2023 Dates: 22 – 26 June; 7 – 11 September; 9 – 13 November
Workshop organized by BaanDinDoi and hosted by ‘Earth Home’ near Chiang Mai
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 Rai 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 two 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 home stay made of nine earth houses
- Stay in a earth room and experience the beauty and coolness of a building made of earth
Pre-work (self-reading)
Before the course, the trainees will be sent the necessary information to start the hands-on sessions with confidence. Two evening classroom sessions will be focused on questions and answers.
- Composition of the soil, soil testing
- Technical words
- Concrete and alternative foundations
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 needed to complete a building Evening session: Q&A |
| DAY 3 – 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Earth plastering | Plastering by hand and with tools. Learning how to find the right ratio. Simple elements of decoration (earth paint, simple sculptures). |
| DAY 4 – 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Building details | Installing window/door frames, shelves, electric conduits, plugs and sockets. Evening session: Foundations |
| DAY 5 – 8.30 AM – 5.00 PM Check-out 6 PM | |
| Wattle-and-Daub technique Foundation | Making the frame with bamboo and wood. Filling the frame with a earth/straw mix Connecting an earth wall with the foundation |
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
Workshop in English, limited to 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
Our host can provide either vegan, vegetarian or non-vegetarian food. Wifi available.
We ask all participants to refrain from any illegal drug use or excessive drinking while staying in the place.
Accommodation
You will stay in a adobe bricks room. The bedroom has its own private toilet and bathroom.
Your stay at Earth Home
Earth Home, or Mae Jo Baan Din in Thai, is a home stay designed with sustainability and environmental awareness at its heart. It has nine hand built earth brick houses for guests to stay, a coffee-shop with WiFi, a large kitchen, an earth oven and a garden with many veggies and fruits. All food is lovingly cooked by Earth Home team. You will enjoy many relaxing spots for sleeping in a hammock, reading in the shade or doing your morning yoga or meditation routine. Located in the heart of a small village and surrounded by rice fields, Earth Home is 15 minutes walk from Pun Pun, a well-known organic farm and center for resilience founded by Jon Jandai and the members of Pun Pun community.
Price and discounts
10,400 baht/person, including instruction, accommodation for four nights, all meals during the course.
Extra night the last day including diner and breakfast: 650 bahts/person
| Price in Thai baht | |
| One person | 10,400 |
| Discount for more than one person (per person) (a) | 400 |
| Early bird discount (per person) (b) | 800 |
(b) for registration until 2 months before the start date
Discounts (a) and (b) cannot be added. Only the early bird discount will be calculated.
For more information or registration, contact us at baandindoi@gmail.com
Baan Din Doi Natural Building 