Earth Ancestry
Natural building collaboration
Jan 13 - 24, 2025
colombia
Earthen Building Workshop
Discover the art of sustainable construction in the heart of Colombia with our unique workshop, in collaboration with Jaguar Siembra. This hands-on experience blends traditional indigenous building techniques with modern earthbag construction methods to create a hybrid house that harmonizes with the environment.
Over the course of this workshop, you’ll learn how to integrate age-old wisdom from local indigenous groups with innovative natural building practices. Together, we'll construct a beautiful, functional home that embodies the spirit of community and environmental stewardship.
in collaboration with
Jaguar Siembra
Project
The Jaguar Jungle
How can we weave impactful projects while using ancient technologies to uplift them?
In collaboration with Jaguar Siembra, we will be building a 3 room structure on the newly
reacquired land that will be used as an ancient cultural heritage gathering site.
The structure in the photo to the right is our inspiration for the design. It incorporates both new and old building methods that we hope to teach during this workshop.
Traditional
Thatched Roof
Taught by the Arhauco Indigenous group native to this region
Superadobe
Cylinder walls under thatched roof made of superadobe. Bags will be laid in between posts that support roof.
Plasters
Clay Plasters on Interior
Lime/Cement Plasters on exterior
Waterproofing for wet climates
NATURE
& CULTURE
Meet Art & Ancestry
DOME CAMP
Curriculum
Tuesday Feb 20th
Arrival & Travel Day!
Wednesday Feb 21st
Introductions to Design
Center Compass
Foundations
Superadobe basics
Superadobe Design & Rules Lecture
Hands on Superadobe Building
Feb 22nd - 27th
Hands on Superadobe Building
Laying technique
Height compass navigation
Door & Window Forms
Material mixing
Soil-testing
Material sourcing
Arches
Drafting & Design
Wednesday Feb 28th
Capping of Dome
Workshop Closure
Thursday Feb 29th
Departure Day
Work Day Schedule
7:30 - Breakfast
8:30 - Game / Morning Stretch
9:00 - Morning On Site Build Session
12:00 - Lunch
1:00 - Afternoon On Site Build Session
5:00 - Work Day End
6:00 - Evening Lecture
7:00 - Dinner
Logistics
Location:
Guachaca, Magdalena, Colombia
Fly into Santa Marta, Colombia or Barranquilla, Colombia Airport
Transportation:
Santa Marta, Colombia:
Flights must land before 2pm on Jan 12th in Santa Marta.
Take the city bus from airport or taxi towards Parque Tayrona.
Will be about 1 - 1.5 hour bus ride (about 2 pesos)
The public bus transport is VERY SAFE and reliable.
Go past Parque Tayrona and get off at Guachaca. Walk to hostel.
Barranquilla :
Flights must land before 11am on Jan 12th in Barranquilla.
Take taxi to Bus Terminal
From the Terminal take large bus to Santa Marta
(about 30 pesos and 2 hours of travel time)
The public bus transport is VERY SAFE and reliable.
From Santa Marta Terminal get on city bus towards Parque Tayrona.
Go past Parque Tayrona and get off at Guachaca. Walk to hostel.
Food:
Food is included & will be group meals.
Meals will vary between; dinners out at restaurants in town, quick morning burritos before work days; cooked meals in the camp kitchen. A chef will prepare all the meals
Colombian food is predominately meat & seafood based. If you do not eat meat or fish, we will try our best to accommodate. It is always good to plan ahead & bring additional protein supplements & vitamins as we will be working physically.
Build Site
This workshop promises a unique experience as we will converge in rural La Paz, Mexico, about 30 minutes outside of the city near El Coyote Dos, for a week-long endeavor. Nestled on a stunning property, the location not only offers a picturesque setting but also immerses workshoppers in the rich tapestry of Mexican culture. This hands-on construction experience in such a captivating environment ensures a memorable and authentic course for all participants.
The workshop will be taught in both English & Spanish
Spanish fluency is not required
Build Site Location
Exact location will be sent after rsvp
El Coyote Dos
Beach down the road from the job site
Air Bnb
Beautiful Air Bnb in La Paz.
Two bedrooms
Private room - queen bed
Shared room with double beds.
Neighbor Ramonas
Rural home stay across the street from build site. Spanish speaking household. Multiple bedrooms & toilets. Rural rustic amenities. Kitchen, Living
Tent Camping at Build Site
Use Ramonas's home as base camp. Plenty of land for camping
Lodging
Ramona, Home Stay
Air Bnb in La Paz
Land for Camping
Pricing
Dome Workshop
$1100
10 spaces available
Food included
Airport Transport Included
Lodging Reservations on RSVP Page
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Full payment required upon arrival
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Alumni enjoy 25% off
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Bring a friend & enjoy 15% off - (one friend only, discount goes to you!)
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Discounts for returning students & bring a friend discounts are by cash payments only
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Cancellation policy: if you need to cancel, we will refund 50% of full payment if you cancel 14 days prior to workshop. This allows enough time to fill your spot. We do not refund deposits. If you need to cancel after the 14 day window we will roll over your payment to a future workshop.