Date(s) - 10/24/2020 - 10/25/2020
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Location
Blue Rock Station
NOTE: This workshop is postponed until after concerns regarding Covid have passed. As of Oct 1st this county (Muskingum) is experiencing more cases than any moment to this date.
These workshops are designed to take you out of your normal day-to-day and transport you into the world of Blue Rock Station. The workshop begins as early as you wish to arrive on Saturday (provided it is not before 10 am). You will settle in to your straw bale cabin*, get acquainted, have a cup of tea, and discuss the goals of the weekend. Some folks are anxious to jump right in and get to work on a project, others want to just sit at the overlook and dream. How much or how little you get your hands and feet dirty is up to you. No pressure.
The schedule will also be weather dependent. If the weather is nice, we will spend more time outdoors working on construction techniques. If the weather is, shall we say, less than nice – we will stay indoors around the fire and discuss the issues and challenges in using Earthship construction techniques in a cold and damp climate.
At some point we will take a tour of Blue Rock Station. This is similar to our regularly conducted tour and takes between 2-3 hours. You are welcome to join in or to work on your project. Again, entirely up to you. After the tour, work on the project continues up until dinner.
Sunday morning will begin with a continental breakfast – then onto the project (until lunch). We will dine at the overlook (weather permitting) taking in the views of the foothills of the Appalachians. Work will continue in the afternoon until you feel the need to return to the “real world”.
This Weekend’s project will be: Earthships 101: A Behind the Scenes look at permits, costs, building and living in an Earthship
You’ve read about them in magazines. You’ve perhaps seen them on television. You may have even convinced yourself that you would like to build one. But just what is an “Earthship” and how hard would it be to create and live in one? If you have ever wondered if you might have the energy, the desire and the stamina to build your own amazingly comfortable home from old tires, a pile of earth and a sledge hammer – then this workshop is for you.
Spend the weekend at Blue Rock Station to learn the basics of Earthship concepts. No need to run all the way out to New Mexico – we have one right here in Ohio.
Learn the techniques used to:
- Water-proof Earthships for a colder and wetter climate (and not the desert southwest)
- How to capture water for use inside the house (we will discuss the rainwater harvesting to drinking water filtration system)
- Creating indoor wetlands (harnessing and reusing grey water)
- How to use wetlands effectively
- The tricks to mud plastering
- How to pound rammed-earth tires effectively to create the basic structure of the Earthship
- plus everything we would have done differently if we knew then what we know now
You’ll also have an opportunity to view Earthship design plans, ask questions about the basics of design, discover area professionals who could serve as professional resources, and take a tour of Ohio’s first Earthship.
Normally this type of information is provided in a consulting setting at a fee of $75 per hour. But during this workshop we can discuss your specific ideas (time permitting) and we will also highlight the “what we would do differently if we knew then what we know now” changes we would make to the original Earthship designs.
We limit these weekend retreats to 8 students – so as close to one-on-one instruction as you can get without actual one-on-one instruction (which we refer to as consulting).
Earthship & Sustainability Tour:
Re-thinking is the first step in your journey to create a sustainable living way of life. Take a tour of the 2,200 square foot house that utilizes tires, cans, old barn wood, bottles, straw bales and mud to form a home heated by the sun, earth and wood.
Learn about the struggles and victories involved in building an Earthship (or other alternative structures). Including:
- Zoning
- Inspections
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Cistern use
- And much more…
You’ll have a pleasant time in the countryside at Blue Rock Station, meet some interesting people and enjoy high tea at the end of the time together.
The “Retreat” part of the Retreat:
One night in a straw bale cabin is included in the registration fee. The cabins are very rustic, fairly cozy and pretty cool (enclosed with electricity – but that’s about it). But please bring your own sleeping bag and pillow (unless flying in – then we can accommodate you). There is also a solar shower available and composting toilets (and you thought you would be roughing it). We will provide a locally sourced lunch on Saturday. Saturday evening dinner is on your own (at a local restaurant or feel free to bring your own stuff). We will then have a breakfast feast Sunday morning, all the tea and coffee you care to drink – and again a beautiful locally sourced lunch on Sunday (hopefully at the overlook – weather permitting).
We have two miles of wooded hiking trails should you care to take an after meal stroll.
Reservations are a must to avoid disappointment. Be sure to bring along some sturdy work gloves, wear sensible shoes that can survive mud, and sun glasses, if it is a sunny day. Workshop FAQ’s.
Or you can contact us here at Blue Rock Station at (740) 674-4300, e-mail us or register instantly and pay by credit card by clicking the button below…
2020 Workshop Dates: April 25th-26th or October 24th-25th
$195 Single (with cabin of your own)*
$250 (two people – sharing a cabin)*
No pets please (this is a working farm). Also, please read the workshop rules and FAQ’s for events at Blue Rock Station.
(*by registering, you agree to the terms outlined in the Waiver of Liability)