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Basics of Cob Building 7 day intensive workshop

23rd-29th June 2009

Inspire yourself and tantalise your senses during a week connecting with the earth at a beautiful rural location in Scotland. During the week you will discover how it’s possible to use the ground beneath your feet to sculpt your own cob building!

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Title : Basics of Cob Building 7 day workshop.

Date : 23rd-29th June 2009

Location : Morayshire, Scotland

Cost : £505/ £460 concession (including food and camping).


Course details

Inspire yourself and tantalise your senses during a week connecting with the earth at a beautiful rural location in Scotland. During the week you will discover how it’s possible to use the ground beneath your feet to sculpt your own cob building!


Objectives

A one-week intensive course, which will inspire and amaze you. This is an intensive practical and theoretical course; expect long days of hands-on work with short theory sessions. Also you can expect good company, hearty vegetarian food and time to relax and explore the beautiful surroundings soak up the sunshine and absorb what you have learned.


During the week you will be helping to sculpt a small building with stone foundation, cob walls and roundpole timber living roof, the structure will be completed with lime and earth plasters . You should leave the course with all the skills necessary to begin a small earth-building project of your own.

Practical sessions will cover:

• The location and testing of suitable materials.
  
  
• Mixing cob successfully by foot and using machinery. How to adapt your mixes to suit the conditions and elements in the design.
  
  
• Sculpting with cob/ How to create free flowing forms, integrated niches and decoration
  
  
• Different techniques of building and trimming walls, both freeform and using forms.
  
  
• Learning different techniques of building and trimming walls both freeform and using forms.
  
  
• How to incorporate windows, doors and services into cob buildings.
  
  
• Cob and carpentry, creating suitable roof designs for your cob structure.

Theory/design sessions will include:

• Using our site as an example, how to assess your site and build holistically, taking into consideration passive solar design, drainage, natural features, flora and fauna.
  
  
• The design of cob buildings. How to sculpt spaces that reflect your needs.
  
  
• How other sustainable building techniques such as straw bale, light straw clay and round pole timber frame can be used in conjunction with cob to create hybrid designs.
  
  
• Cob buildings, planning permission and building regulations.
  
  
• Natural floors, paints and other finishes.
  
  
• The practical and environmental benefits of cob building.
  
  
• A brief introduction to the philosophy and history of cob and other natural building methods.

During the week there will be a trip to the local village for a tour of vernacular structures made from clay and bool (cob and stone). One evening there will be a visual presentation of cob from around the world, from the functional to the fantastic. Magical and inspiring buildings to fire your imagination. There will also be a storytelling night and ceilidh. You will have a day off mid week to explore the area.

About the land
Marcassie Farm project is set in a beautiful 40 acre site in Morayshire near the transition town of Forres and the beautiful Findhorn river. Marcassie hosts a collective of families, bees, hens, organic garden, field crops, tree nursery, a pond, a ‘sustainable’ sawmill and timber fabrication business, a rebuilt lime rendered farmhouse, barns and a variety of funky outbuildings; as well as badgers, birdsong and big vision.


“Morayshire is blessed with a unique sunny microclimate and a distinct lack of the midge.�


Our vision is to create a centre of excellence that brings together on a small, human and replicable scale the creation and production of the products, services and activities which are essential to human survival, right human relations and service to the whole.

We are committed to achieving this in three ways:

• Provide practical, experientially based education in self-empowering, life-enhancing, sustainable practices which honour the true value of the human and natural resources they involve
  
  
• Provide opportunities for re-connecting physically and consciously with the natural environment through working with the land and/or through physical activities involving natural laws, materials, rhythms and cycles
  
  
• Inspire and re-connect people with themselves, with each other, with their environment; re-kindle a sense of belonging, meaning, context .
  
  Working with Earthed, Cob and YOU in this way matches two of our aims of Endeavor …Education – in practical skills training & apprenticeships and Empowerment – through education & skills training on a level & at a scale which is appropriate, human & achievable .
  
  
  The surrounding area
  There is plenty to see and do in the surrounding area if you're thinking of extending your stay and also during any time off during the workshop:
  
  
  
  • Trips to Findhorn river or sea for swims and take in the fruit of the local forests.
    
    
  • Tour of local Eco-villiage the ‘Findhorn Community’.
    
    
  • Choice of three excellent “Slow food’ café/ restaurants.
    
    
  • Visit to Spey bay for Whale and Dolphin watching.
    
    
  • Cairngorm national park is one hours drive away.
    
    
  • Access to local mountain bike trails.
    
    
  • Many good walks on private estates and other rights of way within walking distance of site. ul>
    
    How to get there
    
    Full directions by bicycle, public transport and car will be sent to you when you book. To encourage cycling, public transport and car-sharing, there will be a levy of £5 for every car. This money will be used to plant a tree on the land.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    Accommodation
    
    Accommodation will be camping (with very nice views!)and for those of you who are less inclined to the camping life and who wish to pay extra,there is the possibility of renting one of the 2-3 huts available or staying in the luxury B and B guest accommodation on site (contact will be added shortly). We do recommend you try stay on site to enjoy the full experience of the workshop and the land.
    
  
  
  
  Facilities
  There is an enclosed ‘bucket’ compost loo close to site and camping field with cold water spigot outside. Basic hot shower and washing facilities will also be available during the week. There is a hot tub available every night for £3 3 miles away at the Findhorn foundation as well as 3 local saunas. There will be a heated 18 foot diameter Yurt for people to retreat to during time off and a dedicated kitchen and eating area.
  
  Children are welcome to participate but under 16s must be accompanied by an adult. There are no childcare facilities available on site.
  
  

Food

An on-site chef will be providing hearty vegetarian meals with vegan options (please inform us a.s.a.p if you have any special dietary requirements).




Schedule

We will expect participants to arrive the evening of 22nd June, by 6 p.m for a hearty meal at 7p.m and introductions. Your days will start at 9.00 a.m and finish at 5.00 p.m. The workshop will finish early evening of 29th June and departure will be either that evening or the following morning. There will be a day off in the middle of the week to explore the local area, spend time reading the array of natural building books on display or to unwind and relax.




What to bring

Pen/pencil and notebook, camera, work clothes or overalls, boots/wellies, warm clothing, waterproofs, torch, money for the pub!




Instructors

Alan Cameron-Duff and Annabel Fawcus apprenticed with Cob Cottage Company, the inspiration for thousands of natural builders around the world. They were so inspired they went on to build many cob structures in the UK, America and New Zealand and set up their own business Earthed here in Britain to enable others to access there own creative potential and inspire people to build using sustainable materials.




Booking

Please book directly through Earthed. Tel: 07917361580 Email: info@earthedworld.co.uk

Please then complete and send us a booking form with deposit to secure a place on the course. We will then confirm your booking, sending you detailed directions and information about what to bring etc.

There are 15 places available so please book as soon as possible.


Click here for a printable booking form