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Water Systems & Integrated Design

With Art Ludwig, Penny Livingston-Stark and Brock Dolman

July 5-8, 2008

Introduction to Cob and Earthen Construction

With Art Ludwig, Penny Livingston-Stark and friends

July 9-12, 2008

Regenerative Design Institute, Bolinas, CA

Summary: Information and background reading resources for the 3-day Water Wizard workshop

On this page:

Water Systems & Integrated Design
What this Course is About
Helpful Prep
Cob and Earthen Construction workshop
About
Course Logistics

Water Systems and Integrated Design

What This Course Will Explore

Principles of ecological design and the function of wild natural water systems
Water site assessment and mapping, and water testing: dissolved solids, flow, general and fecal coliforms, turbidity surveying elevations, calculating water pressure on gravity fed systems
Water systems design: a look at Commonweal Garden's water supply
Fundamentals of grey water design
Wastewater systems as examples and for hands on experience
Basins of Relations, "Thinking Like a Watershed"
Design clinic: Bring a background site map, photos and site assessment from your own project for possible use in this clinic

Helpful Preparation

The more of the background info below you understand (or have been exposed to) before coming, the more you will get out of the workshop.

The following is worth reading all the way through:

Principles of Ecological Design (article)
Water quality testing (download)
Greywater site assessment/ system checklist (PDF)
Eco Home Checklist [draft] (doc)
Water Storage (book)
The New Create an Oasis with Grey Water (book)

This stuff will add more depth if you can scan or read any of it:

Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands (book)
Stub outs
Eco village house
Common grey water mistakes
Wild Water Wisdom (article)
Stub outs & collection plumbing checklist (PDF)

Cob and Earthen Construction workshop

What this Course Will Explore

Join us at Commonweal Garden for this hands-on workshop and gain experience with Cob Construction and Natural Finishes. We will focus on the building of a small spiral cob structure, along with, the completion of a hybid straw structure - straw bale/light straw clay/straw wattle. We will explore the art of earthen plasters and learn the details of finishing a building to accomplish elegance, form and style. Other natural building techniques will also be explored.

Presentations include:

Siting a building
Design considerations for natural buildings including details on foundations and drainage, living roof design, windows, doors, utilities, etc.
Overview of various combinations of natural materials and how they behave
Onsite round wood construction, cord wood, straw bale, light straw clay, straw wattle, wattle & daub, earthen paints and plasters

Hands on experience includes:

Construction of a small cob structure
Living roof design
Making and applying natural finishes and plasters to earthen buildings
Finishing details for a cord wood + cob structure
Finishing details for a Straw Bale/ Light Straw Clay/ Straw Wattle Hybrid

Course Logistics

On-site camping and organic meals are included in the course fees.

The water workshop starts at 5pm on Saturday, July 5, and ends at 5pm on Tuesday, July 8. We recommend arriving by 4pm on Saturday to set up camp and get oriented to the site.

The cob and earthen construction workshop starts at 9am on Wednesday, July 9, and ends at 5pm on Saturday, July 12. You are welcome to arrive on Tuesday, July 8 after 5pm to set up camp. (Dinner on Tuesday evening is not included.)

For more info and registration, see the Water Wizard and Cob and Earthen Construction course listings on Regenerative Design Insitute's web site.