Earthbag Essentials
Building & In-depth Plasters
Mar 21 - 24, 2026
Earthbag Essentials
The goal of this workshop is to teach a few of the natural building methods we use here at the Mojave Center and dive a bit deeper than our intro course. We will experiment with the a few of the following building styles to complete a project over our 2 day workshop period; super adobe, cob, clay plastering, lime plastering, clay sculpting & finish details!
Saturday Mar 21st - Building
Superadobe Dome Lecture
Hands on Earthbag Building
Work with Center Compass
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Sunday Mar 22nd - Intro Plasters
Types of Plasters Lecture
**Most plasters on this day will be Test Panels**
Clay Base Coat
Exterior Plasters Lecture
Lime Plasters
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Mar 23-24 : In Depth Plasters
-Spend the next two days honing plaster skills and
bring dome interior to a finished look.
-Continue Base Coat Plaster with float trowels
-Apply first fine clay coat plaster layer with steel
finish trowels
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Curriculum
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
7:00 - Dinner
Project
**Projects are always set in motion but not set in stone - take project idea with a grain of salt!**
Earth Building Project :
-Earthbag Bench in dome courtyard space
-Create outdoor garden & sitting space
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Plaster Project :
-Plaster Bench with exterior lime plaster (floats)
-Begin on interior plaster on dome
-Cob shaping coat (begin working with floats)
-Electrical and plumbing will be installed prior, but we will talk through how we did it and we will cover with plaster.
-Test panel of final coat plaster with colors
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In-Depth Plaster Days :
-Bring entry space dome to a final plaster look​​
-Cob shaping coat
-Final Clay coat
-Master floats and trowel work
Logistics
Location:
Sierra Vista, Arizona -2 hours southeast of Tucson, AZ
The property is about a 10 minute drive on a dirt road from the main paved road.
2wd vehicles can make it to the property on the dirt roads.
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Exact location sent after sign up!
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Transportation:
Transportation is only available if you attend the full workshop!
Tucson, Arizona:
Flights must land before 4pm on Mar 20th in Tucson if you'd like to be picked up from the airport by a staff member.
Private Transport from airport to the property is $80 round trip
You can also get to Tucson with the Groome shuttle from the Phoenix Airport.
Get dropped off at the university location Here
Flight Departure Mar 25th after 11am.
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Food:
Lunch is included
These will be group meals provided by our chef.
Breakfast and Dinner are a personal meal.
You will have access to the kitchen.
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Bisbee is 20 mins away with great restaurants.
Sierra vista is 20 mins away with groceries and restaurants.
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Most meals will include meat with a veggie/vegan option. We will do our best to accommodate for all dietary needs, but it always good to plan ahead & bring additional protein supplements & vitamins as we will be working physically. ​
Build Site
Casa Zata
Join us for an immersive workshop nestled in the serene landscapes of Southern Arizona. 2 hours southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Surrounded by the breathtaking beauty of the Sky Islands section of the Sonoran Desert, participants can expect to embark on a journey of discovery and inspiration.
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The workshop site was a raw piece of land that we've been developing for just over a year as we've been building our educational campus! We currently have 12 domes onsite in all various stages of building. You will see many different styles of buildings, domes and designs onsite!
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The land sits right under 5000ft of elevation.
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Exact building location will be sent after rsvp
​​Camping at Casa Zata
Most choose this option! Use the land as base camp. Plenty of land for camping. Will have access to composting toilet, camp shower and camp kitchen.
Tent Camping, RV & Vans Ok!
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Air Bnb
Check Sierra Vista for near by rentals
The property is about a 10 minute drive on a dirt road from the main paved road. A 2wd vehicle can make it to the property on the dirt roads.
Lodging
Pricing
Earthbag Essentials
Mar 21-24 - $550
Weekend Only - $300
One Day - $175
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Alumni students attend for free.
Email to RSVP.
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Dome Camp Alumni are free - email to rsvp
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Bring a friend & enjoy 15% off - (one friend only, discount goes to you!) Use Code BRINGAFRIEND​
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Cancellation policy: if you need to cancel we will refund 50% of the payment made if cancellation is made 1 month prior to workshop. If cancellation is after 1 month, we can roll over your payment to a future workshop.
