Home Building Schools
of North America
Stone masonry, strawbale, cordwood, cob, rammed earth,
papercrete, timber frame and more!
Want to build your own house? Take a hands-on class to learn stone masonry, strawbale, cordwood, cob, rammed earth, papercrete, timber frame and more! This directory of schools can help point you in the right direction. We are unable to verify the qualifications or competence of the schools listed in this directory, and a listing here does not constitute any kind of endorsement. Please research the schools and services being offered before signing up for classes or other events.
Please Note: We are continuously updating this page, adding or deleting schools and updating contact information. If you find an error please send a note to us through our E-mail Contact Page.
Schools of the United States
Arizona | California | Colorado | Illinois | Kentucky | Maine | Massachusetts | Michigan | Minnesota | Missouri | Montana | Nebraska | Nevada | New Mexico | New York | North Carolina | Ohio | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Washington | Wisconsin
Schools of Canada
British Columbia | Ontario
Arizona
California
Cal-Earth
California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture
(earthbag & superadobe constructon)
10177 Baldy Lane
Hesperia, CA 92345
760-956-7533 |
CruzinCobGlobal
Claudine Desiree
(cob workshops and building)
203 Blackburn Street
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
831-212-7225
Claudine@cruzincobglobal.org
|
Living Earth Structures
Miguel Eliot
(cob construction)
650 High Street
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-320-3609 |
See also: Build Your Own
Masonry Fireplace DVD |
See also: Slipform Stone Masonry DVD |
Emerald Earth Sanctuary
(papercrete, cob, sustainable living)
P.O. Box 764
Boonville, CA 95415
707-972-3096
workshops@emeraldearth.org |
Wanosh Forest Garden
(round pole timber framing, cob, straw bale, adobe, wattle and daub)
Willits, CA 95490
info@abuelagardens.com |
Real Goods Solar Living Institute
(solar power, strawbale, greywater, permaculture and more)
PO Box 836
13771 S Hwy 101
Hopland, CA 95449
707-472-2450 |
See also: Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction |
Natural Living School Inc.
(solar power, strawbale, greywater, permaculture and more)
14618 Tyler Foote Rd. #211
Nevada City CA 95959
530-268-5255 |
Concrete Exchange
(concrete countertop workshops)
115 S. Colorado St.
Berkeley, CA
510-849-3272 ext. 217
training@chengconcrete.com |
See also: Green Prosperity: Quit Your Job, Live Your Dreams |
Colorado
Illinois
Kentucky
HomeGrown HideAways
(earthbag, cob, sustainable living)
500 Floyd Branch Rd.
Berea, KY 40403
859-986-3478
DesignBuild@HomeGrownHideAways.org |
See also: Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction |
Pine Mountain Settlement School
(dry stone walls, sustainability internships)
36 Highway 510
Pine Mountain, KY 40810
606-558-3571 |
The Year of Mud
(timber frame, cob, stawbale, natural plasters)
Berea, KY |
Maine
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
Earth Building School
(cordwood masonry,
earth-sheltered housing,
timber framing)
Rob Roy, Director
366 Murtagh Hill Road
West Chazy, NY 12992
518-493-7744
email: robandjaki(at)yahoo.com
|
Rising Earth Natural Building
(cob, straw-bale, earth floors, plasters, round-pole framing)
Michael McDonough
Troy, NY
919-685 0123
michael@risingearthbuilding.com |
See also: Slipform Stone Masonry DVD |
See also: Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction |
North Carolina
Earthen Endeavors Natural Building
(timber traming, cob, earthen plasters, wattle and daub)
Liz Johndrow
P O Box 813
Putney,VT 05346
naturalplasters@gmail.com
|
MudStrawLove
(strawbale, cob, earthbag, plastering)
60 Alabama Avenue
Asheville, NC 28806
828-775-4823 |
See also: Build Your Own
Masonry Fireplace DVD |
Wild Abundance
(women's carpentry, natural building, tiny houses)
P.O. Box 1991
Asheville, NC 28802
828-775-7052
admin@wildabundance.net |
Ohio
Oregon
Groundworks
Becky Bee
(cob construction)
P.O. Box 121
Azalea, OR 97410
cobalot@hughes.net
|
Aprovecho Sustainability Education Center
(natural building and permaculture)
80574 Hazelton Road
Cottage Grove, OR 97424
541-942-8198
aprovecho.mail@gmail.com
|
Day One Design
Erica Ann
(timberframe, cob, strawbale, straw-clay, and earth plasters)
177 Knoop Lane
Eugene, OR 97404
|
Earthen Hand Natural Building
Scott Howard
(earthbag, wattle and daub, adobe, earthen paints)
Portland, Oregon
503-287-2442
scott@earthenhand.com
|
Claylin Earthen Floors
(Claylin Ready-Mix Earthen Floors)
503-957-6132
|
Cob Cottage Company
(cob construction)
PO Box 942
Coquille, OR 97423
541-396-1825 |
From These Hands, LLC
Sukita Crimmel
(adobe, earthen plasters, structures and floors)
Portland, OR
503-957-6132 |
House Alive!
(cob construction)
Jacksonville, OR
541-899-3751
welcome@housealive.org |
See also: Green Prosperity: Quit Your Job, Live Your Dreams |
Firespeaking
(masonry heaters, wood-fired ovens, natural building)
91040 Nelson Mountain Road
Deadwood, OR 97430
541-964-3536
503-333-9042 |
Straw Bale Workshops, LLC
Andrew & Gabrielle Morrison
(strawbale construction)
PO Box 3145
Ashland, Oregon 97520
andrew@strawbaleworkshops.com |
White Oak Farm & Education Center
(natural building)
PO Box 450
Williams, OR 97544
541-964-3536
info@whiteoakfarmcsa.org |
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
Earthbag House
Bill Stone and Thea Bryant
(earthbag, earthen plasters)
1212 E. 10th St.
Austin, TX, 78702
512-576-3483
austinearthbag@gmail.com |
Cobb Hill Natural Building
(cob, natural plasters, earthen floors, cob ovens)
Hughes Springs, TX 75656
817-812-4909
naturalbuildingorg@gmail.com |
Design Build Live
(natural building and sustainable living)
PO Box 49381
Austin, TX, 78765
512-478-9033 |
Monolithic
(monolithic dome workshops)
177 Dome Park Place
Italy, TX 76651
Ph: 972-483-7423
email@monolithic.com |
Saoirse Learning Center
(MgO and hemp construction)
Jennifer Bailey
1137 TX-163 Loop
Blanco, TX 78606
830-383-5272
info@saoirselearningcenter.com |
See also: Green Prosperity: Quit Your Job, Live Your Dreams |
Utah
Vermont
Washington
Wisconsin
CANADA
British Columbia
SIREWALL
Keenan Turner
(stabilized insulated rammed earth)
212 Cusheon Lake Road
Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 2B9 Canada
778-960-0580 |
See also: Slipform Stone Masonry DVD |
See also: Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction |
O.U.R. Ecovillage
(permaculture, sustainable food production and building)
P.O. Box 530
1565 Baldy Mountain Road
Shawnigan Lake, B.C. Canada V0R 2W0
250-743-3067
info@ourecovillage.org
|
Cob Works
(cob construction)
Mayne Island, BC, Canada |
Kootenay Stone Masonry Training School
(stone masonry)
111 Emerald Road
P.O. Box 486
Salmo, BC V0G-1Z0
250-357-9515
school@naturalstonesite.com
|
Mud Girls
(cob construction)
Nanaimo, BC V9R 2M9
250-753-7117
mud.girls.cob@gmail.com |
Island School of Building Arts
(timber frame, Rumford fireplace, log building)
3199 Coast Road
Gabriola Island, BC VOR 1X7
250-247-8922
info@logandtimberschool.com |
Ontario
Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition
(strawbale, slip straw)
517 Sherbrooke
St.Peterborough, ON K9H 1A1
877-872-9225
info@osbbc.ca |
See also: Slipform Stone Masonry DVD |
The Endeavour Centre
(sustainable building, straw bale building, earthen building, natural finishes, hempcrete, and more)
Chris Magwood & Friends
Peterborough, ON K9J 2P2
705-868-5328 |
See also: Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction |
See also: Living Homes: Stone Masonry, Log, and Strawbale Construction.
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Return to Thomas J. Elpel's Web World Portal
Thomas Elpel is a do-it-yourselfer after my own heart, and what he has compiled here chronicles his adventures of building his own home in rural Montana as well as experiences with other building projects. He and his wife were forced by circumstances to find inexpensive solutions for all of the challenges of building their home, and they managed to do this without sacrificing their commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability.
Their home is a true hybrid, with the first floor being slip-formed stone masonry and the second story of logs, all sourced locally and ecologically. Thomas explains in great detail exactly how he put together this house, sufficiently for others to follow his lead without much more need for instruction. [Read More...]
-- Kelly Hart
GreenHomeBuilding.com
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