2024 dates: 21 – 25 May
(Workshops planned after July 2024 will be announced in May)
Click the image to see the full calendar
This course is especially suitable for those who:
- seek an overall introduction to earth building and discover it by practise
- have a plan/a dream to build an earth home (or any small-sized building such as a guest room, meditation/yoga/music room, outdoor kitchen etc)
We organise the same workshop in Chiang Mai at different dates and with different prices. The differences are:
Chiang Mai: Stay in a room made from earth bricks
Chiang Rai: Stay in a tent or a nearby resort.
Main points:
- Experiencing the satisfaction, effort and time involved in building by yourself. This will help you to find the right strategy for your future project (using machines, getting help from friends or volunteers, hiring workers or a contractor etc…)
- Learning three building techniques: Adobe bricks and Wattle-and-Daub
- Opportunity to practise many building details: installing windows, electricity, shelves etc
- Sharing a great time with like-minded people in a peaceful remote place
Curriculum
| Check-in 10.00 AM | DAY 1 / 11.00 AM – 6.00 PM |
| Soil testing | testing the soil to figure out if it is suitable for earth building testing several ratio of earth,sand and fiber to obtain a strong adobe brick |
| DAY 2 / 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Adobe technique | Preparing the mix and making bricks Laying the bricks by hand, and by using tools. Leveling the wall Classroom session: calculate the number of bricks; estimate the volume of soil/sand/fibers to complete a building |
| DAY 3 / 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Earth plastering and Decoration | Plastering by hand and with tools Decoration: natural painting, small sculptures |
| DAY 4 / 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Building details / Wattle-and-Daub technique | Installing window frames, electric conduits, plugs and sockets, shelves Concrete foundations and alternative foundations Wattle-and-daub: Making the frame with bamboo and wood. Filling the frame with a earth/straw mix |
| DAY 5 / 8.30 AM – 4.00 PM Check-out 5 PM | |
| Bio-climatic design | See more details below |
Day 5 : bio-climatic design
On day 5, we propose people to learn design skills and make a draft design of their home. We will not focus on the architectural design, but on the bio-climatic design.
- Bio-climatic design. Bioclimatic design refers to the design of buildings and spaces based on local climate, aimed at providing thermal comfort, making use of solar energy and other sources (wind, rain water, trees, plants etc.). The main objectives are: saving conventional energy, saving money, protecting the environment, avoiding using polluting materials to create healthy indoor living conditions.
- Further information about insulation, thermal mass, passive cooling and heating
- Examples of house design (modern, traditional) in several climates: tropical, hot, arid, temperate etc
- Comments on the design of earth buildings at Earth Home
- Thinking of your own design for your building project
- Discussing your draft design with the group and the instructor
After the course
- You will be given the digital version of the training materials related to Adobe and Wattle-and-Daub technique including additional documents (PDF files, Videos) and useful links if you wish to learn further
- You will have the possibility to ask questions related to the course for free
- You will be invited to participate in other workshops, at a discounted price (15 %).
- You will be invited to participate in our building projects (maintenance, extensions or new buildings) on our land (Chiang Rai), for a reasonable fee (600 – 800 bahts per day). This will allow you to get more practise and learn other skills
General information
Course in English. The course will be held at ‘Baan Din Doi’, 30 minutes from Chiang Rai city and will have a maximum of 8 participants.
Trainer: Alain Madec, natural builder and founder of ‘Baan Din Doi’.
Course schedule: 8.30 to 17.30 with several breaks; Lunch break: 12.00 to 13.30
Living situation
Staying in a tent on our land: Participants will stay in a tent (one or two people). We propose this simple accommodation to help making the workshop price more affordable to people.
We can provide either vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. Wifi available.
Staying in a resort: located 10 minutes from our land, stay in an air-con room in a calm place surrounded by rice paddies and mountains. You will enjoy watching the sunrise and sunset from the small garden and easily find a spot for your yoga or stretching routine.
Price and discounts
Stay at BaanDinDoi (tent): 9,200 baht/person, including instruction, accommodation in a tent for four nights, all meals during the course.
Stay in a nearby resort: 11,200 baht/person (double room or twin room with air conditing), including instruction, accomodation for four nights, transportation by car between the resort and our land, and all meals during the course. The twin room is for 2 people, then sharing with another participant will reduce the cost.
| Accommodation options | BaanDinDoi (tent) | Resort |
| Five day workshop – price for one person | 9,200 | 11,200 |
| Discount for more than one person (per person) (a) | 400 | 400 |
| Early bird discount (per person) (b) | 600 | 800 |
| Discount for joining two courses (Earth Building + Bamboo Building) : contact us |
(b) for registration until 2 months before the start date
Discounts (a) (b) and (c) cannot be added.
Night in the resort: double room (one double bed)
Twin room (two single beds)
Registration process:
- Deposit: To reserve a spot for the workshop, you will be asked to pay a 25% deposit. Contact us to know more about the cancellation/refund/deposit policy.
- Questionnaire: You will receive a brief questionnaire to know more about you: your expectations&objectives, possible food allergies etc
More information or registration, contact us at baandindoi@gmail.com or WhatsApp +66 856173480
Baan Din Doi Natural Building 