Info, news & debate
Clay & earth plasters
Virtual International Clayfest 2020 – ‘building’ skills and building ‘skills’
It’s a highlight of the natural building calendar not to be missed. EBUKI share news of this year’s upcoming virtual Clayfest, exploring and celebrating all things earth building on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th November 2020.
How to plaster straw-bale walls with clay: the second coat
Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares her tips and tricks for how to plaster straw-bale walls with clay, this time tackling the second coat.
How to plaster straw-bale walls with clay: the first coat
Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares her top tips for how to plaster straw-bale walls with clay, beginning with the first, or base, coat.
Hartwyn free natural building course: 2019 applications now open
We hear from Joe Duirwyn of Hartwyn about a fantastic free natural building learning opportunity running from June to September 2019.
Interested in earth building? Come to EBUKI’s mini Clayfest 2019 in Wales!
Rowland Keable of Earth Building UK and Ireland shares news of a mini but mighty Clayfest 2019 with the theme of building confidence in clay.
How to make natural non-toxic paint from clay
Natural builder Sigi Koko shares her tried and tested method of making natural non-toxic paint from clay.
How to build an adobe earthen floor with Sigi Koko (Part 4)
Natural builder Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares how to perfect the final finishing layer of an adobe earthen floor.
How to build an adobe earthen floor with Sigi Koko (Part 3)
Sigi Koko teaches us the different approaches to the levelling layer in Part 3 of how to build an adobe earthen floor.
How to build an adobe earthen floor with Sigi Koko (Part 2)
In Part 2 of how to build an adobe earthen floor, Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design tackles the all important base layer.
How to build an adobe earthen floor with Sigi Koko (Part 1)
Natural builder Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares how to build an adobe floor. In Part 1, we learn about the substrate through to the insulation layer critical for any earthen floor.
How to build a cob oven in your garden with Sigi Koko – Part 2
Sigi Koko of Down to Earth Design shares a step-by-step building process to help you build your very own outdoor cob oven using local natural materials.
How to build a cob oven in your garden with Sigi Koko – Part 1
We learn from Sigi Koko at Down to Earth Design about how to build a cob oven using local natural materials and firewood as fuel. In this first installment, she covers the preparation stages.
Pottery on the wild side: digging your own clay
Digging your own clay – too much hassle or a whole lot of fun? We hear from Ruby Taylor of Native Hands about how to source your own clay, as she does for her wild pottery courses in Sussex. Over to her from here…
Calling all earth-building enthusiasts – come and join Clayfest 2018!
With nine different earth building techniques covered and a whole host of activity planned, this is the place to be for anyone interested in building with earth. Rowland Keable at EBUKI tells us more.
Free natural building internship on offer from Hartwyn this summer
Natural building company Hartwyn are pleased to announce their summer 2018 free natural building internship programme is now open to applications. It’s over to Joe Duirwyn from here to tell us more.
The Big Straw Bale Gathering speakers list is now out
Jeffrey Hart of SBUK shares news about The Big Straw Bale Gathering speakers. A first of its kind event for all things straw-bale building related, find out who’ll be heading to Down to Earth near Swansea from 10-12 August 2018 below.
How to make a Japanese plaster hawk for clay plastering
Inspired by the magic of traditional Japanese clay plastering, USA-based natural builder Ziggy Liloia of The Year of Mud shares his step-by-step guide to making a Japanese plaster hawk.
Join our new online community Living Low Impact
We’re excited to introduce our new Facebook group Living Low Impact – and you’re invited!
A natural building bookshelf with Jeffrey the Natural Builder
In this post, Jeffrey the Natural Builder shares his top reading recommendations based on an original natural building books post on his blog. It’s over to him from here. Please note that this article contains affiliate links to bookshop.org – if you purchase we receive a small percentage. Thanks!
Clayfest, June 12-17: let’s build more homes with earth rather than bricks and cement
The renaissance of earth building in the UK reflects not only the beauty and utility of the material but also the pressures of rising building costs and the need for lower energy use and waste in building products.