The High Desert Sustainability Institute is founded on the philosophy of shared learning in order to increase the sustainability of our home environments. Its mission is to increase awareness of alternative practices which lead to a more balanced relationship between our needs and those of Mother Earth. Our ultimate intention is to make it unnecessary to use the word ‘alternative’ to describe these practices. Our method is to present collaborative intensive workshops on energy, construction, and a lifestyle in relationship to Nature.

3-Day Straw Bale Workshop
October 15-17, 2010
Three days of hands-on experience using a slightly modified version of the techniques pioneered by Andrew Morrison as seen at strawbale.com. (Mr. Morrison is not associated with HDSI; we just highly respect his work!) We will create the bale walls for a structure which will increase living space while enormously increasing energy efficiency for a couple currently living in an RV trailer. Time allowing, we will begin on the outer soil/clay plastering, but we recognize that timing is hard to predict in alternative projects. We do not guarantee that any given plateau in the building process will be reached. The 'living roof' on this structure is not part of this workshop, though theory will be discussed. Hard work and good fun will be had in equal measure, and we will all go home with an increased confidence in our abilities.
Team Leaders are Duncan Gardner and Kevin Ascherfeld. Between then they have over 40 years of experience in conventional construction and both have a commitment to alternative practices. While on the premises of HDSI, you will also have opportunities to see our successes (solar power generation, passive solar year-round greenhouse), failures (fallen cob oven) and works in progress (Tromb wall and earth-berm temperature stabilization in stick-built construction). Workshop cost includes meals and two nights pioneer-style lodging.
Cost: $300.00/person. Non-refundable deposit of $30 required by October 1^st to reserve your spot. Balance due before or at the beginning of the workshop. Sign up here.

Next summer will bring weekend and week-long intensives (dates TBA) during which we will raise a 600 ft² cob house from foundation to roof!

For more information or to reserve your space, please write info@highdesertinstitute.com.
(If you have a default mail program, you may simply click info@highdesertinstitute.com.)

HDSI is a subsidiary of Divine Tools, Unlimited, a 501(c)(3) educational/charitable non-profit organization.