Everything Cob!
Complete cob skill building workshop (includes building a bread oven)
Date: July 30 – August 6
Workshops start with Saturday dinner and ends after lunch on the following Sunday.
Location: House Alive Homestead, Jacksonville, OR
Instructor: Coenraad Rogmans
Cost: $825. All meals and camping provided.
Discounts:$125 for paying a deposit before 2/28/11, or for bringing a friend.
General Outline of the Workshop
Daily Schedule
About The Site
What to Bring
Register for a Workshop
About Bringing Children
General outline of the workshop
About one third of the world’s population still uses some form of earthen construction for their houses, and for good reason: it is inexpensive, materials can be acquired locally, it doesn’t burn, it performs well in all but extreme cold climates, it’s non-toxic and can provide you with solid, beautifully sculpted structures.
Cob is a method of earthen construction where we take sand, straw and clay, mix them together with water and sculpt organically shaped walls. As the walls dry out, they become very strong. These basic materials are very versatile. These same materials can also be used to create beautiful plasters, clay paints, floors, ceilings, insulation, and more.
During this workshop you will learn how to:
- Identify the right materials and where to find them
- Mix materials in an efficient way
- Build strong walls on solid foundations
- Integrate windows, doors, plumbing and wiring
- Create built-in shelving, niches and sculptural/artistic details
- Finish structures with earthen plasters, floors and other techniques
The workshop is very much hands-on! You should count on building with earth for most of the week. By the end of the workshop, you will have had lots of practice in many earthen construction techniques and will feel confident using them to build your own cob cottage. During the course we will build an outdoor cob courtyard which will include a cob pizza oven and outdoor fire place.
Unique for this workshop: If nature cooperates we will also experiment with harvesting and processing some grain (threshing, winnowing and grinding), which we will use for baking some sourdough bread in our newly built oven. We will use the stalks of the grain for the building materials.
Here is a basic idea of the daily schedule, subject to changes depending on the weather, the progress on the building site and the topics of discussion:
- First thing — light snack, coffee, tea, juice
- Then: morning cob mixing
- Breakfast
- Cob construction and curriculum
- Lunch and afternoon nap time
- Afternoon presentation, lecture, demonstration
- Afternoon building session
- Dinner
Evening programs will vary, depending on people’s energy. Sometimes we just hang out and socialize, other times there will be slide shows and/or short discussions.
This workshop will be held at the House Alive homestead near Jacksonville, OR. We have about a dozen natural buildings on site, including a code approved strawbale/cob hybrid, a strawbale sauna and various cob cottages. We also have a swimming pond and hiking trails. We produce all our own electricity and use composting toilets, grey water systems and many other solar/ecological techniques.
The setting is a serene pine and doug-fir forest in the mountains of Southern Oregon, just 30 minutes away from both the Medford airport and Ashland, and 15 minutes from the historic town of Jacksonville. We can pick you up from the Medford bus station or airport.
We provide participants with a shady camp spot, hot showers and delicious vegetarian meals. Please let us know if you have special dietary needs.
The temperature in the summer in Southern Oregon can be moderate to hot and very dry. Rainstorms are rare. Please make sure you bring the following items:
- Tent
- Sleeping bag/pad, pillow, towel
- Enough clothing to last for the workshop (clothing will get dirty, small hand-washings mid-week are possible)
- Protection from the sun (hats, sunscreen, etc.)
- Water bottle
- Bathing suit
- Pictures, drawings, plans, ideas, questions
- A 6′ x 8′ woven polypropalene (”blue”) tarp for mixing cob. Larger is fine, but will have to be cut to size.
- Lotion or cream for dry hands and feet
- Work gloves. We like the cloth ones with rubberized palms (One brand is called “Atlas”).
- Musical instruments
- For sensitive feet (optional): An old pair of sneakers, duct tape or diving booties. We will be mixing cob by foot. To toughen up your feet a little, we highly recommend that you walk bare foot as much as possible before the workshop starts.
To secure your spot in this workshop, go to the registration page and follow the simple instructions. We require a $200 non-refundable deposit per person, which can be paid with a check or money order. The balance is due at the time of the workshop and can be paid on site in cash or with a check or money-order. Once we receive your deposit we will send you more information about how to get to the site and how to prepare for your workshop. Workshops tend to fill up quickly; don’t wait too long to sign up! Register now!
Almost without exception, children and youth have enjoyed being a part of our workshops. Our youngest participant was 6 months old at the time! Depending on their age and interest, kids build, listen and observe, play with the sand and clay, read, etc. They often also team up with other kids on the homestead. We see a lot of good in exposing your children to natural building and community living and like to think that we can make a difference in the way they see life. This is also a great way to enjoy the workshop as a family and to prepare your family for being at a building site together. Needless to say that you will lose some workshop time while you are attending to the needs of your child; We can not provide day care for you. The cost for children is: 0- 4 years old: Free (we are counting on you bringing breast milk and or baby food) 4 – 12 years old: $20 per day (just covering our food and infrastructure cost) 13 – 17 years old: half price. These prices may not apply to all workshops. Please check with us in order to make special arrangements. We want to make it possible for you!