Japanese Plastering with Earth & Lime
Japanese Plastering with Earth & Lime
WITH KYLE HOLZHEUTER
A 6-day workshop teaching traditional Japanese methods of wall-building and plastering, using earthen materials and lime.
The price of this workshop also includes a set of trowels for students to take home. These are specialty Japanese trowels and are required for the specific mixes and applications.
This workshop will cover a range of Japanese mixes and methods including:
- Japanese hawk and trowel application method
- Japanese bamboo wattle construction and weaving method
- Base Coat Plaster – Japanese have a traditional using of high fiber clay mixes, carefully aged
- Brown Coat Plaster – this is an all round clay coat that can be used as a base or finish
- Shikkui Lime Clay Plaster – this is a traditional lime-clay finish with high fiber
This course is suitable for both beginners and experts. You will learn everything from the basics, such as how to compose a mix, and applying that mix, and then the more advanced practices, such as Shikkui Lime Clay finishes.
- Dates: This course begins with orientation and dinner Thursday evening and ends Wednesday 5pm, with a dinner and breakfast following morning provided.
- Meals: are included in the workshop price.
- Accommodations: Camping is available but it is a cold time of year with evenings getting below freezing. We have a bunkroom with beds available which is included in the workshop price. We have a few private rooms available for an extra cost.
Workshop Syllabus
- Arrival previous evening, Nov 13, dinner included at 7pm, introductions at 8pm
- Nov 14 – Split bamboo, Mix base coat plaster
- Bamboo lattice, apply base coat plaster over bamboo lattice
- Demonstration, mixing and practice application of brown coat earth plaster
- Apply base coat plasters
- Demonstration, mixing and practice application of the go-around coat
- Mixing and applying the go-around coat
- Canelo Site tour
- Mixing and applying earthen finish plaster
- Mixing and practice application of brown coat earth plaster
- Shikkui lime plaster finish application
Instructor: Kyle Holzhueter, PhD.
Kyle works as a builder, researcher and educator specializing in natural building materials and sustainable systems such light rice husk lime insulation, natural plasters and energy efficiency. He is a graduate of the Kyoto Plastering Institute and the first westerner in Japan to pass the level one Japanese National Plastering Exam. He also has a PhD in Bioresource Sciences from Nihon University where he researched the hygrothermal environment of straw bale walls and building practices to control moisture. In 2017 Kyle founded Permaculture Center Kamimomi, a Permaculture demonstration and education site in Okayama, Japan.
