Come learn to build with the ground beneath your feet — cob, cordwood, earthen and lime plaster, and natural finishes — on a working nature retreat in the Appalachian woods. No experience needed.
Natural building means making shelter from minimally processed, local materials: earth, sand, clay, straw, timber, stone, and lime. Earth building is the heart of it: using the very soil under your feet to shape walls that are warm, breathable, non-toxic, and beautiful.
It’s one of the oldest building traditions on earth — and there’s something remarkable about walls you can shape with your own hands, that regulate humidity, resists mold, and that feel alive in a way drywall never will.
Every workshop is hands-on. Depending on the session, you’ll mix, sculpt, stack, and trowel your way through techniques like these.
Hand-sculpt clay, sand, and straw into thick, monolithic walls — the most meditative and freeform of all earthen methods.
Stack short logs within a mortar matrix to create striking, energy-efficient walls that combine high thermal mass with natural, forest-sourced materials.
Mix and trowel natural plasters and clay paints to give any wall a warm, breathable, earth-toned finish.
Weatherproof earthen walls the Appalachian way, with breathable, mold-resistant lime plasters and washes.
Cast a mix of hemp hurd, lime, and water into insulating, breathable, mold-resistant infill walls. A great fit for our mountain climate.
Sculpt a wood-fired earthen oven and seal it with natural oils and pigments.
Ready to get your hands dirty and learn a building method that is as beautiful as it is practical? Cordwood combines wood, mortar, and thoughtful design to create walls that feel earthy, artistic, and full of character.
Hands-on workshops for groups who want to learn together, spend time outside, and try something new. Bobbie works with your group to choose a topic and shape the project. No building experience required. Seriously.
A look at what we’ve taught here. Several of these come back around, so if one of them is what you’ve been waiting for, let us know and we’ll add you to the list.
Five days with Josh and Sarah of Clay Sand Soul, raising a live-log reciprocal roof and installing its green roof.
Seven sessions building our Cob Ceremony Hut and the Cordwood Amphitheater around it, from stone foundations to natural plaster.
Two hands-on weekends covering log selection, mortar and tuck-pointing, design and planning, foundations, and permitting.
Two all-inclusive camp retreats for moms, WINGS and ROOTS, with games, artmaking, yoga, campfires, and creek time.
Most workshops run two days, starting around 9 AM. You’ll spend your time building, not just watching — with demos and Q&A woven throughout.
Come as you are. Our small groups are beginner-friendly, and you’ll work shoulder to shoulder with folks of every skill level.
Add a cabin stay and settle in on the bluff. Mornings on the trails, evenings by the fire, and real skills to take home.
You’ll walk away understanding soils, mixes, and finishes well enough to start your own natural-building project.
Gather your team, school, or family for a private earth-building experience — and pair it with a whole-site rental to make the whole mountain yours. We’ll tailor the build to your group and your goals.