Natural Building Workshops

​There is nothing more satisfying than building something with your own two hands. Modern building styles leave little room for the self built home. However, using age old techniques employing natural materials it is possible to construct your own home with your own two hands from materials plentifully available in nature. Examples of these types of homes old and new can be found all over the world and up until the last 100 years this was the standard of building.   Earth, stone, wood, straw - this is what you use to build a home. 

We are passionate about building in harmony with nature. Living on Ometepe, our environment dictates the materials we use. Rocks abound on our property, so we have dry stack rock foundations. Our soil contains a lot of clay, our neighbors grow rice and produce straw as a by product, so we build with cob. Bamboo grows plentifully so we work with bamboo both structurally and for finishing work. We source all our materials from here on the island and hope with time to be able to provide more from directly of the property. ​

For seven years we have been learning how to build in the tropics. Trevor has applied his background in Engineering to tackle challenges big and small that we've encountered along the way. We've explored bamboo, cob walls, earth plaster, adobe floors, earthen mortar, lime mortar, lime plaster, natural paint, natural roofs, composting toilet systems, cob ovens and more. We want to share the knowledge we have gained to enable others to lead a more natural life in a harmonious home.   ​

We offer a series of natural building workshops that enable you to learn the skills you need to build your own natural home.

2021 Natural Building Workshop Schedule

Ten Day Natural Building Workshop
​Outdoor Kitchen Build
15 March - 25 March 2021
Cost
$1,000 Visitors
$800 Foreign nationals living in Central America
$600 centro americanos

Enjoy 10 days with us learning the ins and outs of working with cob. This workshop will focus on rebuilding our outdoor kitchen. We intend to rebuild our cob oven, enclose our smoke box in earth and construct a rocket stove/heat bench. There will plenty of opportunities to get your hands (and feet) dirty in the mornings and afternoons will be spent in the classroom exploring the technicalities and philosophies of natural building.

Ten Day Natural Building Workshop
Sculpture and Plasters Workshop
​22 May - 1 June 2021
​Cost
$1,000 Visitors
$800 Foreign nationals living in Central America
$600 centro americanos

Enjoy 10 days with us learning the ins and outs of working with natural finishes. This workshop will focus on sculpting and plastering our outdoor kitchen. You will have the opportunity to explore your artistic side as we sculpt, plaster and paint our new kitchen. Learn about earthen and lime plasters and how to make your own paint. There will plenty of opportunities to get your hands (and feet) dirty in the mornings and afternoons will be spent in the classroom exploring the technicalities and philosophies of natural plasters and paints.

​Workshop prices include food, lodging, instruction and course materials. Standard accommodation is provide in our dormitory. While you are with us you have access to our kayaks and SUPs. For upgrades to our private rooms or home-stay options please contact us directly at [email protected]

If you are interested in the project but think you might like to stay longer with us check out our internships. We do offer discounts for longer stays. ​

In addition to the costs please budget for any additional expense you may incur during your stay with us. We offer alcoholic beverages, guided tours and bicycle rentals at an additional cost. Transportation costs are not included. ​

In order to guarantee your place a 50 % non-refundable deposit through paypal is required. ​