Artisan Builders Collective members offer a variety of workshops and classes so you can have hands-on fun with natural building! Our members offer everything from work parties on community projects to two week intensive workshops. To get involved in a community project or register for a workshop, just contact the facilitator listed below each workshop.
Saturdays, April 17-May 22, 2010
Asheville, NC
Complete Cob Natural Building 101
Take sand, soil, & a bit of straw, mix it together with some water and what do you get? Cob! Learning the basic mixing technique for cob allows one to use this building material in a myriad of applications. Sculpt a bench, build a wall, construct an oven, create an entryway to a garden path; build a shed, a house . . . a village!
This course deals with the basics of cob mixing, site design, materials, application techniques, including sculpture and finishing plaster practices to complete the project. The class will be on Saturdays from 9-4. Wear your creativity and work clothes and plan on getting muddy! Catalog listing and registration at www.abtech.edu
May, 2010
Asheville, NC
Odyssey Earthen Oven Project
Tony will be building a new Earthen Oven with the Odyssey School Community in May. We will be working with the students, teachers and families to create a community space on the campus in Montford, Asheville, NC. Contact Tony for more info.
Saturdays, August 21-October 23, 2010
Asheville, NC
Place Making Project
Utilizing all natural materials and traditional methods, students will work closely with instructors in the creation of a recreation area outside of the Hemlock Building. Several techniques will be employed in this unique place making project. Hardscape features include low retaining walls, foundations, patio paving, and pathways to create a container for the main structure which will be built utilizing Timber Frame wood to wood joinery methods, providing shade and shelter from the elements and protecting a centralized Earthen Seating Structure made of Cob, an age old earthen building system.
Class time will be spent working as a collaborative team learning all phases from start to finish. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain hands on experience in this unique building project, leaving your mark on the AB Tech campus for years to come. (84 Hrs.) The class will be on Saturdays from 9-5. For more details, contact Tony Beurskens.
October 1-20, 2010
Hempstead, TX
Cob Owner/Builder Intensive Workshop This workshop will be a ten-day hands-on building intensive designed specifically to prepare you to build your own cob home. You will learn all the basics of building with cob as we work through each stage of construction. You will have the chance to get hands on experience with all the basics of building a cob house so you can go home with the confidence and skills to build your own house. We will cover foundations, walls, windows, doors, roofs, plasters, floors, sculptural work, electricity and plumbing. This is an ideal workshop to take if you are considering building your own cob home or any fully enclosed building. For more information or to register online for this workshop contact Christina Ott or visit www.barefootbuilder.com/upcoming.htm.
