Natural Building School in Asheville, NC

Two sessions:
Spring: April 28 to June 20, 2014, or
Summer: July 26 to Sept 19, 2014
Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm

Early Bird rates and payment plans available: http://ashevillage.org/natural-building-school/

The Natural Building School (NBS) believes that the best way to learn is to “do,” especially when it comes to building. Through hands-on projects, workshops, classes, presentations and field trips, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how to design and build using clay, sand, straw and wood. Students will also learn about the use of appropriate modern materials, both new and salvaged. The NBS aims to: 1) educate through hands on experience via the skills and trades needed to build, 2) give an extensive exposure to the diverse ways materials can be used, and 3) support creative design that will enable building with beauty and integrity.


Hands-On Projects
Wall systems: Cob, slipstraw, adobe, and stud frame with wattle & daub infills
Natural finishes: Exterior and interior earth plasters & paints
Foundation systems: Urbanite, stone & block; piers & posts
Regular building: Carpentry & construction skills
Wood-fired: Oven &/or Rumford fireplace
Systems Floor, wall & roof framing
Installations: Windows & doors
Tool use: Use & care
Living roofs

Theory & Classes
Load bearing & non load bearing wall systems
Site selection & working with the landscape
Passive solar design, heating & cooling
Engineering basics & structural integrity
Planning & budgeting for your building
The global context for natural building
Designing & managing the work site
Electric & plumbing
Permits & codes

http://ashevillage.org/natural-building-school/