Fuddy

Two shots from inside the Fuddy
This is a 10x15 building I made with my friends out of pallets!

Two views from Fuddy roof
See the Pallet Chicken House above!

Levi and I crafting outside on future Fuddy porch

Pouring the earthen floor in the Fuddy with Max and Betty

Natural Building Courses at Valle Pintado

A four part series to deepen your experience with natural living crafts

We will be teaching these workshops in Patagonia, Argentina

Naturally Building for Fire
March 3 – 6, 2010

Come see how little wood it takes to warm your home while creating a lovely hearth.

Join us in building a multi-functional and beautiful masonry heater using natural building techniques. Masonry heaters are highly efficient fireplaces which are designed to burn cleanly and and maintain much more of the heat inside your home. They provide a comfortable and environmentally-sound way to heat your home. Our project will use affordable earthen materials while also incorporating traditional European stove design and modern methods used in the United States.

Cost: $400

NATURAL FINISHES: PLASTERS, PAINTS, FRESCOES, ETC.
March 10 – 13, 2010

Come join us as we make and apply a plaster coat on our new community kitchen.

Learn how to use local, natural materials to craft many types of beautiful finishes. This course will include information about various interior and exterior treatments as well as tool and application techniques.

Cost: $400

BioConstruyendo Patagonia

I was an instructor at BioConstruyendo Patagonia in February, 2010. There were 20 instructors and 120 participants. I taught courses on how to make and apply earthen paints and plasters and created sculpture with earthen material.

Program included:

Introduction to Permaculture
Permaculture and Natural Building
Passive Solar Design
Introduction to Natural Building
Composting Toilets
Solar Water Heating
Grey Water Treatment
Sacred Geometry
Electricity
Green or Living Roofs
Geodesic Domes

Natural Building Techniques Covered:

Adobe Brick
Wattle and Daub
Light Straw-Clay Bricks
Earth Bag Construction
Cob
Natural Plasters
Earthen Sculpture
Tile Mosaic
Natural Paints
Insulating Panels
Cast Floor Panels

Location

CIDEP, which stands for Center for Permaculture Research, Development and Education, is the central location for both hands-on projects and lectures. The center is a 24 acre farm in a beautiful rural area at the foothills of the Andes and 9 miles from the center of the town of El Bolson. Many sustainable systems at various stages of development exist at the center including natural windbreaks, natural buildings, alternative energy generation, passive solar systems, composting toilets, recycling, garden, and nature reserve spaces. The presence of all these systems creates a dynamic environment for participants since they actually live in and experience them.