Online Natural Building Course

In this Online Natural Building Course you will gain a basic understanding of natural building as well as building with cob and other earthen materials.

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What is this course?

This Online Natural Building course will cover the basics of natural building, while also sharing the larger issues we face with our built environment, the changes that need to happen, and how to make those changes. Through a combination of pre-recorded lectures that you can watch at your own pace, as well as live sessions, you will be guided through the basics of analyzing site soil, mixing and building with cob, and building a small project.
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Why this course?

Our lead instructor, Sasha Rabin, has over 20 years of experience teaching hands-on natural building courses.  Although Natural Building is a very hands-on, tactile experience, we have created a curriculum that will allow you to be guided through the process of learning these techniques at your own pace, on your own site.  

Our goal with this course is to broaden the access to natural building education and knowledge.

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Why Quail Springs?

Quail Springs has been teaching in-person Natural Building Courses for over a decade, and has been on the leading edge of testing and research for cob building practices.  We have the unique experience of learning from both living in the structures we have built, as well as working with engineers and researchers to further the legality and accessibility of these methods and materials.  

Our teaching staff are farmers, activists, builders, and thinkers who not only teach, but also advocate at a regional level for policy change from agriculture and sustainable groundwater use, to building codes. 

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Video Lessons

Swipe or drag to learn more about each lesson in the course.

Our Built Environment

How do we deepen our relationship with the buildings that surround us? Here we'll explore how our homes, neighborhoods and cities affect the way we live our daily lives.
35m

Methods and Materials

In this lesson we will go over many of the common types of earthen building methods, including cob, light straw clay, wattle and daub, adobe, and more.

54m

Codes and Advocacy

Understanding building codes and how to use them is complex. Here we look at understanding permitting and codes, as well as how to legally work around them.
15m

A Fire-Safe Solution

The need for fire-safe building practices has never been more urgent. Here we look at how earthen building materials can be used to build more fire resilient structures.
31m

How-to: Adobe Bricks

Adobe bricks can be used in almost any natural building project. Knowing how to make them and having some on hand will make most of these projects easier and faster.

23m

Project: Rocket Stove

Rocket stoves can be built and used in a variety of ways. Here we will show you how to mix cob, earthen plaster, and build a rocket stove designed for outdoor cooking.

36m

Project: Cob Oven

A cob oven is a traditional style of a wood fired oven. In this lesson we will show you how to build your very own and finish it with a coat of earthen plaster.

1h 22m

Project: Earthbag Walls

Earthbag walls can be used as retaining walls, garden beds, foundations for buildings, and more. Here we share our tips and techniques for building with earthbag.

58m

Earthen House Tours

Here we will take you on a tour through 7 different earthen buildings here at Quail Springs, showcasing the unique features of each as we go.

24m

Passive Heating & Cooling

Follow our friend, Brad Lancaster around his house in Arizona as he shows us how he uses various methods of passive heating and cooling.

26m

Live Sessions and Q&A

We offer 8 optional live sessions held twice per month (12 hours total) where you can ask the instructors all of your natural building questions.

12h

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FEATURES

6.5 hours of video lessons

8 live group sessions and Q&A

4 months of online support

6 months of Access to all content

List of resources and books

Companion text to all video lessons

Online Natural Building Course - Features

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$445

for those who can afford to partially sponsor another person's tuition

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STANDARD
TUITION

$375

for those who can afford to pay the standard tuition cost

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SPONSORED
TUITION

$295
reserved for those with lower relative wealth
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Scholarships

Scholarships and self-determined sliding scale cost options available on a case by case basis. BIPOC and historically underrepresented students will be prioritized. Contact us here to inquire.

Meet The Instructors.

Sasha Rabin - Online Permaculture Design Course
Sasha Rabin

Sasha Rabin fell in love with natural building in 2002, when she began her building career with an apprenticeship at the Cob Cottage Company. Since then she has taught extensively through organizations that she co-founded, Seven Generations Natural Builders and Vertical Clay, and through collaborations with The Yestermorrow Design Build School, The Canelo Project, Cal-Earth, The Solar Living Institute, and Quail Springs Permaculture. Teaching natural building has brought her as far as the Permaculture Research

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John Orcutt
John Orcutt

In 2013 John left his job as a coral farmer seeking a more fulfilling life helping people build shelter for themselves. He spent the next three years as a nomadic natural builder and student. After studying at the Earthship Academy in New Mexico and the Cal-Earth Institute in California, John joined a crew of superadobe (earthbag) builders from Cal-Earth and built in California, Arizona, and Nepal. In April 2016, John came to Quail Springs to learn cob building, joining Sasha Rabin and Paul Swenson’s Natural Building course.

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