Workshops coming soon:

10th - 18th February 2014 in Thailand

Building an Earthbag, sandbag Dome...

Fantastic low tech skills for Building for disaster relief... and disaster resistant houses.

....best for areas prone to flooding, and hurricanes. 

Taught by architect and earthbag author
Paulina Wojciechowska.
10th – 18th February 2014.
An 8 day workshop in Chaing Mai, Northern Thailand.
Earthbag buildings offer a very low cost of construction and far greater resistance to natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes, making them an ideal building method to introduce into many regions in Asia.
The workshop will be lead by Earth, Hands and Houses founder Paulina Wojciechowska, a qualified architect who has over 17 years of experience building with earthbags in communities all around the world. Paulina worked alongside Nader Khalili at Cal-Earth in 1996 and is the author of “Building with Earth”, one of the leading earthbag construction books.
The workshop is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience of all stages of constructing a large 4 metre diameter earthbag dome in a beautiful location in Northern Thailand, and will include:

• Learning about earthbag and sand bag  structures that can be constructed in areas prone to flooding and hurricanes.
• designing a house that can withstand floods and hurricanes.

• Theory of earthbag stucture foundations.
• Building an earthbag dome from an existing concrete base.
• Creating earthbag walls using both single bags and earthbag tubes.
• Different techniques using arches and lintels to construct doorways and windows within the earthbag structure.
• Ensuring the structure is stable through the correct use of buttressing and corbelling based upon the nature of the earth used to fill the bags.
• The theory and some short practice of clay plastering techniques applicable to earthbag dome structures.

Earthbag Workshop cost (8 days) : 360 euros 
Other important practicalities:

• This workshop is part of a series being run by our host, Maggie McKerron. Please see [http://maggimck.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/workshops-in-chiang-dao-thailand-2014/ ] for details of the other workshops Maggie is running which you may also wish to attend.
• Food will be provided for an additional cost of approximately 6 euros per day with shared kitchen duties.
• Free camping will be available on site.
• The best way to travel to the workshop is to fly or take a train to Chaing Mai in Thailand and then travel one and a half hours by bus or taxi to the workshop site.

After this workshop there will be an opportunity to stay on as a volunteer and participate in finishing the dome.
This is more than just an earthbag workshop – it will be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an amazing 9 days of learning and relaxing amongst like minded people, some who may become your friends for life!

For more details see  www.earthhandsandhouses.org
email info@EarthHandsAndHouses.org
call Paulina on +44 1825 713349

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PAST WORKSHOPS

22 - 29th October 2013, 

Building with Straw bales

 (a workshop taught by Paulina)

Taurus Mountains of South Turkey
In the Mediterranean forest of Dutalan, 60km from Antalya in Turkey. 

A straw bale and clay plastering workshop.

This is a rare opportunity to learn how to build straw bale walls around a wooden hexagonal structure that supports a reciprocal roof. 

 In a 2 part workshop we’ll learn how to; raise straw bale walls with hazel pinning, tying walls, making a wall plate and compressing a wall, Installing door frames and window frames, as well as making clay plaster, recognizing clay, preparing clay plaster, the application of 3 different layers of earthen clay plaster, preparing wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, painting with clay paint and make light straw clay insulation. 

 Hands-on and some theory. 
  
Cost: 395 Euro 
(food: approx. 6 Euros per day, accommodation: free camping)

for more information 
email: earthhands@gmail.com
or call : +44 (0)1825 713349.

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Workshops for 2013

for more information email: info@EarthHandsAndHouses.org, or 
call Paulina on 01825 713349.  

www.earthhandsandhouses.org




UK, Essex, nr. Stanstead 
In a semi-rural location where camping is free with basic facilities. 

28 May-2 June, Building with Earthbags. Domes and arches. 

This is an Earthbag workshop, learning to build a root cellar, or any earthen dome structures for emergency and sustainable living. Building an arch and a very small dome made out of earth filled bags, and plastering/sculpting the dome with an earthen plaster. Hands-on and some theory. 
Cost: £260 without meals, or £320 with meals (Taught by Paulina) 

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UK, Hoathly Hill Community, E. Sussex 
In the gardens of the community.

 Weekend 21,22,23 June,  Building with Straw bales.

Mid Summer Straw Bale Building and Celebration.    

Come and join us for a fun weekend of learning natural building, camping with campfires and a mid summer celebration.
This is a straw bale workshop, building a round house, which will include a straw bale wall system that will be strengthened with hazel pinning, tying the walls, making the wall plate and compressing the wall as well as plastering/sculpting the walls with an earthen plaster. Hands-on and some theory. 

Cost: £ tba without meals, or £tba with communally cooked meals (Taught by Paulina) 

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Poland, North-Easterly Poland, nr. Lake Hancza, Przelomka. 
Taught by Paulina and Jarema 

27th July - 30th July, Building with Earthbags - Domes and arches. 

This is an Earthbag workshop, we will be building a root cellar, or a meditation dome, learning to build earthen dome structures for emergency and sustainable living. Building an arch and a very small dome made out of earth filled bags. Hands-on and some theory. 
Cost: 160 Euro 

1st – 3rd Aug, Clay plastering workshop. 

This workshop will teach how to recognize clay, how to prepare clay plaster, two different layers of earthen clay plaster, preparation of wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, painting with clay paint, and light straw clay insulation. 
Cost: 110 Euro 

4th August, Lime plastering. 

Plastering with Lime, clay finished walls. 
Cost: 30 Euro 

All courses in Przelomka include free basic camping facilities or make your own arrangements. (Accommodation: There is accommodation in the neighborhood for 6 to 20 Euros per night. Food: this is usually prepared together and the cost is shared) 

Discount for ALL 3 workshops - 270 Euro (Lime plastering is FREE if you attend the other two workshops)

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Workshops in Poland,  taught by Jarema

Poland, Nowe Miasto, near Olsztyn. 70 km from Warsaw. 

7-9^th May –Survival workshop.  

Three days learning Survival skills such as building of shelter, learning about herbs and other useful information regarding hygiene, and natural medicines.  This course is for beginners. 

Cost: 100 Euros. 

Poland, Nowe Miasto, near Olsztyn. 70 km from Warsaw. 

 30^th May – 1^st June. Clay plastering workshop.

This workshop will teach you how to recognize clay, how to prepare and apply clay plaster, two different layers of earthen clay plaster, final smooth plaster with a range of two colours, preparation of wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, painting with clay paint, lime plaster.
Cost: 150 Euro.

Poland, Karczak / Podlasie

16-18^th June,  Building with Straw bales, 

This is a straw bale workshop which will teach you how to build earthbag foundations, Straw bale walls with hazel pinning, tying the walls, making the wall plate and compressing the wall.
Cost: 150 Euro.  

21-23 June,  Clay plastering workshop. 

Clay plastering the straw bale walls. This workshop will teach how to recognize clay, how to prepare clay plaster, three different layers of earthen clay plaster, preparation of wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, painting with clay paint. And lime plastering.
Cost: 150 Euro. 

Poland: in Pupki near Olsztyn.

28-30^th June,  Natural building workshop, 

which is An Introduction to:

·        Earthbag Building

·        Cordwood building

·        Cob and wattle and daub, filling in a timber structure post and beam barn.

We will be spending a day on each technology.

Cost: 150 Euro.

Poland: in Pupki near Olsztyn.

3 -5^th July, Clay plastering workshop. 

 This workshop will teach how to recognize clay, how to prepare clay plaster, three different layers of earthen clay plaster, preparation of wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, painting with clay paint. And lime plastering.
Cost: 150 Euro. 

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Taurus Mountains of South Turkey    (a workshop taught by Paulina)

In the Mediterranean forest of Dutalan, 60km from Antalya in Turkey. 

22 - 29th October, Building with Straw bales

A straw bale and clay plastering workshop - this is a rare opportunity to learn how to build straw bale walls around a wooden hexagonal structure that supports a reciprocal roof. In a 2 part workshop we’ll learn how to; raise straw bale walls with hazel pinning, tying walls, making a wall plate and compressing a wall, Installing door frames and window frames, as well as making clay plaster, recognizing clay, preparing clay plaster, the application of 3 different layers of earthen clay plaster, preparing wheat paste for stabilizing the final layer, sculpting, painting with clay paint and make light straw clay insulation. Hands-on and some theory. 
 Cost: 395 Euro  
(food: approx. 6 Euros per day, accommodation: free camping)

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Northern Thailand near Chaing Mai,
On a beautiful site looking up at the mountain Chiang Dao. 

10 - 18th February 2014

Building a large Earthbag house dome 

Building with Earthbags, or Superadobe. A rare opportunity to build a 4m diameter dome which will be used as a guest house. The workshop will include foundations, making the dome and arch, and some clay plastering. After this workshop there will be an opportunity to stay on as a volunteer and participate in finishing the dome. 
Cost: 360 Euros

for more information email: info@EarthHandsAndHouses.org, or 

call Paulina on 01825 713349.  

xxx

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