2010 Workshops
| Weekend Workshop April 2 – April 3 Friday-Saturday Only |
Hand-Sculpted Whimsical Walls Learn the basics behind mixing and building with cob. We will spend most of the weekend getting muddy at our cob mixing site, learning how to make an appropriate mix out of the most local materials. |
| Weekend Workshop April 9 – April 11 |
Drainage Foundation Workshop Familiarize yourself with the concepts behind a rubble trench foundation. On Friday night, you will see a photo presentation documenting the digging of the foundation trench. Over the weekend, experience hands-on work as we do flow-testing on the trench, lay gravel, install drain-pipe, and ready the foundation for the masonry stemwall that will be built on top of it. Additional presentations will cover design of drainage systems, and a look at additional types of drainage/foundation systems other than the rubble trench. There will also be an option to spend an hour or two working with cob on the Hand-Sculpted Whimisical Walls. |
| Weekend Workshop April 16 – April 18 |
Constructing the Foundation Stemwall Arguably the most important part of a structure is its foundation. For a material like cob, the foundation is especially important because there is no going back to fix it once tons and tons of material is sitting on top of it – it must be done right the first time.Our Friday night presentation will cover the design of our masonry stemwall. Over the weekend, students will get hands-on work laying a combination of stone, concrete block, and urbanite in mortar. Additional presentations will cover the pros and cons of a dry-stacked stone foundation, and a slideshow of other types of foundations. There will also be an option to spend an hour or two working with cob on the Hand-Sculpted Whimisical Walls. |
| Weekend Workshop April 23 – April 25 |
All About Cob #1 – From Stemwall to Cob Learn the basics behind mixing and building with cob. We will spend most of the weekend getting muddy at our cob mixing site, learning how to make an appropriate mix out of the most local materials. We will be applying the first cob to the structure, and so will be talking about how to make a structurally sound transition between the stemwall and the cob wall. Presentations will cover all of what has happened on the cottage up to this point (excavation, drainage trench, foundation wall, etc…). |
| Weekend Workshop April 30 – May 2 |
All About Cob #2 Learn the basics behind mixing and building with cob. We will spend most of the weekend getting muddy at our cob mixing site, learning how to make an appropriate mix out of the most local materials. This is the second cob workshop, so we will be applying cob a couple feet up the wall, and beginning to integrate windows into our walls, as well as built-in interior shelving. Presentations will cover all of what has happened on the cottage up to this point (excavation, drainage trench, foundation wall, etc…). |
| 8-Day Workshop May 8 – May 15 |
All About Cob #3 – Cobbing and Windows and Doors This is an 8-day, intensive cob workshop. We will be learning not only the basics of mixing and building with cob, but will be studying how to integrate windows, and a door frame into the building. Students will build a cob archway, and will get the opportunity for sculpting shelving and niches in the interior of the building. There will be presentations and exercises throughout the week covering passive solar design, model-making, general house design, picking out the right site, how to utilize inexpensive/repurposed materials, and a photo slideshow covering the entire start-to-finish process of a cob cottage in Carrboro. If time permits, we will get a half day’s experience in earthen plaster, and will talk about the design for the green roof. You will leave the workshop with enough knowledge and experience to build your own cob cottage. |
| Weekend Workshop May 21 – May 23 |
All About Cob #4 – Cobbing to the Roof Learn the basics behind mixing and building with cob. We will spend most of the weekend getting muddy at our cob mixing site, learning how to make an appropriate mix out of the most local materials. This is the fourth cob workshop, so we will be applying the last of the cob, with consideration of how the roof structure will integrate into the wall. Presentations will cover all of what has happened on the cottage up to this point. |
| Weekend Workshop May 28 – May 30 |
Laying Earthen Floors (sub-floor) Learn about all the layers of an earthen floor, and how to apply them. Students will get hands-on experience in laying the first two (of three) layers of the floor – how to make the mix, and how to pour/level it. Because the sub-floor then needs to dry for a number of weeks, we will not be laying the finish layer. Instead, a photo presentation will cover how to lay the finish floor layers. We will look into the pros and cons of an earthen floor, as it compares to other floor systems. |
| Weekend Workshop June 4 – June 6 |
Creating a Living Roof Equally as important for a house as the foundation is the roof. Get hands-on experience in installing a low-cost, living (green) roof. The Friday night presentation will cover the basic concepts behind a green roof (pros and cons), as well as an introduction to design of the one we will be building over the weekend. We will talk about the different types of living roofs, as well as the appropriate types of plants to use on your future roof. There will also be an option to spend an hour or two working with cob on the Hand-Sculpted Whimisical Walls. |
| 1-Day Workshops October 16 |
Plastering the Interior Naturally Come join us for the plastering of the inside of the building! We will be using an earthen plaster, consisting of clay, sand, and fiber. Not only will the walls be plastered, but we are experimenting with an earthen plaster ceiling in the mudroom. Time permitting, we will additionally play around with a plaster mural. Learn how to mix and apply, both with hands and tools. |
| 1-Day Workshop October 23 |
Finishing the Earthen Floor Come learn how to pour an adobe floor in a cob building. We will cover the mixing technique as well as techniques for application. The subfloor was poured in June, and has been drying since, so the hands-on portion of the workshop will cover the final two layers. A presentation will be given about preservations techniques that will later be used to make the floor more durable (oils and waxes). |
| 1-Day Workshop October 24 |
Plastering the Exterior Naturally Help us plaster the outside of the building! We will learn the techniques of applying an earthen plaster over cob as well as strawbales. We will learn how to mix the plaster, including ideas for alternate recipes. The aesthetic of the cottage will be completely altered in just one day. |
October 16
Come join us for the plastering of the inside of the building! We will be using an earthen plaster, consisting of clay, sand, and fiber. Not only will the walls be plastered, but we are experimenting with an earthen plaster ceiling in the mudroom. Time permitting, we will additionally play around with a plaster mural. Learn how to mix and apply, both with hands and tools.
| 1-Day Workshop October 23 |
Finishing the Earthen Floor Come learn how to pour an adobe floor in a cob building. We will cover the mixing technique as well as techniques for application. The subfloor was poured in June, and has been drying since, so the hands-on portion of the workshop will cover the final two layers. A presentation will be given about preservations techniques that will later be used to make the floor more durable (oils and waxes). |
| 1-Day Workshop October 24 |
Plastering the Exterior Naturally Help us plaster the outside of the building! We will learn the techniques of applying an earthen plaster over cob as well as strawbales. We will learn how to mix the plaster, including ideas for alternate recipes. The aesthetic of the cottage will be completely altered in just one day. |