Straw Works, straw bale building specialists, are coming to Hawkwood Nursery to run two five day courses, one on straw bale wall raising, and one on clay plastering.
The project is to build the straw bale walls of our indoor classroom, and then to plaster these walls and the plasterboard walls in the warehouse. It’s a good example of how to incorporate strawbales and natural building materials (including clay from our site) into a conventional building structure and refurbishment. It will serve as a trial for building a new outdoor classroom elsewhere on the site next year.
The first course will cover practical aspects of strawbale building including how to dress and customise bales, notching, loadbearing and infill techniques, compression of the wall, and much more!
The second course will cover why we use clay plaster, how to make the mixture, how to apply it to strawbale walls and you’ll learn just how beautiful it is!
Clay plastering is great fun. It’s also a very effective covering for strawbale walls, providing a beautiful, warm, cosy environment. Clay plaster helps to control moisture in a building and enables walls to breathe. Beneficial to the health of those living there and also has great acoustic benefits, and artistic too.
The tutors for the course are Barbara Jones and Rae Parkinson, who have extensive experience of natural building and who both love to teach and ensure course participants have a wonderful learning experience.
Straw Bale Wall Building: Wednesday 6th – Sunday 10th September, 8.45am-5pm each day.
Clay Plastering: Monday 11th – Friday 15th September, 8.45am-5pm each day.
Cost: £325 for each 5 day course. Lunch and refreshments provided. Booking and more details through Straw Works
