We have been conducting workshops since 2002, and are excited to be offering a wide variety of workshops and learning opportunities, both online and in person, and in collaboration with others.

UPCOMING EVENTS 2026 - Online

  • Circular logo with orange border, featuring the words 'bucket list' in orange text and 'the' in the center above a purple mountain graphic, with additional text surrounding the circle.

    Build Outside the Box Mastermind Course

    Registration IS OPEN!!!

    FROM OCT. 21- OCT. 27 ONLY


    This is a perfect course for people interested in getting a big picture overview of natural building systems and options, from a wide range of instructors.

    Classes are taught by 16 Masterminds, builders, designers, scientists and teachers each who cover one type of building system. 

    Learn More
  • Logo featuring a house with the text 'THE BOX' inside, surrounded by the phrase 'NO BUILD OUTSIDE ON A BUDGET' in a circular arrangement.

    Build Outside the Box - On a Budget

    This is an online course.

    If you are planning to build for yourself and are looking to keep costs down while building, this course is for you! With instructors teaching on different topics, you will gain expert insights to help you avoid common pitfalls, save money, and plan for success!

    Cost is $147 Use discount code COB100 and receive 20% off!

    WORKSHOP DETAILS

PAST EVENTS- 2026

  • Outdoor pizza oven with a fire inside, under a wooden and metal roof shelter, in a rural landscape with dry grass and trees.

    Cob Oven Workshop

    Oct. 3rd & 4th

    Willits, CA

    We’ll build a cob oven from start to finish, using clay soil, sand and straw.  Through the process of building a cob oven, we also cover a wide variety of earthen building techniques that can employ these and other natural materials in other systems of building.  All of our ancestors built homes with local natural materials, and cooked food in a variety of different ways using fire, but today we so rarely have an opportunity to use the basic element of fire to cook our food.

    WORKSHOP DETAILS
  • People working on a mud or adobe brick structure, with a scenic mountain view in the background, under a roof made of wooden slats and cactus log supports.

    Intro to Cob and Earthen Building Materials

    Sept. 25th, 26th & 27th

    Willits, CA

    Join us for an immersive 3-day natural building experience. There are many ways of working and building with earth to create everything from homes to ovens to garden walls to finishes on existing structures.  In this class we will  use the same basic materials; clay, sand and fiber, to create a variety of different types of earthen building systems, including cob, adobe and earthen plaster. 

    WORKSHOP DETAILS
  • Group of people working on building a large clay oven outdoors, with green trees in the background.

    Interested in Hosting a Workshop?

    Do you feel your land would be a good place to host a workshop? We often teach workshops on other peoples land, if we feels its a god fit all around. Priority goes to past students, but reach out regardless.

    -Workshops we offer include:

    -Cob Oven

    -Introduction to Earthen Building

    -Natural Plasters

    and more.

    Fill out this form if you are interested, or have questions!

    INQUIRY FORM

PAST WORKSHOPS

  • People working on a wall, applying plaster or paint, with some standing on a platform and others on the ground, in an indoor setting.

    Interior Earthen Plaster Workshop

    May 18th 10am-12pm PST - zoom portion (will be recorded to watch anytime prior to workshop)

    Topanga Canyon

    This workshop is designed to teach you how to plaster over walls in a standard house with drywall that typically has latex paint. We will teach how to prep the wall, make and mix plaster from easily accessible materials, how to apply it to the wall, and what tools you will need.

    WORKSHOP DETAILS
  • A group of people outdoors near a large, carved, animal-shaped mud sculpture, possibly an animal skull or bust, working together on the sculpture with tools. The setting appears to be a desert or arid environment with sparse vegetation.

    Basic of Natural Building

    In Ojai CA

    Join us for an immersive 2-day natural building experience with Sasha Rabin. There are many ways of working and building with earth to create everything from homes to ovens to garden walls to finishes on existing structures.  In this class we will  use the same basic materials; clay, sand and fiber, to create a variety of different types of earthen building systems, including cob, adobe and earthen plaster. 

    WORKSHOP DETAILS
  • Woman cleaning a metal wall with a putty knife outdoors

    Natural Plasters and Finishes

    Potter Valley, CA

    Join us for a 2 day deep dive into learning about natural plasters and finishes.  We will cover plasters that are appropriate for an earthen building, as well as plasters that can go over the drywall in an existing home.  This course will include both plasters made from found clay, including how to find and source the clay, as well as plasters from store bought materials. 

    WORKSHOP DETAILS
  • A woman sitting on a window sill holding a baby in what appears to be a rustic or natural styled room with wooden floors and a wood-fired heater.

    Rocket Stove Workshop

    Spring 2027- exact dates TBD

    Potter Valley, CA

    3 day workshop exploring, building and firing various Rocket Stoves

    Join myself and rocket stove expert Kirk (Donkey) Mobert for a 3 day deep dive into learning about Rocket Stoves and an intro to building with earthen materials. In this workshop we will be building various types of Rocket Stoves. We will be learning through building, taking apart and rebuilding.  We will not be constructing one finished product, but rather exploring many different ways of using the rocket stove principles to create mass heaters as well as cook stoves.

    WORKSHOP DETAILS

PAST WORKSHOPS

  • People working on a construction project inside a mud-brick structure with a bamboo ceiling, with mountains in the background and buckets of building materials on the ground.

    Earthen Walls

    There are many ways of building with earth to create everything from homes to ovens to garden walls to interior finishes. In this class we will use the same basic materials; clay, sand and fiber, to create a variety of different earthen building systems, including cob, adobe, Light straw clay, redwood bark clay, wattle and daub and earthen plasters.

  • Two people working with clay, smoothing and shaping it on a adobe wall, in a rustic interior with natural light.

    Natural Plaster

    Join myself and Yoshi Makino for a 3 day deep dive into learning about natural plasters and finishes.  We will cover plasters that are appropriate for an earthen building, as well as plasters and alis's that can go over the drywall in an existing home. From earthen base coats to fine finishes, we will cover a wide range of techniques.

  • A woman sitting on a built-in bench holding a small baby, next to a large window with greenery outside, in a room with a fireplace and wood floors.

    Rocket Stove Cooker

    In this workshop we will be building a Rocket Cook Stove. While this version of a Rocket Stove uses similar technology as a more traditional Rocket Mass Heater (RMH), it is specifically designed for cooking rather than heating. The one we will be building in this course will be built with earthen building techniques, including both cob and adobe.

LOCATION

Over the past 2 decades we have worked and taught all over the world. Currently we are staying close to home in Mendocino County, CA, where most of our time is spent raising our 1 year old. Most of our workshops are on the land where we currently live unless otherwise noted, in the oak woodlands of the ancestral territories of Pomo people.

Camping is available on site.

A peaceful scene of a lake reflecting the sky and surrounding landscape, with a wooden dock extending into the water and hills covered with trees in the background.