May 20 – 22, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas

Compressed Earth Blocks (CEB), which are similar to adobes, are one of the most versatile and expedient ways to build beautiful, natural, high-mass, earthen walls. And the perfect way to finish these walls is with rich plasters of earth and lime.

Coming to the San Antonio, Texas, area in May, is a three-day workshop opportunity to learn all about CEB construction as well as lime and earthen plasters. Professionals from  Instituto Tierra y Cal in San Miguel de Allende, México, and Advanced Earthen Construction Technologies earth block construction, will guide you through the process step by step.

For details, visit the calendar on  Tierra y Cal’s website.

A One-Day Design~Build~Live Workshop

Saturday, March 13, 2010, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Instructors: Kirby Fry, Southern Exposure and Gayle Borst, Stewardship, Inc.

Location: North Central Austin, Texas

Fee: $75 ($67.50 for DBL Partners) – Register HERE; Limited spaces (Registration closes at 5pm on Friday, March 12)

Experience Level: Beginner to Intermediate

So, you want to transform your urban or rural homestead into a productive, sustainable Permaculture landscape. You may have read the books and gone to lectures, but how do you start to DO it?! This workshop is designed to teach by doing as we begin taking a Permaculture site design into the reality phase.

Using a site plan developed for an existing central Austin homestead, we will discuss and build various Permaculture basics, including:

• Site-specific master planning & site design
• Importance of dealing with water flows
• Material selection and sources
• How to construct berms, swales and paths

The project is the first phase in the implementation of a Permaculture site design for an existing home and proposed cob cottage. Owners Mina Loomis and Robert Norris continue to “green” their 1930s Rosedale homestead.

The instructor, Kirby Fry, studied Permaculture under the original master, Bill Mollison, then went on to become a Permaculture teacher and design consultant.   In addition, he has over 15 years of experience as a building contractor, including natural building.  Kirby studied Natural Resource Conservation at Texas A & M University, served in U.S. Peace Corps – Guatemala.

Assisting Kirby will be Austin architect and DBL Director, Gayle Borst. Gayle worked with Mina to develop the site design from which we will be working.

Fee for the workshop is $75 (Partners: $67.50) and includes a healthy vegetarian lunch and all necessary workshop materials and tools. Water, tea and snacks will also be provided. Enrollment is limited to twenty-five people. For questions contact Gayle at 512-478-9033.

Registration required. To register, click HERE. If you don’t already have a DBL account, you will be asked to create an account. Once you have created an account and are logged in, select “Current Events” from the “What would you like to do?” pull down menu. An acknowledgment will be emailed to you automatically upon registration, along with the project address.

Saturday, February 27, 2010, 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

Instructor: Kindra Welch, ClaySandStraw

Learn how to transform average, nondescript drywall walls into luscious, artful, healthful, natural surfaces.

Whether you live in an existing frame home or plan to participate in the building of a new home, you may have some drywall (“sheetrock”) wallboard that needs finishing or refinishing. Or perhaps you want to enliven a room with a single, special accent wall – Earth plaster is a great do-it-yourself alternative to paint. Earthen plasters of various colors and textures can be used to create wall finishes that look and “feel” wonderful and are completely nontoxic.

During this workshop you will learn how to:

• Select materials (clay, sand, pigments, additives)
• Mix and apply an adhesion coat
• Apply earth plaster to new drywall
• Apply earth plaster to old drywall
• Create a non-dusting finish

The project is the plastering of kitchen and living room walls in a 1958 frame house that Martina has been “greening up” since last February. Each room is to receive a different type of earth plaster, so we will be learning at least two mixes and applying them to two different types of surfaces.

The instructor, Kindra Welch, trained in architecture at Rice University, later completed an apprenticeship at the Cob Cottage Company and went on to establish herself as a respected designer/builder/educator in the natural building world. She and husband John work their magic as ClaySandStraw.

The fee for the workshop includes a healthy vegetarian lunch and all necessary workshop materials and tools. Water, tea and snacks will also be provided. Enrollment is limited to fifteen people.

To register, click HERE. ***WORKSHOP IS FULL, BUT PROCEED IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE ADDED TO THE WAITING LIST***

For questions, contact Gayle through “Contact Us” or 512-478-9033.

A Design~Build~Live Special Event

Thursday, November 5, 2009, 6:30 – 8:30 pm

Earthen Plaster Presentation and Book Signing by Carole Crews of Taos, New Mexico

Carole Crews, is an artist, author, natural builder, and plaster guru who has worked with mud and finishes for earthen buildings professionally for 25 years. She specializes in aliz (clay slip finish), historic restoration and making art from simple materials. Copies of Carole’s much-anticipated book will be available for sale and signing. Visit Carole’s website for more info on the author/artist/artisan and photos of her work.

Hosted by: Stanley Architects and Artisans (Watch for a future DBL site visit to Lauren and Lars Stanley’s permaculture homestead featuring a green roof and rainwater harvesting)

Location: 1901 E.M. Franklin Ave., Austin, Texas  78723

Note: The venue is on the northeast corner of MLK and E.M. Franklin. Please park on E.M. Franklin and enter the site via the gate near MLK. We will meet in the studio that fronts on MLK. Seating may be limited, so please bring a folding chair if you can.

Saturday, March 14, 2009 – 10:30 am to Noon

Cheap Rainwater Harvesting

Presented by: Dr. Jody Grenga

Sunset Valley Cit Hall, 3205 Jones Road (across the road from Toney Burger Stadium)

Free (Suggested $15 donation goes to Ariel Permaculture House

Would you like to learn HOW to install an ”EL-CHEAP-O” rainwater catchment system & be able to¬†DRINK rainwater without spending $12,000.00? For more information and for advanced reservations, call 512-423-1050 or email at yogaflow@swbell.net. Website: www.docjody.com

Saturday, March 7, 9:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Instructor: Tempe Sikora of Rarest Bloom

North Central Austin Residence

Fee: $75, including lunch; Registration required

Learn how to mix and apply beautiful clay plaster finish coats to interior walls and ceilings. These earthen plasters bring an amazing look, feel and sound to a room.

Details and registration can be found HERE

Or contact Gayle through “Contact Us” or 512-478-9033.

In some cases a single finish coat can be applied to a wall, but in most cases two to three coats are required. This workshop starts with step one in the plastering process, the first coat, or “scratch” coat. Participants will learn how to mix and apply a basecoat of earth, sand and chopped straw, in preparation for the finish coat(s). Sources and selection of materials, and how to prepare wall and ceiling surfaces will also be covered.

We will apply this basecoat to interior light-clay walls and over an existing damaged ceiling at a home in north-central Austin. Techniques and skills learned could also be applied to the plastering of other types of surfaces, such as straw bales, cob, earth blocks and more. Subsequent workshops at this location will cover earthen plaster finish coats and earthen floor construction.

The instructor will be Gayle Borst, director of Design~Build~Live and a consulting architect in sustainable design. Fee for the workshop is $75 and includes a healthy vegetarian lunch and all necessary workshop materials and tools. Water, coffee and tea will also be provided. Enrollment is limited to six people – Please register immediately. Workshop location and details will be provided to registrants.

Register Here. For more information contact Gayle: gayle@designbuildlive.org or 512-478-9033