Straw Bale Construction and Natural Building

with Andrew Hellebust , P.Eng. Rivercourt Engineering Inc.

Details on the various types of grey water and rainwater systems in use: advantages and limitations, commercial and custom systems, plumbing and site requirements, and the laws governing these systems.  A tour of the Home Alive! system is included.

Refreshments will be provided. Please bring your own lunch- and a travel mug if you have one!

with Adam Krop of Evolve Builders Group

With a little know-how you can learn how to select the right soils to make cob and start sculpting the built environment around you.  Cob and various mud-straw building techniques have been used for thousands of years.  It is a free form technique that can create beautiful organic shapes and lines.  Learn about cob construction so you can build undulating benches, flowing walls, garden sheds, sculptures and other features for your home and garden with all natural materials. This workshop will cover how to test your soil, how to mix cob, how to stack it into load bearing monolithic structures and various cob building techniques to turn a pile of mud into a home.  This is a very hands on workshop so be prepared to get muddy!

With Shelly Hannah: carpenter and straw bale builder      

Build your confidence and your skills! In this one day workshop participants will get hands-on experience with an assortment of tools and techniques. Learn how to use and maintain tools safely and properly, from a utility knife to a table saw, and gain the confidence to tackle creative construction projects on your own.

Refreshments will be provided. Please bring your own lunch -and a travel mug if you have one!

With David McAuley, Architect, Building Biologist & Feng Shui Practitioner

We are hoping to offer this workshop in the Everdale in the City series in winter 2008/2009.

This is your dream and for most, a major life investment! Let's make it live on paper and reflect your lifestyle, property and budget. A full day of learning about the process, sketching imaginative, sustainable, efficient designs and working your ideas into conceptual sketches or a programme of needs you can use to communicate with other builders, professionals and municipalities. An emphasis on site-specific opportunities, healthy design, green home ergonomics and spatial planning. Bring along a survey plan, written needs and preferences. We’ll supply pencils and sketch paper.

Suggested reading:

The Toronto Botanical Garden and Everdale present...

This workshop is postponed.. please contact Lynn Bishop, lynn@everdale.org if you are interested in this workshop.

The Toronto Botanical Garden and Everdale present.

Joshua Abush M.Eng. P.Eng., principal of Joshua Four Limited (www.joshuafour.com).