are typically unscheduled so folks have time to enjoy the site, explore quaint nearby towns, or relax around the fire.
We will make time to tour the finished natural buildings on-site, and have a few focused discussions on building subjects such as foundations, passive solar design, wood framing, roofing, permits and codes, and more. Michael may give an interesting slideshow presentation on a rainy night.

The Site:
Our site is Heart Song Sanctuary, a beautiful 45 acre property with beautifully constructed natural buildings. The site features many acres of woods, a cleared meadow, swimming creek and pond. Accommodations for camping include an outdoor shower, compost toilet outhouse, and firepit gathering area.
Meals/Food preferences:
We will serve three meals daily, cooked on-site by staff. The food will be mostly vegetarian with a vegan option. Many of the ingredients will be sourced from local farms. Please indicate any food allergies upon registration.

Introduction to Cob Workshop
2021-06-21 - 2021-06-25 | Unnamed Venue, Jonesborough, TN, United States
Dates: June 21 – June 25, 2021 (YES. We are still having the workshop as scheduled.)

Location: Jonesborough, Tennessee

Come and join us in beautiful eastern Tennessee for our next Introduction to Cob Workshop! We will be constructing a cob house. A perfect project for beginners and experts alike! You will get the knowledge to build cob projects scaling from smaller things, such as cob ovens and benches, up to large projects like homes and buildings.
This workshop is a great experience to learn how to build with cob and to get a broad learning overview of natural building techniques. You will get a solid foundation in cob building fundamentals. We will be constructing the walls on a new cob building and studying Natural Building together each day. After this workshop, you will have the basic experience and confidence to design and build your own simple cob constructions or cob building.
Hands-On Work Topics:
– How to make cob (learn how to make cob with a mortar mixer)
– Selecting and testing soils for cob (learn several ways to test your soil composition)
– Building cob walls (learn my four steps to efficient cob wall building)
– Creating window and door frames (how to build and attach frames to cob walls)
– Rammed Earth Demonstration (building rammed earth forms and compaction process)
– Earthen Plaster (learn to mix and apply earth plaster)
Classroom and Discussion Topics:
– Site selection and design (includes Passive Solar design principles)
– Materials and tools (covers traditional and modern cob building toolset and materials)
– Rubble trench foundations (Plus general foundation building)
– Drainage principles (Important: water can be cob’s worst enemy)
– Basic Electrical and Plumbing integration for cob homes
– Installing windows and doors
– Roofing and Bond Beams
– Natural plasters and finishes (Vapor Permeable / “Breathable” finishes)
– Overview of Natural Building materials
This workshop is a unique experience for people to learn about building cob homes and to get an overview of Natural Building. Not only are there plenty of hands-on lessons to learn from, but we will also have ample discussion and informal classroom time. Most cob workshops don’t cover this many topics. But here, you will learn all the core lessons needed to start building from this one workshop!
Plus – there will be many hours of discussions about building cob homes and natural building throughout the workshop. Its a great way to get your questions answered and brainstorm your building ideas!
The workshop will be held at a private property in Jonesborough, Tennessee.
Each day will begin at 9:00 AM, and the days will include hands-on building, classroom sessions, discussions, and learning activities related to cob and natural building topics. We will break for lunch between 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and we will complete each day at around 4:00 PM. They will be full-packed days! Worth your every penny!
The workshop will be taught by Alex Sumerall, an east coast Earth Building Mason who has a focus on creating earthen structures that are healthy, aesthetically pleasing, and functional for modern life. He is the owner of This Cob House, LLC, which is dedicated to teaching people about cob and earthen building techniques. Alex has a background in business and advertising, and has been practicing earthen building since 2011. He graduated from the Aprovecho School of Natural Building in 2013 in Cottage Grove, Oregon, and continues to teach, present, consult, and construct.
Free Bonus!
Everyone who signs up for the workshop will receive a printed copy of Alex’s book, “Build a Cob House: A Step-By-Step Guide”, and the downloadable PDF version, FREE! We only make printed copies for workshop students, so this is your chance to get one. We will be using the book as a lesson guide throughout the workshop too so you can follow along with your book in hand.
Listen to the great things that our workshop participants are saying!

“The cob workshop was a life-changing experience. I learned a lot about natural building, not only from Alex’s instruction, experience and demonstrations, but from interacting with people from different backgrounds who were a great source of collective knowledge. The hands-on experience was priceless!” Tony Romo, Texas

“The Cob Building Workshop was a great investment of my time! It was well organized, extremely inspiring, and FUN! Alex was able to explain construction basics to neophytes like me, yet he could also answer the complex questions asked by the more experienced workshop attendees. I can’t wait until the next workshop!”
Marybeth Babos, Tennessee
Lodging
There are two options for lodging: free camping on site, or making reservations at one of the local hotels or AirBnB. Hotels are available in the neighboring towns of Jonesborough, Gray, and Johnson City.
Camping is FREE, but space is limited on the property so let us know ahead of time if you will be camping or lodging off-site. Campers will have access to a portable toilet and private outdoor shower.
The location has electricity & water. Electric outlets are minimal, with the ability to charge phones & power tools.
Food
Meals will not be included in this workshop so participants will need to provide their own food. There are several local restaurants and grocery stores nearby the workshop site.
Each is responsible for their own meal preparation, unless decisions are made to share or combine. An hour for lunch is provided, allowing adequate time for food and a quick nap or trip into town. There is no official kitchen on site. Coolers are welcome and encouraged.
Recreation & Surroundings
Jonesborough is located near the edge of the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Tennessee. It is a beautiful area, and there are many scenic places to visit nearby. You can also travel to places like Gatlinburg, TN or Asheville, NC within a short driving distance.
Family & Groups
Ask about discounts. We encourage group & family activities because it enhances learning among your support group. Email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com for custom group/family invoice.
Children/young people of any age are welcome to join in and learn. Please be aware that some areas are under construction, as is the purpose of this workshop, but it is generally child-safe.
Prices
Price: $499

Additional Discounts: 10% for family and friends participating together.
Teens accompanying a parent/guardian are half price. Children under 13 accompanying a parent/guardian are free.

Click here to register: https://www.thiscobhouse.com/introduction-to-cob-workshop-jonesborough-tennessee-june-2021/
If you have any other questions about the workshop, please feel free to email me at alex@thiscobhouse.com
If you have a large party of people registering, they can all register separately, or contact me for a custom invoice.
