Host a Workshop
Apply to host a Mojave Center workshop on your land!
We are very ecstatic to begin hosting workshop offsite of our Mojave Center location as a way to give back to our surrounding community and previous students that have taken workshops with us. Hosting workshops off site allows us to keeping sharing the knowledge around natural building to communities beyond our own network, therefore continuing to share our mission of utilizing natural elements in our everyday lives for sustainable living & building.
Education is our main priority,
*we are not for hire for natural building jobs, only educational focused projects please.
Build
Breakdown
Building Sizes & Expectations
Our typical offsite workshops tend to be 9 days in length to achieve building a 9.5ft diameter dome in the bagging & structural phase. This is the timeline for using a 14 or 15” wide earthbag.
We choose 9.5 and below because once you go above 10ft in diameter you need to use a larger bag size as well as extra bagging around the base for extra structural support. This adds extra time to the projected timeline and cost.*
*We can build larger sizes however each specific build will varying timelines and costs/workshop formats.
Estimated Timeline to Build
in the structural phase:
9.5 dome - 9 days
11ft dome - 14 days
12ft dome - 15 days
14ft dome- 18 days
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Any workshop over 9 days will require “rest” days. We will need places for people to rest in isolation as being in social environments for long periods of time is exhausting. For longer workshops we require more comfortable living situations on-site rather than our 9 day "dome camp" structure.
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If you are looking to combine more than 2 domes together this will need much more coordination, longer timelines, and will most likely be treated as an apprentice program location.
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All timeline estimates above are for the structural building phase only. This means the bagging portion/wall structure. Plasters, electrical, plumbing, doors, and window installation are not included in these timelines.
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Day rate is $400 per day for 2 instructors. A 9.5 dome takes 9 days of instructor coordination to compete.
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If you have attended a workshop with us already, the instructor fee is waived.
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Flights/Travel for instructors is to be covered and purchased by you.
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You are responsible for purchasing all of the materials needed to build the dome: bag, cement, gravel, mixers, tools etc
Power & water must be on-site already.
A more detailed list is below!
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We can assist in guidance of materials and where to purchase the bags from.
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Pricing for all materials is location dependent
Investment
Pre-requisites:
We like when our all future offsite clients to attend a dome workshop prior to hosting on your own land. This is so you know the building process, logistical undertaking required to host your own build, and the basic accommodations for 20+ students to be on your land.
Design
& coordination
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We will draw up design plans & ideas with layouts to choose from.
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A "rough budget" plan and materials price list will be sent over adjusted to your desired dome size & design.
Design
9.5ft Diameter Dome Materials Price List Estimate:
Prices vary on location
The larger the dome, the more materials you will need.
-1/2 ton of pea gravel (call local gravel yard)
-30 bags of 90lb cement ($600 at $18/bag)
-14 or 15" Earthbag roll ($900)
-will have plenty extra after build enough to build another dome.
- 12.5 guage barbed wire ($129)
- 12ft tall 1-1/2" Compass pole ($100)
-Plywood for forms ($200)
-Mixer ($300)
-Various building tools listed below:
Materials Estimate Total for 9.5ft : $2200
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We do not pull permits on dome workshops.
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We can help assist in anyway we can by supplying the drawings and layout plans, but we will not pull the permit for you.
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We tend to stick to under 120sqft builds (location dependent) so we don't have to pull permits and the dome is an accessory unit.
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If you'd like to pull a permit you will need to hire a structural engineer for your permitting process.
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Call your local building inspector/code enforcer for more permitting information.
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If you are planning on building in San Bernardino County CA, you will NEED to plan on hiring an engineer.
Permitting
9.5' + 8' Art Studio Dome
Is your land
ready?
Build Site Logistics
- Build site is flattened & leveled
-Fill dirt has been loosed & prepped
- Mixers with 120v power
-Water delivery or access available for 250gal or more per day
Will need onsite before the workshop begins
- Wheelbarrows
-Shovels
-Metal Buckets
-Paint Cans
-Barbed Wire
-Cement
-Earthbags
-Gravel
-Center Compass Pole
-Plywood
-Jig saws/skill saws
-Drill & Screws
A more details materials list is in the application form
Materials List
Dome
Camp!
Hosting for large groups can require a lot of prep work! Especially for long periods of time & while expecting physical labor. Ideally we like to keep our group sizes between 15 - 20. Here's what we've found works best!
Workshop Guest Logistics
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Lodging for students is highly encouraged! If you have access to nearby air-bnbs or rentals that they can rent out that is always a good option as students have varying comfort levels. Otherwise, we just have to let people know that’s it’s camping only. It is hard to do a multi-dome complex with camping only workshoppers as they can get exhausting living in the outdoors for extended time.
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Camping On-site must be available
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Camp Kitchen (Does not have to be fancy!)
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Toilets & Shower must be available (again not fancy!)
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A chef with a cooking space will need to be arranged. Food and chef cost is to be covered by you. This is important for rural areas as well as so we can have timely breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals to keep the dome workshop on schedule!
Location & Exploration
When choosing a workshop location, we like when the location has nearby attractions for workshoppers to explore & decompress in their down time.
This can look like nearby rivers, lakes, beach quaint towns, mountains, hiking, hot springs, etc.
The more desirable the place, the easier it will be to fill the workshop spots!
Workshop sign ups
We will organize all the workshoppers and require that a minimum of 8 workshoppers are needed to sign up in order for the workshop to happen.
If we do not have at least 8 students signed up we will most likely have to postpone the workshop to a later date. We are dependent on number of students in order to make the build happen!
Final
Workshop End
At the end workshop you are left with dome that has been completed in the structural phase.
Plaster and finishwork are not included. We can try our best to teach you the plaster recipes but can only guarantee the structural element of the dome during our timelines.
*Our goal is to promote this style of construction and give you the tools to continue forwards with more domes without our instruction. We will always do our best to support you the finish experience we have with these buildings for free.
Ready to Build?
Fill out our application form and lets begin the process!
We are booked full for domes in 2024
Apply now to get on our 2025 schedule!