Work Exchange & Work Parties
Work Exchange: Offer labor for education and experience.
Work Party: Ask for help on your building project in exchange for sharing your knowledge.
Connect…
Work Exchange: Offer labor for education and experience.
Work Party: Ask for help on your building project in exchange for sharing your knowledge.
Connect…
Hey there my boyfriend and I would love to take this workshop as we are looking to get into Cob building! I am a beginner and my boyfriend has actually done cob work in Tennessee with a cooperative so he is a little more educated than I am but I am super interested in learning! This type of building has a special place in my heart because my great grandmother in South Africa build her own house out of Cob and I always found that admirable and I would love to follow in her footsteps!!
Located just outside Asheville, NC one of my favorite places to be. Been looking for the opportunity to learn how to build a cob house since I heard about it from a good friend of mine when I was 16. Very strong work ethic and drive. I’m mobile and I’d love to join a team somewhere close to town. I only work 4 days a week and you can have me on the other 3 days. Let me know if there are opportunities available. Looking forward to hearing from you!
~Daniel
Hiya,
I am a 3rd-year student in college and as a graduation requirement, students take part in an 8-week internship. I would love to spend my 8 weeks learning about and building with cob. I am available to work from early June through the end of August and am flexible about location. I am looking forward to hearing from you!
Angela
Hello, my husband and I would like to learn natural building fundamentals to build our own house. We currently live in San Diego and would like to offer our labor in exchange for learning.
I am currently located in Los Angeles, and am interested in cob work exchange opportunities.
So far, I have attended design classes for three semesters, but natural building is definitely what I prefer over the modern status quo.
Hey Im in the Austin area as well and just stumbled upon cob houses after studying and researching earthships. If you find a build please message me I’d love to get in on one and learn.
I would love to volunteer my time to help build cob or straw bail, hemp create, earthbag construcction in exchange for experience. Currently living in Austin Texas I lived in California but open to New Mexico area too.
Hey Im in the Austin area as well and just stumbled upon cob houses after studying and researching earthships. If you find a build please message me I’d love to get in on one and learn.
Hi there.
I´m an Engineer and Lighting Designer looking to utilize my early 2020 holidays with some cob / strawbale hands-on building in the sun. My focus is near the beaches of the central americas, but I´m also globally flexible if your project is a good match. I travel from Copenhagen.
Greetings
/Tim
Would love to exchange my labor to work on your cob project. Looking at sometime mid June.
I would love to exchange labor for knowledge with the work exchange…
Hello everyone!
I currently live in Colorado Springs and would love to attend either of the VersaTerra workshops in 2020 and exchange volunteering for learning. I am incredibly interested in knowing these natural building techniques.Thanks very much!
Hello,
I would love to volunteer my time to help build cob or straw bail in exchange for experience. Currently living in Colorado in San Luis Valley but open to New Mexico area too.
Thank you!
Young entrepreneur looking for the right opportunity to start learning how to build earthen buildings. I’m looking to use earthen building techniques to supplement sustainable farms and create more ergonomic living quarters. I’m located in Eastern United States and would prefer western NC.
Hi all! My partner and I are interested in learning about natural building and working with cob. We would love to exchange our time and work for a learning opportunity! Any type of project works! We are located in BC so anywhere in the area works for us!
Hi! I’ve worked with earthbag building before, and have helped instrust others; I want to offer volunteer time to any Washington state cob or natural building projects going on if I can. Seattle area and north is best, but willing to spare some time to help others. I love it so much & just want to share in the fun.
I’m interested in working on building a natural house and learning about the process! Hoping to work somewhere in California/Oregon/Washington. Please reach out with any ideas or opportunities!
I would love to work for free and learn construction and sculpture with cob. I’m east of Dallas TX area so can be on a project in north east TX, south east OK or SW AR areas. Also I can be available most fri-sun and have a work truck with tools and camping gear. I have a bit of framing and barn building exp, and done some brick an masonry but finishing & trim work isn’t my strong point
Craigen
972-415-8625
Hello,
I’m a new land owner near lake tawakani and Quinlan and was wondering if u would be interested in helping my husband, family, and I build a cob house. We have watched many videos and believe we can make it happen ofcourse with Help and patience. If your interested in having hands on practice with cob and helping us build this home just so u can gain some knowledge, please shoot me an email at tedsaedwards@yahoo.com.
Thank you
I am eager to build with cob. I realized this is the first step in making my own cob building one day. I am looking for books and experience. I learn best by doing. I would be so happy to help build anything I can, and I’m open to travelling to some places. I’m in Arizona (FLG) but I have been travelling anyway so that would be a great reason for a trip. I look forward to hearing back with opportunities. Thank you thank you thank you.
Hi Allie,
I am starting a natural building company in Missouri. I would love to learn cob building from you as part of a work exchange program. I don’t think I will be able to make this August Cob Extravaganza (but if I should try to make it any way I can, I will see what I can do) – but if there will be opportunities for work exchange this fall, please let me know. Hope to be in touch soon to discuss plans and options.
Yours,
Mike Kelly
E & H Homesteads of Missouri
(314) 255-4527
Allie,
I am interested in work exchange options. I am an engineer but our family budget is strapped with child expenses and other stuff. I would like to come out to Oregon for a week or so and work and learn, with the intention of trying to start a natural building contractor business in Missouri.
Thanks – just let me know –
Mike Kelly
314-255-4527
We would like to volunteer if anybody is doing any projects in New England.
Hi, I see you posted in last July. I am in central Massachusetts I would like to build a Cobb kids cottage for practice Sometime in the spring of 2020. Have you found New Englanders or New England Cobb workshops?
offer labor in exchange for experience my primary interest is natural home construction and permaculture.
Hello,
I’m interested in learning how to build a cob home and would love to give a hand. I currently reside in Washington. I don’t have any near future plans for mine, but would like to start learning the entire process.
I have some experience in home remodeling which mostly translates into the willingness to work hard. I am an artist with experience in working with clay and wood carving, always interested in scaling up of course. I’m from south central Texas, but willing to travel if able to.
I would love to help on a project sometime this summer! Dates and location flexible- I’m from FL but could travel. Thanks!
What part of Florida? I’m in South Florida, and I’m looking into doing a project of my own.
I am a plasterer. Interested .in cob building .i would to work on cob housing
Oh I’m very interested in participating in the workshop!
I live in the East Bay Area, California, and I am designing a two-story ~950 sf house to build out of cob/bale. I have 0 experience, but I am studying and have a plan. I would like to get building with a team as soon as I can, probably by summer if permits don’t take too long. If anyone knows of groups or would like to work please let me know, thank you. <3
I’m very interested in helping out!
I doing a similar thing in Tulsa, OK. I have 5 lots on a city block (not contiguous) which is declining economically. I got the lots for less than $6K. I am interested in a small community and have people talking about doing things but no one is doing anything yet. I don’t have a plan yet but my interests are converging on a solar cob straw bale house of similar size to yours. I also would love to work/share on your construction project as early as possible. How is your permitting going in California? There is little knowledge or interest in cob/straw bale here. I’m thinking designing for code will be our biggest problem. I am interested in being off-grid with solar and batteries. Thanks.
I just bought 3 acres in Tahlequah with the intention of building a cob shop with a house to follow. Have you started your project yet? I would love to help, and perhaps, when I’m ready, you would be willing to give me a hand. I presently live in Tuttle (just south of OKC) but I have family in Tulsa. My daughter-in-law is a city counselor there. Maybe she can be of help if you run into any zoning issues.
Emmy,
Were you able to build your cob home? I live in the east SF Bay Area and would like to assist and learn more about cob homes. Please let me know if you still need assistance.
Hi! I would really love to learn about making cob structures, and I would be happy to do labor in exchange. I plan on building one day, but it is too distant in the future to say where or when. I am planning a road trip of sorts, and I would love to stop along the way to learn and work with cob! My aim is to go through California, Oregon, Washington, Montana, Wyoming, (maybe Utah) Colorado, Arizona, (maybe Nevada) and back to California. This would all be tentatively between April-June. I am hoping to be in MT in late May. Let me know if you have an opportunity in those times!! Thanks!
Hi Emily,
My friend and I are currently looking for land in the utah area. Ive been researching cob for several years.., so i have some knowledge of how to build, what we both lack however is physical ability…bad backs, shoulders knees..We can definitely do some of the work but we will definitely need help building. If you are interested, feel free to contact me.
Hi Kim,
I realize your message is from earlier this year but if you are still in the process of constructing I would be interested in helping you! I have also been reading and learning for a few years and am eager to have hand on experiences.
I would like to offer my labor in exchange for a learning experience in cob building. I live near Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It gets very cold here in the winter, i would like to know how cob or other natural materials hold heat in these conditions. I am hoping to pitch cob building as an idea to my community as we will be taking on a large project of building houses in the spring. Would love to hear from yous runnylcrocketmail@gmail.com
Hi. I sent you an email about natural building in Alaska. Did you get it?
We are a long way from Ontario, but we do have significant experience in natural building for cold weather climates (Alaska). We are also well connected with other natural builders in the area, including one intentional community with some huge projects.
Building in cold climates is definitely different. One consideration is that insulation is more important than thermal mass. Thermal mass is valuable, but will not keep you warm by itself if you live in an area of sustained temperatures that are below freezing. This includes places like Alaska, and probably most of Ontario. During the course of a two-week cold spell, for example, the cold will penetrate the thermal mass walls unless they are inside an insulation envelope. There are other things to consider for cold climates, as well.
Feel free to contact me if you want to ask questions, or if you are interested in visiting our area.
Dale
sbtmp1 (at) shamansweb (dot) com
I would like to offer my labor for on-the-job learning and experience in the area of natural cob building. I am particularly interested in projects going on in Southern California this Winter. Thank you.
Hello! I would be interested in hosting a cob workshop in May 2019 in north east TN. We are planning on building a contemporary 800 sq ft home.
Leslie Harrison April 23, 2019
I live in Tulsa and have 5 lots on a city block (not contiguous) which is declining economically. I got the lots for less than $6K. I am interested in a small community and have people talking about doing things but no one is doing anything yet. I don’t have a plan yet but my interests are converging on a solar cob straw bale house of less than 1000 sq ft. I also would love to work/share on your construction project as early as possible, May 2019 sounds wonderful. There is little knowledge or interest in cob/straw bale here. I’m thinking designing for code will be our biggest problem. I am interested in being off-grid with solar and batteries.Someone recently got a variance for a duplex which will house 11 people on a similar plot to one of mine. Conventional building, though. Thanks.
I would be interested in helping, I have done a couple of work shops with Cob in Kentucky.
Also if your land is located rural then codes might not be a big issue. I would love to build someday a straw bale/ earth-bag home if I ever get the property! Lol I’m in Michigan so Tennessee isn’t to far, not sure about Arkansas though.
We are located in Fayetteville, Ar. We are wondering about hosting a cobworkshop this summer.
Hey, Melissa, Would you mind emailing us about this? We’d love to help out. Tmintz@live.com
Melissa, I would also love to work/share with you. I am not far from you. Please see my email above. Thanks.
Our family is starting the journey towards more sustainable way of life and we have chosen cob as the medium for the house we want to build. We want to find the “cob community” in the north east of the usa. Would love to learn and help with someone’s build. thank you
I live in Boston but like to build something just east of Worcester Massachusetts next spring
Work exchange?
I’m a multimedia artist with a science background and experience in DIY. I want to build a community of cob/straw bale houses, but first, I need to learn and build my own little tiny cob home.
I’d love to learn and work with someone who has a project/various experience with natural materials/off gridding electric/plumbing. Open to building anything that would also be buildable in the Northeast climate.
Besides the manual labor, I make beautiful things for a living and will sculpt and invent interesting projects with you.
Best,
Eric
ejbrief (at) gmail (dot) com
Hi, Eric,
We have been building with cob, strawbales, earthbags, PAHS, and other natural building methodologies in Alaska for several years. We are also well-connected with a significant community of other natural builders. That’s a long distance from the Northeast US, but you’d be welcome to visit, or help. We’d also be very willing to just chat and answer questions. If you do decide to visit, we can introduce you to some builders. One of these is a huge project for an intentional community of about 70 people, where they have done a lot of research and experimentation.
Let me know if we can help.
Dale
sbtmp1 (at) shamansweb (dot) com
Hi Eric,
I am interested in your plans on the community you mentioned earlier. I am looking to have hands-on experience with cob and straw bale and am eager to use creativity in the process.
Feel free to reach out if you need assistance with any of your building projects!
Lynda