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 Building Project ArchivesEffingham Central School ProjectTony was invited to Central Grade School in Effingham, IL, to play with the 3rd - 5th graders, all of them, 600+! The entire school took part in building a gazebo, with sculpted cob bench, and a "bus stop bench". The Gazebo is the beginning of a school garden/play space in the playground area. The bench is located at the schoolbus drop off and pick up. The students took part in all steps of the project. They painted the underside of the roof, helped haul the material(s), made the cob, and most importantly, they designed the sculpture. The greater Effingham community helped as well. Parents and teachers participated in the muddy fun, sheriff deputies helped install the "street sign" shingles, local businesses donated materials, and the best part, they all did it together!
Isaac Dickson Elementary Imagination VillageTony was invited to Isaac Dickson Elementary in Asheville, NC, to get muddy again! This time we built two "imagination huts" in the K-2 playground area. All of the K-2 students participated in making cob walls of their new Imagination Village. This is the first piece of a bigger design of the Village; together with the huts there will be a living willow fence to define the village area, as well as an apple tree gazebo and other edible plants. All will be done by the students and school community. We had a real fun time in the mud this time around!
A-B Tech Natural Building 101Tony was asked to teach an introductory natural building course this spring/summer as a part of the Continuing Education Department. The class is called Complete Cob: Natural Building 101. It continues to be offered throughout the year, with more advanced classes in the works. Together, the class and members of the Artisan Builders Collective, Matthew and Christina guest teaching, built a cob bench outside the Construction Sciences Building main entrance. With an evolving brainstorm of ideas, we came up with a true "natural building" design: a hammer that morphs into a tree forming the back and arm rest of the bench. How appropriate!
La Capilla de Santa Maria Community Church - Hendersonville, NCTony was invited to build a retained heat earthen oven (i.e. pizza oven!) with the church community. What a fun and rewarding project for us all! Together we collected materials from site, including sand WAY up from the river below, clay from the hillside, and rock from around the site. It was quite empowering to provide such necessary materials for the project with no outside resources! Church members of all ages worked together on Sunday afternoons and some evenings throughout the week to get the job done. We had a lot of fun getting to know one another, as well as eating some really good food! Thanks for everyone who participated in the project! Pizza is ready!
Vance Elementary Peace Garden Cob Castle - Asheville, NCVance Elementary School Peace Garden has a lot going for it these days. It has a new look for "Leo the Lion", a production garden which feeds the students at snack time, as well as raising money at the local farmers market, and now it has a new garden shed! Actually, its more like a "garden castle", if you ask me. I have been working with the school community over the last few months to complete the building which will be used to support the educational activities in the garden throughout the year. This has been a true community project. Hundreds of volunteers have worked on the project, from ABC's Ashevillage in Action Day, A-B Tech Carpentry 101 class, Asheville GO, Living Roof Inc, UNCA ACT participants, Warren Wilson students, curious neighbors, local community members, friends, and family from near and far all have helped make this project a success! Thanks! Stay tuned for new photos, there is always something new being done to the garden!
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