A Practical Introduction to Natural Building – Straw Bale, Clay Plaster, Lime Plaster

This hands-on, 3-day course at Whistlewood Common, Melbourne, Derby, is designed to give you a solid foundation in straw bale building, clay plastering, and lime plastering. Whether you're taking your first step toward a career in natural building, planning your own project, or simply eager to work with sustainable materials, this course provides the practical experience you need to move forward with confidence.

This course welcomes folks of all building abilities, and our training sites are renowned for attracting wonderful, welcoming people, so you'll feel at home on this course no matter whether you're a beginner or an experienced craftsperson.

ABOUT THE COURSE:

This workshop based course is firmly hands-on, giving participants the chance to build and plaster in a controlled environment, working collaboratively. Intended to give you the feel for straw bales and natural plasters and spark your journey in Natural Building.

PRICE:

The course fee covers all teaching, materials, handouts and contributes to the hire of the workshop space. We encourage participants to join the whole course for a holistic introduction, but individual days are available for specific interests. 

We endeavour to make our courses and events affordable to all. If you cannot afford the cost of the course, please get in contact to see how we can accommodate you.

See full Terms and Conditions here.

ABOUT YOUR TRAINER

Salli is a graduate of SNaB’s prestigious training programme, and since graduating has taught on many of SNaB’s courses, to great acclaim. She has a background in education and teaching, and is well-equipped to ensure that participants have a wonderful learning experience. Working as a natural builder for almost ten years, Salli is currently building her own large workshop from straw-bales and is planning a straw rebuild of the family home within the next year.

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, tools and equipment, (bring your own packed lunch or enjoy local options in Tod!).

ACCESS (Whistlewood Common):

Whistlewood Common is situated just off The Common between Melbourne and Ticknall. The What3Words for this is fields.though.plotter. The Number 2 bus service operates between Derby and Swadlincote. These currently run every hour. The nearest train station is: Derby (please note – the no.2 bus doesn’t go directly from the train station). Taxis take approximately 25 minutes to get here – it’s 8.5 miles from the station. There is disabled parking on site, and our roundhouse, toilets and community gardens are all wheelchair accessible. We of course welcome assistance dogs. Generally dogs are not allowed at Whistlewood as we grow food and children play on the site.

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 connect course participants via a voluntary WhatsApp group in advance of the course, to facilitate ride-sharing.

ON SITE CAMPING:

There are camping facilities on site for those who are interested. There is a yurt that can be hired or spaces that can be booked for tents. Full details will be shared in the confirmation email upon purchase of course tickets. We ask that you book directly with the venue and direct any queries to them. Thanks!

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 hello@schoolofnaturalbuilding.co.uk.