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Open Studio Categories
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home improvement
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Earth Oven Workshop
This workshop serves as an introduction to the realm of natural earth building by teaching participants to build their own low-cost, wood-fired over from clay, sand, straw and water. Earth ovens bake like expensive commercial wood-fired ovens while costing a fraction of the price, and serve beautifully for making breads, pizza, and just about anything that can be baked or roasted. Earth ovens use radiant, conductive and convection heat, simultaneously producing crisp, caramelized crust with a moist inside. Building out of unfired clay, they can be hand-sculpted into beautiful works of art that become wonderful additions to any backyard or patio. Each student will build a miniature working model that they can take home for a truly hands-on experience.
Course Fee: $115 - Supply Fee: $15 Location: Folk School
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Shou Sugi Ban Workshop
Originating in Japan in the 1600’s, Shou Sugi Ban is an ancient Japanese technique for waterproofing and preserving wood. Traditionally three planks were wired together to form a triangular tube and placed over a small fire. Once the surface was significantly charred, the planks were removed, extinguished, scrubbed clean, and then sealed with an oil. This method is sustainable and safe method of finishing timber that does not employ the use of chemicals. Recently Shou Sugi Ban has increased in popularity among architects and designers for both its aesthetics and its green nature.
This workshop will focus on the method of employing Shou Sugi Ban. Students will experiment with different wood species, levels of char, and color tinting. Each student will leave the workshop with Shou Sugi Ban samples that they crafted. |
Course Fee: $80 - Supply Fee: $20 Location: Folk School
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Build Your Own Raingarden
During a good rain or the winter melt, homes are hit with thousands of gallons of water that quickly build momentum that causes flooding and drainage issues, sometimes washing out gardens and even swamping basements. What is the solution? Discover the permaculture approach to rain gardens. These beautifully designed and built gardens accept stormwater run-off that recharges your ground water, provides habitat and food for wildlife (including bees & butterflies) and adds a near maintenance-free esthetically pleasing garden installation to your yard for very little money. This workshop studies the design and build process in detail and how to choose native plants that to
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Natural Earth Plaster & Sculpted Walls
Earth plaster is one of the most satisfying, useful and beautiful materials that one can work with. It costs next to nothing to create, and opens up a world of construction, artistic and decorative opportunities. With a good instruction and a little bit of experience one can not only rejuvenate their house house, but restore ancient stone work, make earthen structures like cob ovens and chicken coops, create paints, sculpt reliefs, make wall mosaics, wattle and daub, and more. Imagination is the only limitation.
This is a hands-on, intense 2-Day workshop is perfect for homeowners, contractors, or anyone who would like to learn the techniques of installing earthen plaster. Students will learn how to identify, locally source, test, and mix appropriate soils for earth plastering and sculpting as well as learn to mix and apply an adhesion coat as a surface prep. There will be ample amount of time for students to practice using a variety of tools, application & polishing techniques. Student will take home small practice boards that demonstrate techniques. |
Course Fee: $225 - Supply Fee: $20 Location: Folk School
Instructor: Deanne Bednar
Instructor: Deanne Bednar
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Natural Building Workshop
(coming soon) With the growing national interest in sustainability and natural building we present The Natural Building Workshop: Introduction to Cob, Strawbale, Thatching, & Framing. This course is for anyone who wishes to receive a introduction into natural building and appropriate technology that will help you to discover the beauty, simplicity, and affordability of natural building. Our two-day Workshop is a unique course of study providing lecture, demonstration and hands-on exploration of earthen and natural elements that are used to create structures and shelters. This workshop combines an introduction to straw, cob, plaster, thatch and other natural building materials. Topics of exploration include, but are not limited to, foundations, earthen/cob floors, timber/round-pole framing, strawbale walls, natural insulation, natural paints and plasters, and roof systems, including thatching. The course will not build a building, instead students will journey through multiple stations where partial structures will be used for lecture and hands on learning. This is an intense fast paced workshop. We will be outdoors the entire time and you are almost guaranteed to get dirty - so dress accordingly. Some power tools will be incorporated and safety equipment will be provided.
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