So you're ready to start your straw-bale building, but there are just some final, critical questions that remain unanswered? Join us for this essential 1-day course, led by Barbara Jones, which covers all the bits about straw-bale builds that you haven’t quite understood or didn’t realise you'd missed! Once you book the course, there will be an opportunity to send your specific questions to Barbara, and she will answer them during the course of the day.

LOCATION:

Todmorden College, 44 Burnley Rd, Todmorden, OL14 7BX, UK

ABOUT THE COURSE:

This is an inspiring course that any ready-to-go straw-bale builder will be relieved to have attended. With access directly to the UK's preeminent straw-bale authority, this course is likely to save you a fortune in the long run and make sure you get it right the first build around! The day will be built around participant's case study questions, but will cover topics such as;

• Natural foundations that can save you £££s
• Plinth walls and foundations – what’s the difference?
• Airtight doors & windows without expensive, environmentally harmful tapes
• Weather protection and the importance of drip edges
• How do I attach wall cupboards and sockets to straw walls?
• Compression for load-bearing & infill
• How do I build the roof first on my load-bearing building?
• Prefabrication developments

ABOUT BARBARA JONES:

Barbara is the founder of SNaB (@schoolofnaturalbuilding), and the UK’s preeminent straw-bale building authority. She has decades of experience with straw bale building, clay and lime plastering, building physics and leading work on building sites across the UK and Europe. Her book, 'Building with Straw Bales; A Practical Manual for Self-Builders and Architects' is considered the essential guide to building with straw, and Barbara brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to every course. She will ensure course participants have a wonderful learning experience.

REPRESENTATION:

The School of Natural Building is a not-for-profit BenCom, set up to benefit communities, and doesn't receive external funding. However, we believe in driving representation within the construction and building industry, and price our courses as fairly as we can to ensure that they remain accessible. Our prices include tuition, all materials and refreshments (bring your own packed lunch).

Price: £75/person

ACCESS:

Theory courses take place in Todmorden, at Tod College, which is fully wheelchair accessible and and equipped to support nearly all access needs. Should you have concerns about accessibility, you can reach out to us for more information regarding the accessibility of the course site, and we can assess the options together.

TRANSPORTATION:

The School of Natural Building believes in the urgency of the climate challenge, and our work is fundamentally about supporting a low-carbon future where people live in ways which bring us closer to the earth, back into community with our ecosystem and back to ourselves. For this reason, we urge participants to travel to our course locations via public or shared transport where possible. We'll often connect course participants via email in advance of the course, to facilitate ride-sharing.

BOOKING:

There are limited places on this course, and booking is essential. Please use the button below to pay and secure your place. Please note that for insurance reasons, all participants must be 16 or over. We look forward to meeting you, but if you have any questions ahead of attending, please email schoolofnaturalbuilding@gmail.com.