Sat, April 22, 2017 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM UBC FARM. $45 ($38 student pricing) + GST. Description
Come join us for a spring day at the UBC Farm and to learn hands on about building with the earth. Cob building is an ancient technique that has been making a comeback since the 1990s. Cob is an earthen material that is made of mud, sand and straw. The UBC Farm has a cob oven, hut and lounge structure that was built and rebuilt by volunteers and staff throughout the years. This workshop will use the existing UBC Farm’s cob oven and the new cob oven build project as a demonstration site for participants in this workshop.
This beginner level workshop will include the following:
Natural Building Principles (From design principles to finishes)
Understanding cob material and structure
How to incorporate a variety of materials local, natural and up-cycled materials
Tour of the UBC Farm cob structure and oven as a demonstration site
Participants will get the practical experience of plastering a recently finished cob structure and oven, gaining feedback from the instructors
This workshop is part of a three part series to help build the UBC Farm’s new cob oven. Keen participants are encouraged to join in the free volunteer work session following this workshop to gain practical hands-on experience in constructing a structure. The full series of events is as follows:
Friday March 31st Cob Materials Workshop
Saturday April 1st Build Session (Volunteer Workparty)
Saturday April 22nd Plastering Workshop
About the Instructor
Clare Kenny is a Mudgirl!
About the Mudgirls Natural Building Collective
The Mudgirls are a network of women builders on the west coast of BC, Canada. Specializing in using local, natural and recycled materials they have built everything from cob cabins, ovens, and benches to installing natural insulation, earthen floors and wall plasters in all styles of homes. Childcare is a signature of a Mudgirl event and participants will often end up travelling and camping with them to attend their workshops at real builds around the region.
“The tale of the Three Little Pigs has told generations of children that houses made of straw are no good, but a group of West Coast women is challenging that assumption by building homes out of cob.” CBC News, British Columbia