Loadbearing Straw Bale Building courses

• Weekend: 18 /19 October 2008


• Week: Mon 20 – Fri 24 October 2008


• Weekend: 25 / 26 October 2008


• Week: Mon 27 – Fri 31 October 2008

Who should attend?

This course is ideal for anyone interested in natural building techniques; or building their own home; architects, builders or local authority professionals involved in the design and build of residential housing. No previous experience or knowledge necessary.

The Location

A particularly lovely setting in the grounds of the historical Ralegh’s Inn & Hotel high on the edge of Exmoor. There will be the opportunity to explore the beautiful rural and wild immediate area, or the local coast-line when not working on-site.

The Building

An innovative low impact two storey semi-detached home for two families. The building will stand on low impact foundations of lime concrete, local stone and recycled foam glass. 2 storey loadbearing straw bale walls incorporating the latest design concept for windows and door openings and pre-compression systems. We are always aiming to simplify building methods and minimise resource use – this will be a fast, straightforward, easy and inspiring build method offering new learning for professionals and beginners alike. The design calls on our current designs for affordable social housing and includes a strawbale internal party wall for additional acoustic insulation.

The design incorporates a pioneering new method of building loadbearing wall systems under the cover of a roof which will be lowered down during the courses.

Course Content

• Practical straw bale building:
• Working with and shaping straw bales – basics and advanced levels covered
• Finer detail work for maximum insulation
• Pre-compression methods
• Detailing methods around windows and doors
• Working with local coppiced timber
• Preparing walls for natural plasters
• Simple methods for compressive design and weatherproofing
• On-site building experience
• Preparing for service installation
• Lowering roofs!
  

The theory including :

• Theory of strawbale building and of straw and natural materials in construction
• Modern construction techniques: load bearing, infill, timber frame, compressive frame
• History of strawbale building and its place in contemporary design, build and self-build.
• Environmental & health benefits of strawbale buildings
• The energy efficiency of strawbale high performance buildings
• Energy efficient design – towards zero energy in use
• Air tightness
• Moisture management
• Durability
• Cost
• Fire and testing
• The future for strawbale and natural building

You will be encouraged to get hands-on experience of a wide variety of skills, to ask questions and to have fun! The trainers will be Barbara Jones and Bee Rowan, both of whom have been practitioners and teachers of strawbale building for many years – come and join them!

It may be possible to include additional areas of learning if there is specific interest from a course group. We want all participants to get the best possible learning from their time on this very exciting build.

Warm facilities to a high standard will be provided for theory sessions, refreshment breaks and lunches.

Fees

In order for as many people as possible to be able to participate in these courses we have a sliding scale approach to fee structure:

Lunches and refreshments are included in the course price

Unwaged / students £40 per day
Waged £60 per day
High wage/corporate/supported earners £80
A week’s booking offers a discount of 10% on the total
If booking for the full 2 weeks, we can offer a greater discount. Contact us.

If you can only make part of one of these training courses we can accommodate that, as long as you are present on the first day of any of the courses as this is when we deliver the all important Health and Safety training which each participant must attend.

Each course starts at 9.00am and finishes at 5.00pm, with tea breaks and lunch in the middle, and although it is mostly a practical hands-on course we do not expect anyone to work beyond her or his capacity. Some theory sessions will be offered in the evenings after the practical work finishes.

It is very important that everyone arrives on time, as a major part of the way we work is to begin and end each day together as a group. You will need to arrive by 8.45am at the latest.

To book a place on a course or if you have any questions or queries please contact amazonails on info@amazonails.org.uk or ring 0845 458 2173 or by post mail to Hope Mill, Crescent Street, Todmorden, OL14 5HA