Natural Building Course

It is possible to extend the PDC course for a further week to undertake a natural building course from the 1st to the 7th of February.

Building on the learning during the PDC, this course will introduce many of the foundations needed to understand natural building and provide the tools necessary to consider context of site as well as the systems surrounding any building. Natural building uses locally sourced materials to create intriguing, beautiful and comfortable structures. Learn how to utilize these materials and the environment to assist with many aspects of design and construction.

 

Incorporating closed loop system approaches, modeling human industry on nature’s processes,  as well as natural building techniques, participants will combine classroom learning with hands on building; using mud bricks (made on site), earth bags, bamboo, recycled materials, stone and timber.

 

Topics Covered Include:

  • Site selection and context
  • Closed loop principles
  • Foundations and Roofing – important points to remember
  • Natural building materials - basics and characteristics
  • Passive heating and cooling
  • Thermal mass and insulation
  • Natural ventilation
  • Incorporating closed loop systems into design – water and waste
  • Energy – sourcing and efficiency
  • Design and development
Apply now!

When

Date
 01/02/2016 - 07/02/2016
Class hours 09:00 - 13:00
Hands on 15:00 - 17:00

Where

SAE LAO project is based in Ban Nathong, 7km West of Vang Vieng in the Vientiane Province of Lao PDR. Around 300m from the blue lagoon, a beautiful and popular tourist destination, the project is on the edge of the forest, surrounded by dramatic limestone mountains and rice fields.

Costs

The optional week in natural building will be charged at 280€ per person (for dormitory accommodation, if wishing to have private accommodation the same rates apply as above). The NGO special price* for the additional week of natural building is 160€ EUR per person.

 

* If you work for an NGO and believe that permaculture could help your organization achieve its goals, please email us about the NGO discounted rate. Unfortunately the additional cost for private accommodation is not included in the discount.

Teacher

Victoria Wood

The one week natural building course at the beginning of February will be taught by Victoria Wood, an ARB registered architect who now works full time at the SAE LAO project as general coordinator. At SAE LAO she has been implementing closed loop systems on site, as well as managing the many projects that the NPA undertakes.

 

Victoria trained in England, where she specialized in closed loop systems and has worked in England, Australia and Lao realizing a wide range of construction projects. The current natural building project at SAE LAO was designed and overseen by Victoria.

 

She is passionate about architecture, environmental systems and architecture seen as a system and not just as a building. Utilising waste so that it becomes a nutrient in the system instead of a hazard to the environment, examining energy flows and considering site all become part of a building design.  Having worked in large companies abroad, Victoria has come to SAE LAO to work on projects that she is passionate about.