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 2025
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Cob Oven Workshop
October 25th & 26th
Potter Valley, 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.
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Build Outside the Box - On a Budget
THIS IS A NEW COURSE- REGISTER ANYTIME AND ACCESS CONTENT IMMEDIATELY.
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!
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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!
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Build Outside the Box Mastermind Course
This is the 6th launch of this course! 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.
We are also offering a $100 discount, use code COB100.
Registration will only be open for one week starting on November 22nd.
Classes are taught by 16 Masterminds, builders, designers, scientists and teachers each who cover one type of building system.
PAST WORKSHOPS 2025
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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.
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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.
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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.
PAST WORKSHOPS
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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.
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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.
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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.
