Tadelakt & Earth Building Workshop in Morocco
Tour to Morocco to learn Earthen building and Tadelakt
with Local Moroccan teachers and Athena Steen & Nicolas Avalos
**THIS EVENT IS FULL – Register for our waitlist to be informed if a space opens up**
Join us for an unforgettable 10-day journey through Morocco — from Marrakesh to the earthen kasbahs of the Draa Valley in the Atlas Mountains. During this time you will learn Moroccan earthen building traditions, such as rammed earth and adobe, and the iconic Moroccan Tadelakt plaster – all taught by local masters.
This tour will be co-led with local host and translator, Hassan, and renowned earth builder Athena Steen and assisted by Nicolas Avalos. Athena will teach Clay Carving component during the workshop. This experience brings together building, culture and history in one of the richest earthen architecture regions of the world.
LOGISTICS
The cost of this tour/workshop is $1450 which includes:
- Workshop instruction
- All lodging for 11 nights. All rooms are shared in beautiful, traditional spaces (3-4 people per room). Private rooms are an option for $40 extra per night.
- 3 authentic Moroccan meals per day
- Site tours, local transportation, and translation
- Flights to/from Morocco NOT included.
DISCLAIMER
This will be a rustic learning environment, not a regular class room setting. You will be working with locals and it will be a rich cultural experience, but there may be cultural and language barriers that we are unable to manage.
If you want more formal natural building education we recommend our other workshops.
Tentative Schedule
Day 0 – January 24, Arrival Day in Marrakesh
Welcome dinner and orientation this evening. Participants are responsible for own transport from airport to hotel.
Day 1 – Tour of Marrakesh
Walking tour of Marrakesh’s historic architecture — birthplace of the Tadelakt tradition.
Day 2 – Journey to the Desert
We head into the Draa Valley to Kasbah des Caïds, our stunning 600-year-old home for the week.
Day 3 – Earth Architecture Tour & Intro to Moroccan Earth Building
We will tour the local villages, ancient kasbahs, and give an overview of traditional earth building techniques from local builders.
Day 4 – Adobe & Rammed Earth Construction
Hands-on introduction to local earth construction: Moroccan adobe and rammed earth.
Day 5 – Continue Earth Building
Day 6 – Day trip to the Sahara Desert
Guided tour to the Sahara desert dunes.
Day 7 – Earth Plasters & Tadelakt Prep
We begin exploring the material preparation for lime-based Tadelakt plaster and earth finishes.
Day 8 – Begin Tadelakt & Clay Carving
We begin applying and working on traditional Tadelakt with local masters and start a decorative clay carving with Athena Steen.
Day 9 – Finishing & Carving
Continue and complete Tadelakt finishes, and carving design, and enjoy more local exploration.
Day 10 – Return to Marrakesh
Scenic drive back, with a stop at the iconic Ksar Aït Benhaddou, a UNESCO site seen in Game of Thrones and Gladiator. Wrap-up dinner in the city.
Day 11 – February 4, Departure Day from Marrakesh
People are free to fly home or to explore more of Marrakesh, shop, or relax before flights home.
Instructors
Athena Steen grew up building with clay and adobe. She loves creating sculpted spaces that connect form with function, and walls rich with pattern, texture and color.
Through the Canelo Project, a small non-profit organization, Athena has been teaching workshops for over thirty years, in strawbale construction and earthen building. Focused on simple, low-skill, low-cost methods that build community between people, culture and nature.
Co-author of The Straw Bale House, Small Strawbale, and Built by Hand, her influence in the natural building world has been wide-spread. When Athena does not have her hands in the mud, she also enjoys publishing and designing books.
Nicolas Avalos is a dedicated builder with a background in civil engineering, specializing in natural and alternative building methods. Originally from Belgium he is fluent in French, Spanish and English.
Passionate about fostering a deeper connection with our environment, Nico empowers owner-builders to utilize natural, healthy, and locally sourced materials in their construction projects.
For the last six years he has been dedicating himself to deepening this knowledge in Europe and Central and North America, promoting environmentally conscious building practices that harmonize with the natural world.
Our location at Kasbah Des Caids
This kasbah was built in the begining of the 16th century in Draa valley, it was the Administrative and Residential kasbah for the Leaders of Mezguita tribe. It is unique in its Moorish, Roman and berbere Architeture, and painted with natural pigments.
