Intro to Strawbale Building
Intro to Strawbale Building Workshop
This 2-day introductory strawbale course is great for those who are curious and want an accessible overview of our strawbale building method. It is also ideal for builders and contractors who have experience with conventional foundations and roofing systems and would like to learn the strawbale components.
Over the years we have evolved a unique hybrid system that combines “load-bearing” or compressed bale walls with other structural supports such as window and door bucks, and external pins to stop and control the compression. It is an effective, practical, and flexible system. With a few simple modifications it can also be used to work with in-fill system. It has also been honed-in to work well with clay plasters.
For examples see our many strawbale buildings at Canelo.
This workshop will cover the following:
- Stacking Bale walls
- Creating partial bales
- Tying corner bales and exterior pins
- Compressing bales with threaded rods and top plate
- Demo of plastering bales with a high-fibered sculptural clay plaster
We will dismantle and re-build a small strawbale demonstration structure onsite at Canelo.
- Dates: This is a 2-day course that begins at 9am, Saturday March 29, and ends 5pm, Sunday March 30. Participants are welcome to stay the previous evening, Friday 28, and the evening of Sunday 30 also.
- Meals: Homecooked meals (breakfast, lunch & dinner) will be provided both days and are included in workshop price.
- Accommodations: Camping and beds in our bunkroom are available and included in the worshop. We have a few private rooms available for an extra cost.
- Deposit: A $400 deposit is required to register for this workshop
Read more as you register on our General Workshop Info
Workshop Syllabus
Day ONE
Day TWO
Day ONE
- Bale Basics: Where to locate bales, How to modify bales, How to Measure bales.
- Compression Test: Figure out how much bales will compress to get measurements for Window and Door bucks as well as for bamboo pinning.
- Stack Bale walls and learn corner tying knot.
- Cut Bamboo pins and tie them onto surface of bale walls.
Day TWO
- Continue stacking bales
- Discuss top plate and place on top of bale walls.
- Compression using threaded rods.
- Clay base coat demo
