We recently wrapped up our September Natural Building Essentials Workshop. Fourteen folks came out to participate, traveling from Texas, Florida, Kansas, Illinois, and beyond. It was an enjoyable ephemeral community for the week — everyone was eager to jump in the mud and help out. I enjoy this workshop format because it’s a chance to spend some quality time with the basic building blocks of a natural home — clay, sand, and straw.
Read ahead to view a photo gallery of the workshop!
Our friend Dan Durica of Hardcore Sustainable visited us here at home in Berea, Kentucky earlier in the spring. While he was here, April gave him a tour of the off-grid straw bale house we helped friends design and build during our first two years living in the area. Dan whipped up a video tour of the house in progress, which you can watch above.
Hi there, I’m Ziggy. In 2008, I launched The Year of Mud while building my first natural home. This website is a collection of personal stories and experiences building with clay, straw, and wood over the past 15+ years. A few of the things that get me fired up are natural plasters, timber framing, & Japanese architecture. In 2012, we started offering Natural Building Workshops, so you can learn essential hands-on skills to build your own natural home.
