Build & Learn Project:
Cob Building outside Ashland, Oregon
May 11 - June 30, about 30 minutes outside Ashland OR
Fee to cover food and camping: $30/day
Participate between 3-10 days. We have space for 5 participants at any one time.
Build leaders: Conrad Rogue, Sarah Fitch and Kyle Isackson
Overview
This is a "learn by doing" experience, where you will work under the guidance of an experienced builder to help a family with their building goals. It is different from our comprehensive workshops; please read the general description of our Build & Learn projects so you know what to expect.
What you will learn
You will learn by doing as you work under the guidance of an experienced builder. You will receive instruction in all techniques needed to work on the project, no prior experience is necessary.
We will be working on a 2-room cob cabin. It will feature a loft, a small kitchen, a bathtub and a composting toilet. We will install electrical lines and plumbing as well.
During the months of May and April we will be mostly raising the walls, some of them 12 feet high (for the loft). We also hope to install part of the roof during this time.
For building techniques we will be mostly using cob, as well as some bale-cob and some light straw-clay. You can expect to become comfortable in building with cob during your participation. This will include finding and mixing the right materials, building strong, structural walls, putting in windows and doors, doing sculptural work, attaching roof anchors and site and building management.
The daily schedule
We will work about 7 hours per day. All meals will be provided.
(Subject to change…)
8:00 Breakfast
9:00-1:00 Morning building session
1:00 Lunch
3:00 - 6:00 Afternoon building session
7:00 Dinner
After dinner there will be time for conversation, campfires, music making, and informal building discussions.
About the site
The building takes place at the homestead of a local family, in the hills about 30 minutes south-east of Ashland Oregon. The land is dotted with oaks, pines and doug-firs, has a year-round creek and several houses/barns. It's has beautiful hiking trails and is very quiet. There is no cell phone reception (but there is some WiFi for staying in touch)
This time of the year the weather tends to be mild and pleasant, although rain is a possibility. Please bring clothes that can get muddy and will be good for both hot weather as well as cooler days.
Bringing kids
We welcome participants of all ages. Children have often been a welcome addition to our group and have participated in the building process at different levels, depending on their age and interest.
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Children age 0-3 can come along for free
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ages 4-12 the fee is $10/day
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ages 13-17 the fee is $20/day
Registration
Because we limit the number of participants in the program, pre-registration and payment is required. Fill in the form below, indicate which dates you would like to attend (from 3 to 10) and we will email you back more information about space availability and how to submit your payment.
Please contact Conrad with any questions about this project. We hope to see you in Oregon!