Sara Crippen

This workshop is being co-facilitated by natural builders Sara and Josh of Clay Sand Soul, and Scott and Kathryn Kloos, medicine keepers and healers based in the Columbia River Gorge.  Although the focus of this three day natural building workshop will be to build a cob bench complete with clay sculptures, we will also be focusing on connecting to the land and each other through altar building, prayer, song, intentional work, and connecting with various plant medicines while meditating or working with the clay sculptures.  Throughout the weekend, Scott Kloos, founder of The School of Forest Medicine, will guide us through different plant meditations, with a focus on native plants of the area and the emergent needs of the collective.  There will be an opportunity to take a mini-dose of psilocybin mushrooms during the sculpting portion of the workshop, although it is not obligatory.

Cob, a mixture of clay, sand, and straw, is a wonderful building material without ‘hard’ edges. Building and sculpting a cob bench while in an altered state is not only safe, but can open up doorways of possibilities.  We have found it to be a beautiful way to honor and play with the clay body of the Earth.  Our prayer is to create a space of intentionality and thoughtful work, where one’s body and soul can take a breath and see what happens in the exhale, where we can collectively wonder about the world, our community, and our bodies.  This will be a co-creative experience, where it is safe to bring your questions, dreams, and troubles to the forefront, and allow the modality of working with the Earth to work on those threads.  

We will also be covering basic natural building concepts, building with monolithic cob on a larger scale, how to analyze your soil for clay content, and  formulating cob and plaster proportions. Bring your own soil so we can analyze it together.

This is a family-friendly event. We believe that children and elders are the heart-center of all communities, so all are welcome here.

On logistics: This workshop is being held at a community dedicated to healing and earth connection in Corbett, Oregon. The workshop will begin on Friday, July 4th at 9am and end on Sunday July 6th at 6pm.  Our general daily schedule is as follows: morning session from 9am-1pm, lunch from 1-2:30, afternoon work session from 2:30-6. Camping, an outdoor hot/cold shower, and a daily vegetarian lunch are included. We suggest bringing your favorite snacks for eating throughout the day.  There will be potable water and electricity available for filling up containers and charging devices.  Breakfast and dinner are not included, so those camping will need to bring their own food storage and preparation set-up. This will be an off-grid weekend, so please come prepared.  The weather in Corbett, OR in early July tends to be dry, with a slight chance of rain.  Temperatures during the day are in the high 60s and at night drop to the mid 40s.  Our work site will be in the shade for most of the day, but come prepared for chilly, dewy mornings, potential rain, and full sun exposure.  We will be working with clay, stone, sand, and straw, so bring clothes you don’t mind getting dirty =)  All tools and materials will be provided, but bring your favorite work gloves, slip on shoes for while we are mixing cob, and plenty of layers for any changing weather.

Tuition is $400 and includes, camping, amenities, a daily lunch, all materials, plant medicine offerings, and digital instructional material from Clay Sand Soul. We accept Venmo, Zelle, and PayPal.  Please reach out for each platform handle.

Half of proceeds from this workshop will be donated to MECA, the Middle East Children’s Alliance. For more information on MECA, visit: https://www.mecaforpeace.org

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to email Josh and Sara at claysandsoul@gmail.com or text at 907-650-7704

If you can’t make this workshop, but would like to follow our work you can follow us on IG @claysandsoul and also sign up for our newsletter with this link…. https://www.claysandsoul.com/newsletter

We look forward to working with you! Let’s get muddy! Sara & Josh

Come learn how to build a pallet-cob compost toilet in the forested foothills of Mt. Hood in Estacada, Oregon this May 10-19th!

Check out our website or Instagram for the nitty gritty details!

Website: 10 Day Natural Building Workshop May 10-19 in Oregon

Instagram: @claysandsoul

Clay Sand Soul, based in Vancouver, WA, is a natural building company dedicated to empowering others to build their own homes and structures with natural building techniques.  This workshop is happening at Coyote Woods in Estacada, OR.  Coyote Woods is stewarded by two sisters who have been working for the past 10 years to help the land and its ecosystem recover from years of clear cut logging and monoculture farming.  Their mission is to make the land a positive resource for as many living things as possible.  We will be building a 100sf pallet cob compost toilet in their meadow, so they can begin to host larger events and return all that fertility of humanure back to the land in a responsible way.

In our ten days together you will learn through  lecture and hands-on experience:

👉🏼how to install pallet walls on an existing post-and-beam structure
👉🏼how to frame windows and doors
👉🏼how to prepare and apply earthen base coat plaster
👉🏼how to create artistic cob sculpture elements onto the walls
👉🏼how to prepare and apply finish plaster from clay and lime
👉🏼complete an earthen floor installation while learning how to formulate an earthen floor mix and the steps to oil and wax these floors for durability and water resistance
👉🏼build a living roof frame on top of an existing roof deck and learn how to install a waterproof membrane, drainage layer, and growing medium
👉🏼attend lectures on natural building design, theory, and philosophy.
👉🏼learn compost toilet design for a successful system

If you are feeling called to dive deeper into natural building, live and work in a communal environment, and empower yourself to build functional, beautiful structures that are truly sustainable, please join us in this ten day experience. There will be yummy food, fires at night, community building activities, and access to the beautiful forests of Coyote Woods.

Check out our website for more details👉🏼   www.claysandsoul.com/coyote-woods-workshop

Email us with questions and to connect! We are happy to have a phone call claysandsoul@gmail.com

Pictures attached are of different pallet cob structures we have built, either for clients or with our students!

Hi Samantha! I havent had personal experience with mycelium insulation, but would ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO! For this workshop in particular we will be insulating with Havelock Wool insulation which has an R value of 13, but on our next build we will definitely consider it!! Whats the r-value of mycelium insulation btw? Thanks for the rec <3

Thanks! Still figuring out how to properly post on here. Have a good one, Sara

Join us for an unforgettable end to your 2024 Summer, living and building in community on the healing grounds of CAYA Sanctuary, nestled in the foothills of Mt. St . Helen’s. In this four week workshop, we will explore different elements of natural building, design, and carpentry while completing a 180 sq ft Pallet Cob Dwelling with a reciprocal frame living roof, earthen-lime floor, cob sculptures, earthen plaster, and clay and lime paints. Click the link below or in our bio for more details on workshop content, location amenities, and how to register🙏🏼

https://www.claysandsoul.com/caya-workshop

Topics covered during hands-on work sessions and lectures include:
-fundamentals of site selection
-floor plan design essentials for a cottage to perform well in your climate
-site soil assessment and testing systems for cob, base plaster, finish plasters, and earthen floors
-foundation fundamentals
-post and beam framing
-window and door installation
-calculating, planning, and raising a reciprocal roof
-living roof systems and installation
-electrical & plumbing design and installation
-insulation options and installation
-modifying and installing a pallet wall system
-preparing pallets for receiving plaster: attaching wood lath, slip making and applying, etc.
-formulating, mixing, and application of cob, earthen base plaster, earthen finish plasters
-creating sculptures and niches with cob
-inserting bottles in walls for light and beauty
-formulating and pouring an earthen/earthen-lime floor
-earth pigment collecting and processing for making interior clay paints
-making and applying limewash

If time permits we will also cover:
-how to build a cob bench
-installing a kitchen with a vanity, sink, and shelving

The skills you will develop in this course include:
-planning and managing a build of your own
-developing intuition around assessing, selecting, and formulating successful earthen plasters
-a comprehensive range of carpentry skills, such as using a wide variety of electric and battery operated power tools, using a transit level, safety practices, tricks of the trade, etc!
-working and living in community
-building physical strength and proper body mechanics to maintain physical well-being while doing manual labor
-finding joy, freedom, and confidence through doing challenging things

Caya Sanctuary is the perfect setting for this experience, offering idyllic forest campsites, wood-fired hot tubs, refreshing river swims, saunas, cacao-fueled dance sessions, weekly community bonding circles, and an optional evening of breathwork with a soothing sound bath.  In addition to gaining the skills necessary to build your own healthy, earthen home, we will deepen our capacity for living communally, and empower each other to become better versions of ourselves.

We are so excited to play in the mud together and build a beautiful cottage in the process🙌🏼🛖🌈

Click the link below or in our bio for more details on workshop content, location amenities, and how to register🙏🏼

https://www.claysandsoul.com/caya-workshop

Follow us @claysandsoul on Instagram to stay in the loop about this workshop and other offerings

Follow our hosts, CAYA Sanctuary @cayasanctuary on Instagram to learn more about the Plant Medicine work they do and how they are building their retreat center

Join us for an unforgettable end to your 2024 Summer, living and building in community on the healing grounds of CAYA Sanctuary, nestled in the foothills of Mt. St . Helen’s. In this four week workshop, we will explore different elements of natural building, design, and carpentry while completing a 180 sq ft Pallet Cob Dwelling with a reciprocal frame living roof, earthen-lime floor, cob sculptures, earthen plaster, and clay and lime paints. Click the link below or in our bio for more details on workshop content, location amenities, and how to register🙏🏼

https://www.claysandsoul.com/caya-workshop

Topics covered during hands-on work sessions and lectures include:
-fundamentals of site selection
-floor plan design essentials for a cottage to perform well in your climate
-site soil assessment and testing systems for cob, base plaster, finish plasters, and earthen floors
-foundation fundamentals
-post and beam framing
-window and door installation
-calculating, planning, and raising a reciprocal roof
-living roof systems and installation
-electrical & plumbing design and installation
-insulation options and installation
-modifying and installing a pallet wall system
-preparing pallets for receiving plaster: attaching wood lath, slip making and applying, etc.
-formulating, mixing, and application of cob, earthen base plaster, earthen finish plasters
-creating sculptures and niches with cob
-inserting bottles in walls for light and beauty
-formulating and pouring an earthen/earthen-lime floor
-earth pigment collecting and processing for making interior clay paints
-making and applying limewash

If time permits we will also cover:
-how to build a cob bench
-installing a kitchen with a vanity, sink, and shelving

The skills you will develop in this course include:
-planning and managing a build of your own
-developing intuition around assessing, selecting, and formulating successful earthen plasters
-a comprehensive range of carpentry skills, such as using a wide variety of electric and battery operated power tools, using a transit level, safety practices, tricks of the trade, etc!
-working and living in community
-building physical strength and proper body mechanics to maintain physical well-being while doing manual labor
-finding joy, freedom, and confidence through doing challenging things

Caya Sanctuary is the perfect setting for this experience, offering idyllic forest campsites, wood-fired hot tubs, refreshing river swims, saunas, cacao-fueled dance sessions, weekly community bonding circles, and an optional evening of breathwork with a soothing sound bath.  In addition to gaining the skills necessary to build your own healthy, earthen home, we will deepen our capacity for living communally, and empower each other to become better versions of ourselves.

We are so excited to play in the mud together and build a beautiful cottage in the process🙌🏼🛖🌈

Click the link below or in our bio for more details on workshop content, location amenities, and how to register🙏🏼

https://www.claysandsoul.com/caya-workshop

Follow us @claysandsoul on Instagram to stay in the loop about this workshop and other offerings

Follow our hosts, CAYA Sanctuary @cayasanctuary on Instagram to learn more about the Plant Medicine work they do and how they are building their retreat center