Here is our complete 2017 Fast Cob Workshop Schedule:
- May 20, 21, 22 - Cob Oven and Bench Long Weekend Workshop in Nanoose Bay ***
- July/August *** Kiddie Kob! Family Fun making Cob, Jam, and Art - RSVP only ***
- August 19-26 - All the Basics: Fast Cob! from the Ground Up *** 4 spots remain
- September 16-23 - Learning to Live Off-the-Grid with Fast Cob! *** 3 spots remain
- NEW! Build Yer Own Workshop! - Choose your dates and focus (see below)
Bonus: You can take 10% off our regular workshop price if you travel carbon-free to the workshop on Lasqueti Island.
All 3 workshops were a success in 2016...thanks to all who participated and contributed your amazing energy and interest in Natural Building and for walking more gently on our beautiful planet.
To sign up for a scheduled workshop (click here ONLY for the May 20, 21, 22 Cob Oven and Bench), or to create a new one, simply fill in the application form at the bottom of this page...
Our week long workshop offerings...
Beginning on a Saturday evening for dinner, and ending on the following Saturday with breakfast, we continue our 10 year tradition of hosting Natural Building and Living Workshops.
The focus of each Fast Cob! workshop will include:
Natural Building Design: working with nature to make long lasting, beautiful structures;
Fast Cob: how to mix it and build with it, incorporating windows and doors, electrical and plumbing;
Roofs: options and design;
Finishing Natural Buildings: learn how to make and use a natural plaster that is easy to work with.
The focus of each Fast Cob! workshop will include:
Natural Building Design: working with nature to make long lasting, beautiful structures;
Fast Cob: how to mix it and build with it, incorporating windows and doors, electrical and plumbing;
Roofs: options and design;
Finishing Natural Buildings: learn how to make and use a natural plaster that is easy to work with.
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Depending upon the workshop you choose, you'll take away a different set of skills, but everyone will be encouraged to enjoy every single moment!
Covering all the Basics: At a relaxed pace, we'll learn and practice mixing and building with Fast Cob! As the week progresses, you'll gain the skills and inspiration to build your own structures. In between hands-on Fast Cob! sessions, we'll look at foundations, electrical, plumbing, upper floors, roofs, and general design. Everything you need to go off and start building on your own! Focusing on Finishing: we start with trimming and filling cob walls, then make our own mixes of natural plaster using clay and cow manure. We'll have fun experimenting with texture and see the difference between a base layer and a finish layer of plaster. A natural paint will top it all off. Come and let your creative side have fun! Learning to Live Off-the-Grid: Fast Cob! will give you the tools to create shelter, but we'll also look at many ways to collect rainwater, use greywater, create a garden site and forage wild foods. All systems we will look at are created and maintained without fossil fuels, using only human, solar, and micro-hydro power. And every day we'll create our own off-the-grid dinner using fresh, local ingredients cooked in a solar and/or cob oven...yum! Build Yer Own Workshop: Choose from any of the above options and tweak them (or not) to meet your specific needs. Best of all, you choose the dates of your workshop! And since you're setting the date, you're guaranteed the first spot! Saturday to Saturday works best with our ferry schedule, but if you need another start day, just ask. Kiddie Kob!: Family Fun making smaller Fast Cob! structures, making jams and other preserves, going to Lasqueti's Art Picnic, and of course, swimming in Mud Bay! When we venture out of our little paradise, we'll ride bikes and pull trailers on quiet unpaved roads with our two little dogs running alongside us. The dates for these workshops are flexible, so just send in your preferred dates and we'll make the magic happen! |
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Travel days to get to and from the workshops are Saturdays: we’ll begin with a welcoming, wholesome dinner the first evening and end with a farewell breakfast will fuel your return to the ferry dock the following Saturday morning. Every workshop day, we start with a meditative building session, followed by a hot, hearty breakfast. Two longer hands-on learning sessions sandwich a hot vegetarian lunch. Two snack breaks make sure we have the strength and stamina to absorb all the learning we can. |
Most evenings, after a delicious dinner, we’ll have a discussion or mini-workshop on related activities, from ecologically-sensitive transportation to building a roof with cedar shakes.
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Remember, human-powered building is hard work. But since there are no machines or motors on site, it is a safe and quiet place for anyone, younger or older, and interesting conversation and laughter is common. This building site, and the materials for this building, were selected to make it as easy as possible to build an earthen structure.
The pace is casual but determined; the more effort you give, the more learning you will take away. Natural Building is at least 95% experiential learning and you will be expected to self-motivate throughout the 5 daily (2 for Off-the-Grid) scheduled sessions. |
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The cost of these 6 day workshops is $997 which covers all meals (3 hot vegan/vegetarian meals prepared for you for 6 days, plus a welcoming dinner and a good-bye breakfast), on-site camping with running water, and hands-on instruction. We use locally-grown, organic ingredients wherever possible.
Any two people who register together receive a $200 discount (i.e., $1,794 for two spots). Previous participants receive $250 off each workshop.
A person is considered registered and a spot in your choice of workshop is held for you ONLY after an application is submitted and a non-refundable deposit of $250 is paid.
Although extremely rare, sometimes powers greater than our own prevent us from doing what we planned. If you find yourself unable to attend the workshop you've registered for, here is our cancellation policy: more than a month's notice, 100% refund minus the non-refundable deposit; 1 month to 2 weeks notice, 50% refund; 2 weeks or less notice, no refund.
Obviously, please let us know if you have to cancel, and we'll do everything we can to help you recover the non-refundable costs of the workshop. We run these workshops on a very tight shoestring, so we simply can't give full refunds at the last minute and continue to offer the workshops. We hope you will understand.
Please also note that women and families are especially encouraged to apply. Barters or trades are always considered.
Any two people who register together receive a $200 discount (i.e., $1,794 for two spots). Previous participants receive $250 off each workshop.
A person is considered registered and a spot in your choice of workshop is held for you ONLY after an application is submitted and a non-refundable deposit of $250 is paid.
Although extremely rare, sometimes powers greater than our own prevent us from doing what we planned. If you find yourself unable to attend the workshop you've registered for, here is our cancellation policy: more than a month's notice, 100% refund minus the non-refundable deposit; 1 month to 2 weeks notice, 50% refund; 2 weeks or less notice, no refund.
Obviously, please let us know if you have to cancel, and we'll do everything we can to help you recover the non-refundable costs of the workshop. We run these workshops on a very tight shoestring, so we simply can't give full refunds at the last minute and continue to offer the workshops. We hope you will understand.
Please also note that women and families are especially encouraged to apply. Barters or trades are always considered.
What else makes these courses special?
- You will see firsthand how humans can build with what nature provides, without destroying the beauty that is offered.
- You’ll also have many opportunities to master making cob itself, modifying the "traditional west coast" method so that you can mix up to 10 times faster!
- Using “the brick” method, you'll learn how we get our walls up as much as 30x faster! Building 3 foot walls in a day is now possible!
- Not only will you learn how to build naturally and affordably, you’ll learn how to do it efficiently enough to be empowered to build on your own and keep your community of builders interested and inspired to keep building with you.
Here's some feedback that we've received from previous workshop participants:
"The best thing that happened is I really feel able to build my own cob house!!!!" – Christine
"Wonderful, challenging, thought-provoking, exhausting, delicious, green, delightful in every way." – Danielle
"I know what physical effort it would take to build a cob structure, I also know how to build cob structure, and where to find the materials and test them." – Robert
"Overall, my experience at the workshop was empowering and a wonderful learning experience in natural building and collaboration. The workshop is unique in being tailored to individuals, encouraging them to envision their own projects, as well as providing an exercise in cooperation through various cob techniques. It was incredibly inspiring to see the cob walls growing up around us throughout the week, a physical manifestation of our joint efforts and collaboration. The workshop was really interactive, and was not only limited to building with cob, but was also an exercise in healthy lifestyle, from great food to open spaces for questions and discussion and learning about sustainable living in multiple areas of your life. It is unbelievably empowering to think that I can design and build my own house the way I want, and actively do this while building community and not going into debt!" – Libby
"Overall a really amazing week. I didn't expect to learn so much in one week, I really think I would have the confidence to start my own cob building project...really beautiful camp site in the 'burbs'" – Claire
"Instruction was excellent. Dave knows and lives cob and this is evident in his responses to questions posed by workshop attendees. His approach is knowlegable and professional in a gentle, patient and accepting manner. Dave is clear he still learns something new every day he cobs and welcomes new ideas and approaches toward cobbing. He believes we all bring something new to the table and is genuinely excited (in his calm way of course!) when we have a suggestion or idea which makes an aspect of the cob process easier."
– Rick
"You always had thoughtful and insightful answers to any of my questions...I liked how the pace was determined by the participants."–Andrew
“I enjoyed how you let us experiment and fail and learn on the fly.” – Luke
“It was empowering! I really feel like in a short week like I can get going on building my own cob house!” – Jodi
“Transformative and empowering!” – Kate
“Very instructive and hands-on.” – Matt
“You have no idea how excited I am that I now pretty much know how to build a house out of dirt.” – Kate
“Learning what we needed to know as we put it to practical use rather than spending a lot of time on theory was a useful approach for me.” – Terry
Our workshop facilitator - Appa Dave
Dave Olsen completed a cob workshop led by Ianto Evans in 1996 and has had mud (and sourdough) on his hands ever since. He began hosting Natural Building workshops in 2007, began instructing the revolutionary "Fast Cob" mixing and building methods in 2009, and turned 50 in 2013. Based on off-the-grid Lasqueti Island, he also hosts an apprenticeship that goes well beyond Natural Building, helping people develop responsible and environmentally sustainable lifestyles with enjoyment and ease. Dave has been very fortunate to have worked with many of the leading cob builders of our time and to have a dynamic, cob- and bicycle-loving daughter (and dogs!).
How to apply...
To receive an application form, just email Dave: cob at lasqueti dot ca
Here’s hoping you can Experience the Beauty of Natural Building and Fast Cob soon!
