Rural Studio - Why aren't all architecture schools like this?

Just a few days ago a friend and colleague architect told me about this wonderful thing called "the Rural Studio". It basically consists of a different and revolutionary way of teaching and doing architecture, in which students are made aware of the social responsabilities of the profession of the architect while providing homes to poor communities in Alabama.

The Rural Studio is part of Auburn University and was created in 1993 with the intention of teaching architecture by combining theory and practice and apply them to local real life situations, i.e., hands-on experience focused on improving living condition of people in an impoverished area of Alabama. The Rural Studio's concept is not complicated at all, in fact it is as simple as it can get: teach students about architecture and the built environment, from design to construction, and get them deeply involved in every step of the way. I wonder why this is not done more often?...

My friend E. also told me all about the huge success of this programme, which helps to explain the long waiting list of people from all over the world who wish to attend the course. I can easily relate to them... A few years ago, when I was studying architecture one of the things that I criticised was the lack of hands-on experience - and I am not just talking about learning how to design buildings but also how to actually construct them.


If you are interested you can read more about the Rural Studio HERE and HERE.

Earth USA 2011

Earth USA 2011 will take place September 30, October 1 and 2, 2011 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico - USA.

This is the Sixth International Earthbuilding Conference sponsored by Earth USA (emerging from the Adobe Association of the Southwest), the Adobe Construction Program of Northern New Mexico College, the National Hispanic Cultural Center and Adobe in Action.

Earth USA 2011 indicates a wider field of interest than previous conferences and will include adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block: CEB, and monolithic adobe: cob. Any material or method that uses clay as a binder is considered.

Paper subject categories are:

1. Historic buildings and cities including their stabilization, preservation and conservation
2. Education and information transfer including codes, norms and regulations
3. Physical and thermal properties of materials and structures including seismic, flood and storm resistance
4. Construction methods
5. New architecture and construction projects including renovation, modernization and re-purposing of existing buildings
6. Poster session

Submit your abstract as an e-mail attachment in .DOC format no later than May 3, 2011. Please address your e-mail to:

Quentin Wilson, Speakers Committee
earthusa.org@gmail.com

For more information and to download the abstract template visit:
www.earthusa.org

Conference Languages:

Spanish and English: Simultaneous translation of presentations from the podium is not anticipated without surprise funding sources. Papers will be printed in the 2011 Conference Proceedings in the language received. Papers received with translations will be printed in both languages. PowerPoint presentations are encouraged to be labeled in both languages.

Conference Fee:

Conference registration will cost $185 USD for a 2-day pass (Sept. 30 & Oct. 1) with a reduced price for students. Authors and presenters also pay the registration fee. Earth USA 2011 is a small conference with few financial resources. A one-day tour to local earthbuilding sites will be available on Sunday, Oct. 2 with the cost still to be determined. Four and five-day earthbuilding courses and workshops are being planned from October 3 through 7 and will include topics such as basic adobe construction; rammed earth construction; arch,vault and dome construction and lime plasters.

Accommodations:

Hotels with special rates will be announced shortly. Early hotel reservations are advised since the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is running parallel to the conference. Campers might consider the Rio Bravo State Park south of the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Isleta Boulevard. Meals will be available at La Fonda del Bosque - the restaurant on site at the National Hispanic Center. Other restaurants can be found in the immediate area.

EarthUSA 2011

via: eartharchitecture.org

EarthUSA 2011 will be Sep 30, Oct 1 and 2. Location will be at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

This is the Sixth International Earthbuillding Conference sponsored by the Adobe Association of the Southwest and Northern New Mexico College. The National Hispanic Cultural Center and Adobe in Action will also be sponsors. The Adobe Association of the Southwest is expected to turn itself into Adobe USA.

EarthUSA 2011 indicates a wider field of interest than previous conferences and will include adobe, rammed earth, compressed earth block: CEB, and monolithic adobe: cob. Any material or method that uses clay to bind it together is considered.

Calendar:

May 3: Abstracts due

Jun 3: Acceptance notifications

Aug 5: Full Papers due

Sep 9: Proceedings go to press

Sep 30, Oct 1: Conference and Trade Fair

Oct 2: Tour

Oct 3 -7: Classes, Workshops

Oct 1 - 9: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Categories/Themes:

1. Contemporary earthen architecture, construction and engineering

2. Historical buildings, farms, villages and cities including cultural connotations

3. Conservation, Preservation, Replication, Remodeling, Modernizing, Re-purposing

4. The role of earthen materials in heating, cooling, sustainable, ecological, renewable and green design

5. Codes, norms, building methods, material science, seismic considerations

6. Earthbuilding education and technology transfer

7. Marketing strategies for earthen materials in the modern world

Conference Languages:

Spanish and English

Papers will be printed in the Conference Proceedings in the language received. Papers received with translations will be printed in both languages PowerPoint presentations are encouraged to be labeled in both languages.

 

Costs:

The Conference Registration will cost $185 USD with reduction for students. Authors and presenters also pay the registration fee. EarthUSA 2011 is a small conference with few financial resources. A one-day tour will be available Sunday for local earthbuilding sites the cost to be determined. Four and five-day courses and workshops October 3 through 7 are being planned and will include basic adobe construction; rammed earth construction; and arch,vault and dome construction.

Upcoming courses/workshops

via: http://www.earthenhand.com/workshops.html#HouseDesign

(more courses on the webpage)

Earthen House Design

This class is now two days long

10am-3pm, Feb 26th-27th
Portland, Oregon

Taught by Scott Howard. Participants will design a house of their choice that uses earthen building techniques. With a combination of models, sketches, and drawings, this class will cover the basics of what you need to know to design a small earthen building and how to think like a builder. Discussions and slideshows will cover: passive solar, engineering calculations, drawing/sculpting to scale, designing comfortable human spaces, various earthen building methods, project planning, and permits.

This event will be held at the planet repair headquarters. please see: http://planetrepair.wordpress.com/events/

Tuition = $160 payable to Earthen Hand. Bring your own lunch.

Preregistration is required. Email us at workshops@earthenhand.com. to begin registration.

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Cob Oven Workshop in Puerto Rico

February 26th-27th
Taught by Scott Howard and friends. Learn How to build an oven from mostly earthen materials in under two days! Learn the basics of Cob, earthen plasters, and earthen paints. Decorate the oven as a group artwork. Lectures and slideshows as well. Wonderful setting, nice people, great food.

Tuition = $260 payable to Earthen Hand. Includes all meals, camping, indoor showers and bathroom.
Preregistration is required. Email us at workshops@earthenhand.com. to begin registration.

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Earthen Paints


- Get Dirty! Create Your Own Earthen Paints

10am- 2pm, March 20th

Portland, Oregon
Taught by Scott Howard. Create durable, beautiful, inexpensive paints to enhance your home. Earthen paints are non-toxic, easy to apply, easy to maintain, and are planet friendly. A great way to cover up drywall. Half the cost of conventional paint. This hands-on class includes explanation of a variety earthen building methods.

Tuition = $70 payable to Earthen Hand. Bring your own lunch.
Preregistration is required. Email us at workshops@earthenhand.com. to begin registration.

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Earthbag Building Basics

at the Portland Healing Arts Resource Project

10am-4pm, March 26th-27th

Portland, Oregon
Taught by Scott Howard and friends. Learn How to build walls using the Earthbag technique, a form of rammed earth. Although much faster than Cob wall construction, the end result can look identical. Learn a bit about Cob and earthen plasters as well. We will be building a small Kiln House at The Portland Healing Arts Resource Project. Pdx HARP is dedicated to heightening awareness of our local resources and empowering the community with knowledge, to help each of us to relearn that our health is in our hands.
Tuition = $220 payable to Earthen Hand. Includes lunches.

Preregistration is required. Email us at workshops@earthenhand.com. to begin registration.

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via: Earthenbuilt.com

2011 Construction internship - Canada
This will be a very exciting year for Earthen Built! Come be a part of it.
Mission:
Our goal is to offer a comprehensive program that will empower our interns and give them the confidence they need to continue on with and move forward in natural building and homesteading skills. With workshops and guest teachers brought in through the season, this Natural Building and Homesteading Internship is sure to provide many great opportunities for learning and gaining hands-on experience.


We are enriched as individuals and as a culture through every connection we make outside of ourselves. Through developing skills and knowledge that deepen our connection to the land we live on, the home we live in, and the community we are a part of, we are strengthening our joint efforts in enriching life for all.


Areas to be covered:
Be prepared for a grand variety of opportunities in both building and homesteading.
Some areas that will be covered include, and not limited to:

carpentry
foundations
light clay infill
cob
sculpture and artistic embellishments
clay and lime plasters
group design projects
exposure to animal care: sheep, chickens, turkeys, pigs, and ducks
organic gardening with permaculture skills
aquaculture installation
food forest installation
market gardening
bee keeping
food precessing, preservation, and fermentation
bread baking
taking the farm to the market
communication and team work
Time Commitment:


The majority of the internship program will focus on natural building, with about 1/3 of the time being given to the other aspects of life on the farm. There is some flexibility available to accommodate the learning desires of individuals as passions are discovered.

6 Month Option

Arrive Tuesday April 12th
Orientation April 12th – 14th
Kick-start with Mandala Garden Workshop April 15th – 17th
Regular programming begins Tue April 19th
Ending Celebration Wed. Oct. 12th
Departures Thur. Oct. 13th
3 Month Option
Arrive Wednesday May 18th
Orientation May 18th-20th
Kick-start with Country Cook-off May 21st-22nd
Regular programming begins Tue May 24th
Ending Celebration Mon. Aug. 15th
Departures Tue. Aug. 16th


Cost:3 Month Option: $ 5,100
6 Month Option: $ 10,100

Most of the workshops are available at no extra cost to interns. There may be some special workshops with guest teachers that may be extra.
Field trips to visit other natural buildings and farms in the area are included in the fees.
The PDC is not included in the internship, though interns will be given a discounted rate.
Some work-trade may be available based on need.

If this sounds like you and you are interested in taking this program, please don’t hesitate to send us an email requesting an application form. Click here to go directly to the contact page.

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via: Aprovecho
 
Natural Building Apprenticeship
Oregon, USA
 

Spring Session 2/28-6/1, Summer Session 7/25-11/3
The Natural Building Apprenticeship Program (NBAP) is a three month work-study designed for the beginner in natural building. Time is spent between work, hands-on instruction, and independent study. The participant will receive exposure to the wide gamut of techniques that natural building has to offer.

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via: Laboa.org

workshop - "BUILDING WITH STRAW BALE from design to construction" - Italy

5th March 2011 - 9.30am - 5.30pm
Lambrugo (CO) in the multipurpose room of VillaMalvina

Cost:
€ 150 includes teaching, course materials, coffee breaks and lunch vegetarian.

All members will be given the book "Building with straw bales" B. Jones
For information on courses: casadipaglia@hotmail.com
 
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via: Canelo project
StrawBale Comprehensive - taught by Bill & Athena Steen
Arizona, Canelo community


April 16-23, 2011
(7pm Saturday- 3pm Saturday)

cost $795 (includes lunches)
This week long course is intended for anyone seriously considering building a straw bale house. It is appropriate for those who want to do most of it by themselves or who would like to be well enough informed to make intelligent decisions during the design and build process. It will help each person define an approach that is uniquely based on his or her skill level, available time and resources.  
Course Topics Include:

Bale Wall Systems
Roofs & Foundations
Doors & Windows
Moisture Issues
Pinning Options
Electrical & Plumbing
Interior Walls
Cob & Light/Clay Straw
Wall Finishes
Earth & Lime Plaster
Small - Efficient Design
Straw Bale Home Tour

7 Week Natural Building Apprenticeship

via: Natural Building Network

7 Week Natural Building Apprenticeship - June 12, 2011 to July 30, 2011

Jacksonville, OR

Instructor James Thomson, Lyida Doleman

http://housealive.org/descriptions/2011-apprenticeship


For the seventh straight year, House Alive! is offering an opportunity for people to get beyond the basics and experience an extended Natural Building apprenticeship. This popular, hands-on, intensive course is designed for people who want to use natural building skills in a professional context or who want to take extra time to work on skill development for their personal project. Participants will get first-hand experience with every aspect of building a natural home, from the foundation to the roof. Learning how to build a natural home is one of the best investments you can make: once you know how to design, build and shape your own living space, you can save many thousands of dollars in living costs.

This program will be almost exclusively “hands-on” learning.  The apprenticeship program for 2011 offers 7 weeks of building, problem solving, designing and discussing all aspects of natural building, allowing you to take the time to develop new skills under the guidance of experienced natural builders.

Throughout the course we’ll be working on the different elements of building a small (about 200 sq. ft.) cob and straw-bale cabin from the ground up. Demonstrations and instruction will be given as needed to explain building techniques and design choices. Participants should expect full and exciting days.


The apprenticeship will take place at Full Bloom Farm, a developing intentional community and large organic farm in a beautiful, secluded valley in Southern Oregon. It is also the home of Rise Up Bakery, which provides delicious fresh bread from their wood-fired oven to businesses and residents in the area. The farm has 280 acres of meadow and forest, 2 creeks and a swimming pond.

Further information HERE and Here

Front Range Earth Architecture: Why and Why Not?

I bring you today an interesting project, carried out by Michael Shernick, which focuses on the viability of building with the material earth in Front Range (USA). This study was developed as part of the requirements for a MA in Architecture in 2009.

Shernick states that in order to see earth architecture flourish along Front Range, it needs to grow based on the local building culture, rather than on imported designs from, for example, Santa Fe. It is therefore important to develop context-specific solutions which can respond to expectations from local markets and people, and above all, respond to local climate.

Regarding the latter, the author suggests combining the use of earth with other materials, given the high insulation needs in the Front Range. Using standard construction with a high insulation value on the north walls and rammed earth on east and west walls, which would limit unwanted heat gain, is a potential solution. Additionally, Shernick recommends that a vast area of glazing is used on the south walls.

This study mentions what many of us, looking at the characteristics of the building material earth, have been saying for a long time: steady-state calculations  for determining U-values for walls do not  seem to take into account the insulation effect of the thermal mass on the earth walls. However, apparently, this can be overcome through the application of a correction factor -‘M Factor’ - to the calculations. “The M factor is a simple means of quantifying the effect of thermal inertia on heat-loss calculations without the aid of a computer. It permits a more accurate prediction of dynamic thermal performance than steady-state methods, and is deliberately conservative.” (Beall, 2003, p. 211)

This is actually quite an interesting concept, and could probably solve many of the problems that the material earth is facing today with meeting increasingly demanding building regulations and standards. 

Below there is a short quote of Michael Shernick’s work where he discusses the M Factor. It is also worth having a look at the full document HERE.

‘For example, if a wall is calculated to have a steady-state U value of 0.14 and the locale of the wall has 2000 heating days per year and the wall weighs 20 pounds per square foot, the M factor corrects the U value to 0.12

This is not a huge effect on the U value, but it may be enough to prove the efficacy of using massive masonry walls for their thermal inertia/insulating capabilities to individuals in the local building culture who are sceptical. If sceptics state that no insulating credit is to be given to massive masonry, the M factor can disprove their concerns. The M factor has been integrated into energy calculations, as seen in the 2006 IRC table, but it is worth knowing that the insulating effect of mass can be separated out for examination if necessary.’ (Shernick, 2009, p.11)

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References:

Beall, C. (2003). Masonry design and detailing: for architects, engineers, and builders. New York, McGraw-Hill. 

Shernick, M. (2009). Front Range Earth Architecture: Why and Why Not?. University of Colorado Denver