Earth Hands and Houses: Straw Bale Workshops 2017

A fun, hands-on workshop where you will get to build and plaster a complete structure made from straw bales…

6-14 May – StrawBale and In-depth Clay Plastering, Workshop – Alicante, Spain – 395 / 495€
18-23 May – Straw Bale Workshop – Sussex, England – £365
6-11 July – StrawBale Workshop – Sussex, England – £365
24-30 August – Straw Bale Workshop – Przelomka, Poland – 200€

6-14 May 2017
StrawBale and In-depth Clay Plastering, Workshop
in Alicante, Spain.

A six day straw bale and clay plastering workshop
(with an optional extra two days)
Saturday 6th – Friday 12th May 2017 or
Saturday 6th – Sunday 14th May 2017

Set in a beautiful olive grove in the rugged mountains near Tarbena in the Costa Blanca region of Spain.
Presented by experienced natural building teacher Antony Dennis.
This workshop is a wonderful opportunity to gain hands-on experience of building a straw bale structure and plastering a real straw bale building that will be used for visitor accommodation, in the beautiful surroundings of our olive grove set in a lush green valley in the mountains north of Alicante.

What You Will Learn

Hands-on experience of all the stages in straw bale wall construction, and in depth theory and practice of applying a wide range of different clay plasters to a real structure.
On the first six days we will build a straw bale structure and cover it with the first two layers of plaster. Topics covered will be:

Site planning and building of the foundations for a straw bale structure
Raising straw bale walls
How to tie the straw bale walls together
Making a wall plate and compressing a wall
Installation of door and window frames
Managing the use of bales to maintain wall strength
Recognizing the clay found on our land and understanding how to use it for building
Preparation and application of the first 2 coats of clay plaster onto the straw bale wall

The final two days will present both the theory and practice of clay plastering in much more depth. Topics will include:

Preparation and application of the final layer of smooth plaster
Sculpting with clay plaster
Methods of protecting clay plaster from the elements
Application of lime to protect a naturally constructed building.
Preparation and application of clay paints for a beautiful natural finish.
A variety of methods using in the creation of different internal wall structures.
The theory of how clay floors are built.
The application of the final layer of clay to an existing clay floor.

This straw bale workshop will be mainly hands-on, building a small temporary structure out of straw bales, and applying all the different clay plaster techniques to both this and an existing 4×4 metre building which will be used for visitor accommodation at the olive grove site. Theory lessons will back up the practical skills learned and provide the opportunity for more detailed questions to be answered.

Book Your Place

The price of the two workshop options are:
Six day straw bale and clay plaster workshop:
450€ per person, or a discounted price of 395€ is available if booked by 1st March 2017.
Eight day straw bale and clay plaster workshop
570€ per person, or a discounted price of 495€ is available if booked by 1st March 2017.
Numbers on the workshop will be limited to ensure a good learning experience, and we are expecting the allocated places to fill up before the workshop begins.
To book your place
email antony@la-murta.eu or
call Antony on (+34) 633 012 477.

About your Workshop Leader

The workshop will be lead by Antony Dennis.
Antony presented all Earth, Hands and Houses workshops alongside Paulina for 4 years and owns his own straw bale house on his olive grove in the mountains of Spain, which is the location of this workshop.
Antony has a natural talent for explaining things clearly, a love of natural building and over 25 years of experience taking houses apart and putting them back together, These gifts, along with his ability to hold a caring, openhearted community space make his workshops both an informative and pleasurable experience.

Food, Location, Accommodation

Vegetarian food will be available at an additional cost, payable upon arrival. The food will comprise a self service breakfast, full cooked lunchtime meal, and a light supper.
The workshop will be held in an olive grove, 2km south of the village of Tarbena. You may camp within the olive grove for free.
Click here for more details of the camping facilities, maps, travel information and other accommodation available.
Please note that consumption of alcohol and smoking on the site are not allowed.

Workshop Timing

The workshop will run from 09:00 to 17:00 on each day. If you are camping, you are welcome to arrive any time on the day before the workshop starts and to depart the day after the workshop ends. There is a rest day on Wednesday 10th May.

But there is more…

This will be more than just a straw bale workshop – it will be a wonderful opportunity to enjoy learning and relaxing amongst like minded people, some who may become your friends for life!
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