Scroll through the learning opportunities for 2022, details of each course are further down the page.
Tadalakt with Sigi Koko
Tadelakt and Sigi Koko are both ubiquitous with natural building….. this course has both!
Dates-
Tuesday 18th October to Friday 21st October
Venue-
HGMatthews brick yard, Bellingdon Road, Bellingdon, Chesham, HP5 2UR
HGMatthews is an incredibly interesting and diverse venue, there will be a chance to tour the site including the hand made brick facility, hand made tile shed, natural building materials department (including Cob block making and hempcrete blocks) and the wood fired kilns.
Learning outcomes-
This course is focussed on providing a very high level of learning
The aim of this course is that you leave confident to tackle your own projects. You will understand the process of Tadelakt and the chemical reactions at work and will be practised in the preparation of materials, application, soaping and burnishing of Tadelakt.
About the course-
The course is suitable for everyone from complete beginners to experienced plasterers. There will be 2 extra tutors on hand (including myself) to help any one who needs a bit of extra help with the basics.
1st day- Learn the chemistry of Tadelakt, make your materials from lime and aggregate adding your own choice of pigments. Apply your Tadelakt to cob balls to get a feel for the material.
2nd day- Start the finishing process on the balls and start applying Tadelakt to your first board.
3rd day- Start the finishing process on your first board and begin your second board trying to remember the steps for yourself.
4th day- Finish your second board, re-cap of what you have learnt and tour of HGMatthews.
What you will need-
You will need to bring lunch, snacks and suitable clothes and footwear.
There is no need to bring any tools, you will be provided with a sponge float, Japanese hawk board, polishing trowel and Tadelakt stone. Feel free to bring your own tools to try if you like. You will have the option of purchasing the tools you have used at the end of the programme (except for the polishing stones).
Cost-
Early bird cost of £495.00/person
Concession prices are available for those in or recently in education, those under 25 or those on universal credit or on low income. Please contact me if you think you fall into one of these categories.
How to Pay-
This course is first come serve and places will go fast!
First fill in the Contact form on the Contact page of this website and leave your name and email address and state which course you would like to attend. I will then email you an invoice which you will have 2 days to pay. If its not paid within 2 days your place will not be held. Don’t worry if you have not received your invoice straight away, I will invoice in the order your contact forms came in.
If you have any specific requirements please add these to your contact form.
Clay Finish Plasters with Sigi Koko
Come and learn from one our greatest contributors to natural building. Sigi Koko needs no introduction and will be with us in October.
Dates-
Saturday 15th October to Sunday 16th October
Venue-
HGMatthews brick yard, Bellingdon Road, Bellingdon, Chesham, HP5 2UR
HGMatthews is an incredibly interesting and diverse venue, there will be a chance to tour the site including the hand made brick facility, hand made tile shed, natural building materials department (including Cob block making and hempcrete blocks) and the wood fired kilns.
Learning outcomes-
This course is focussed on providing a very high level of learning
The aim of this course is that you leave confident in finishing clay plasters in a variety of ways from textured to smooth, with trowels and with floats.
About the course-
The course is suitable for everyone from complete beginners to experienced plasterers. There will be 2 extra tutors on hand (including myself) to help any one who needs a bit of extra help with the basics.
You will each be applying different clay finish plasters onto dry clay backing coats. The backing coats will be on a variety of substrates including plasterboard, cob blocks and hempcrete, this will give you an understanding of varying rates of suction from varying substrates. You will finish each plaster in different ways with a variety of tools.
All the while you be receiving expert advice and tips from Sigi.
What you will need-
You will need to bring lunch, snacks and suitable clothes and footwear.
If you are a plasterer bring along your favourite trowels and floats, for those without tools I will provide trowels floats and a Japanese hawk board.
Cost-
Early bird cost of £245.00/person
Concession prices are available for those in or recently in education, those under 25 or those on universal credit or on low income. Please contact me if you think you fall into one of these categories.
How to Pay-
This course is first come serve and places will go fast!
First fill in the Contact form on the Contact page of this website and leave your name and email address and state which course you would like to attend. I will then email you an invoice which you will have 2 days to pay. If its not paid within 2 days your place will not be held. Don’t worry if you have not received your invoice straight away, I will invoice in the order your contact forms came in.
If you have any specific requirements please add these to your contact form.
Earth Plastering and Rendering with James Henderson
James is the author of my favourite book on earth finishes- Earth Render: The Art Of Clay Plaster, Render And Paints
James is an extremely accomplished natural builder and will be sharing with us his best practice when it comes to finishing straw bale buildings.
Dates-
Whole Course Ticket- Monday 2nd - Friday 6th May 2022
As this course is aimed at builders and self builders you do not need to attend the whole course if you are too busy, as long as you attend at least 3 days and inform me in advance or choose the drop in ticket below.
Drop in day ticket- Any single day between Monday 2nd - Friday 6th May 2022
Venue-
Live build!
Leasowe Farm, Radford Semele, Leamington Spa, CV311TY
Learning outcomes-
The aim of this course is that you leave confident in specifying and applying earth plasters and lime stabilised earth renders to straw bale buildings and learn best practice techniques for preparing and finishing them.
You will leave with a better understanding of the unique challenges straw bale buildings present when finishing and how to overcome these with simple flexible plaster/render recipes.
You will leave with an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of employing roller pan mixers and spray machines on your straw build.
About the course-
This course is specific to straw bale but the techniques and materials used are applicable to most other natural building substrates.
You will be using a mobile roller pan mixer to prepare clay from site and turn it into earth plaster for the internals and lime stabilised earth render for the externals. You will be using a render spray machine to apply the external render.
This course is suitable for people with plastering experience and straw self builders and designers.
People with no plastering experience are very welcome and I can set up some practice boards for you to plaster onto.
If you cannot attend the whole course but would still like to come and get a taster of it and meet James then drop in day tickets are available.
Day 1- Mix site clay and straw in roller to produce the earth plaster.
Day 2- Apply earth plaster base coat to internal straw walls.
Day 3- Finish internal straw walls and mix quicklime and site clay in the roller pan to produce the external render basecoat.
Day 4- Finish external render basecoat and mix site clay with sand and straw in the roller pan to produce plaster for internal earth block walls.
Day 5- Apply plaster to internal earth block walls and finish any other elements that require finishing.
What you will need-
You will need to bring food, snacks, plastering tools, suitable clothes and footwear and ear defenders for use with the roller pan mixer.
Minimum Tool list- polyester float, plasterers hawk board, steel trowel, bucket trowel.
Cost-
Full course (please attend at least 3 days) £260/person includes accommodation for Monday night through to Friday night.
Drop in day tickets- £80/person
How to Pay-
This course is first come serve and places will go fast!
First fill in the Contact Form on the Contact page of this website and leave your name and email address and state which course you would like to attend. I will then email you an invoice which you will have 2 days to pay. If its not paid within 2 days your place will not be held. Don’t worry if you have not received your invoice straight away, I will invoice in the order your contact forms came in.
If you have any specific requirements please add these to your contact form.
Making clay plasters; recipes and the building physics behind them with James Henderson
James is the author of my favourite book on earth finishes- Earth Render: The Art Of Clay Plaster, Render And Paints
James is an extremely accomplished natural builder and will be sharing with us his best practice when it comes to finishing straw bale buildings.
Dates-
Sunday 8th May or Monday 9th May 2022
Venue-
To be confirmed but it will be in the South West, Devon or Cornwall.
Learning outcomes-
The aim of this course is that you leave understanding a variety of clay plaster recipes and how to mix and make them.
You will learn the building physics of what makes a certain recipe good for a certain background, how to ensure the plaster bonds between coats, what’s the maximum amount of fines or pigment I can use etc etc so that you can adapt mixes and make your own recipes.
About the course-
This is an intense day course, we will not be applying plaster but we will be preparing different mixes, looking at materials and tools talking through the building physics and looking at tools and discussing application techniques.
What you will need-
You will need to bring food, snacks and suitable clothes and footwear.
Cost-
£95.00
How to Pay-
Location and exact date are still to be confirmed, please contact me through my website contact form to express your interest and let me know if the Sunday or the Monday works better.
Clay and Lime Finishes to Hempcrete walls with myself; William Stanwix
This is an opportunity to come and work with me on a live hempcrete build helping me to plaster and render a hempcrete block extension.
Dates-
March or April, actual dates to be confirmed
Venue-
My hempcrete block build in Bovingdon Hertfordshire.
About the course-
This is less of a course and more a work experience opportunity. I will be making and using clay plasters internally and lime renders externally.
There is the opportunity for labourers and plasterers and the position may be a paid one depending on your level of experience.
What you will need-
Everyone needs suitable site clothing, lunch and snacks. Plasterers will need to bring their own tools.
Cost-
none, this may be a paid position depending on your level of experience.
How to apply-
Details of this course are yet to be confirmed.
To register your interest please fill in the Contact form on the Contact page of this website telling me a bit about yourself and your level of experience. Leave your name and email address and make sure you state which course you are interested in. I will then email you to discuss it further.
If you have any specific requirements please add these to your contact form.