Practical Course: Clay Plastering with Simon Lovatt - Week 1
Practical Course: Clay Plastering with Simon Lovatt - Week 1
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Join us for a 5-day practical course, learning the essential skills of clay plastering onto hempcrete walls. The course welcomes folks of all building abilities, whether you're a total beginner or an experienced craftsperson. We pride ourselves on creating inclusive and welcoming build sites, open to all.
This is the first of two clay plastering courses at this site. The second is running 7th - 11th September.
LOCATION:
Herefordshire
We will be plastering a 1 storey hempcrete bungalow for a couple based on Permaculture and Regenerative Architecture principles! Our clay plastering course covers the practical aspects of clay plastering onto hempcrete (applicable to other surface types) and by the end of the course, participants will have gained both knowledge and hands-on construction experience which includes:
- The differences between key coat, body coat and finish coat
- How to determine mixes for each type of coat
- A basic understanding of how to process fresh clay into plaster
- The differences between using products and using your own clay
- The benefits of clay plasters & how they can help to combat climate change
- Use of different types of plastering tools
- Creating reveals around windows and doors
- Practical application of body coat
- Finishing techniques
- and much more!
ABOUT THE LIVE BUILD:
Learning with us on this project will give you experience with plastering a hempcrete building, with a focus on using low-impact, natural and recycled materials. The build is quite innovative in that it has a waterless toilet and an integrated drainage system where all the grey and surface water will feed the garden. Participants will receive a Clay Plastering certificate from the School of Natural Building.
ABOUT THE TRAINER:
Simon Lovartt is a heritage builder, craftsperson and founder of Calch a Chlai Cymru, a Welsh-based organisation working with traditional lime, clay building materials and regenerative building practices. He is committed to low-impact construction, vernacular craft, and restoring the cultural knowledge of land-based materials.
PRICING:
We endeavour to make our courses and events affordable to all and have a limited number of subsidised places available for those who truly cannot afford the standard rate. We don't ask for proof of income, but ask that you use your judgement when purchasing.
£400 - Sponsored / income over 30k rate
£300 - Individual rate
£150 - Subsidised rate
See full Terms and Conditions here.
ACCOMMODATION:
* Participants are responsible for arranging their own accommodation *
Camping - a limited amount of camping is available on site, on a first come first serve basis.
Howle Hill - has plenty of self catering accommodation.
Walford - is the nearest village.
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 WhatsApp group in advance of the course, to facilitate ride-sharing (which might also help with aligning accommodation options).
Practical courses take place on construction sites, which often means participants will be walking on rough terrain or through spaces which pose accessibility issues. Please get in contact to discuss your access needs and the accessibility of specific courses via hello@schoolofnaturalbuilding.co.uk.
BOOKING:
Places are limited, we reccommend booking early!
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, and daily refreshments (bring your own packed lunch).
Please note that for insurance reasons, all participants must be 16 or over. We look forward to meeting you on site, but if you have any questions ahead of attending, please email hello@schoolofnaturalbuilding.co.uk.
Location
Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9