Puerto Rico Earthbag Dome
Building Workshop
A collaboration between
Earthen Hand
www.earthenhand.com
and
Tropic Ventures
www.eyeontherainforest.org
April 10th-20th, 2010
Las Casas de la Selva
Patillas, Puerto Rico
Learn how to build and design earthbag domes. Experience the lush rainforest of Puerto Rico while you are there!
Create an earthbag structure in the lush rainforest of Puerto Rico! During the course of your stay, you will help to build a thirteen foot diameter caternary earthen dome at Las Casas de la Selva, a sustainable forestry project. This will be the first earthbag building project in Puerto Rico, and will provide a low-cost hurricane-proof alternative for housing at this project and throughout the island. Participants will learn everything that they need to build structurally sound domes using little more than earth from the site.
Lectures:
Earthen Dome construction
Earth Bag construction
Cob construction
Earth plasters
Rubble trench foundations
Dome building is an ancient art that is still used today in many parts of the world. It is one of the fastest and simplest ways to enclose a space, and is ideal for desert environments. Participants will learn everything needed to build structurally sound domes using earth. Our design is a simple caternary dome with four windows and a door. Almost all our materials will come from the building site itself.
More: http://www.earthenhand.com/why.html
Activities
Evening Talks about Puerto Rican history and culture, and sustainable forestry in Puerto Rico
Experience Puerto Rican mountain culture at the lechonaras in Guavate, get your groove on to some meringue!
Salsa dance class
Rainforest ecology walk talk, and visit swimming hole/waterfall
Day out - Trip to beach, historical Old San Juan, and kayaking in bioluminescent bay
Evening music with Andres Rua
A typical day
8:00 am – Breakfast
9:00 am – Start work building, in the cool of the morning
1:00 pm – Break for lunch
2-5 pm – Afternoon lectures/classes, or a walk in the jungle
6:30 pm – Dinner
7:30 pm onwards – Evening programs, lectures, or music.
Scott Howard combines a relaxed teaching style with almost ten years of showing people how to build with earth. He founded Earthen Hand Natural Building in 2002, with the goal to build and promote artistic earthen architecture. He offers workshops about earthen building techniques locally and abroad. He is available for hire as artist, builder, designer, or consultant. More: www.earthenhand.com/about
Patricia Boyko has been working with Las Casas de la Selva since February of 2008. A traveler, chef, artisan, creator, and scientist, she currently researches vines and fungi at Las Casas, as well as experiments with their potential use of secondary forest products. With a passion for ecology and the land, she is working to develop and promote more sustainable building and development practices in Puerto Rico, as well as increase infrastructure at the project.
Why Take This Workshop?
Participants will gain skills to create healthy, practical and sustainable structures.
Create a beautiful building which will seve as a domonstration of ecological and affordable hurricane-safe building in Puerto Rico
Support sustainable forestry and rainforest enrichment
Enable locals to learn valuable alternative building skills, in a place where nearly all building is done using cement
Register Now,
Enroll early before the course fills up!
Where we will be:
Las Casas de la Selva (the houses of the jungle), Patillas, Puerto Rico
About Las Casas de la Selva
Las Casas de la Selva Rain Forest Enrichment Project consists of 1000 acres of spectacular rainforest land in the central highlands of Puerto Rico. The project's mission is to research and demonstrate the economic use of rain forest land using methods that do not destroy the forest ecology. We have been conducting studies here for the last nine years monitoring tree growth and diversity, lizards, coquis (frogs), and experimenting with secondary forest products. We're working on building an ethnobotanical trail through the forest, to help visitors learn about the traditional uses of many of the plants and trees of Puerto Rico.
In this amazing jungle setting, you will also have the opportunity to learn about rainforest ecology and studies, sustainable forestry, organic agriculture, and the rich Puerto Rican history and culture. We will also go for excursions into the forest to a swimming hole, to our closest village for a day of music and dancing, and out around the island to historical Old San Juan, amazing beaches, and kayak through an incredible bioluminescent bay.
Participants can also volunteer beyond the workshop at the center of Las Casas de la Selva.
More: www.eyeontherainforest.org
Weather
The forest's elevation of 600 meters (1800 feet) provides year round temperatures averaging 71.7 F (22 C). With the prevailing Easterly trade winds delivering an average annual rainfall of 120 inches (3 m), the year-round humidity is high. There are seasons where it can rain for several days continuously, others that can be dry for more than several days or weeks. Participants can expect their schedules to change depending on the weather, when some tasks become impossible to fulfill.
Accomodations
Participants will stay in our bunkhouse or in large tents on platforms under roofs, keeping the camping area dry and protected. The bunkhouse and the tents are located near the main house. Either one or two people of the same gender will be in a tent, depending on the number of volunteers. It may be possible to accommodate couples in private tents. While tents are provided, volunteers wishing to bring and pitch their own are welcome to do so. Mattresses will be provided in the tents. The bunkhouse accommodates ten. If you have a preference for one or the other sleeping areas, staff will do their best to accommodate you, but arrangements will depend on the number and gender of volunteers. Sheets and pillows will be provided for both the tents and the bunkhouse; however, volunteers should bring their own lightweight sleeping bags, as the evenings may occasionally be chilly and breezy (volunteers should remember that while they will be in the tropics, the project itself is located in the mountains, which can be considerably cooler at night than lower elevations). There is a shower block with four showers that have hot and cold running water, along with two toilets. The main building is small with a library/office and kitchen, which is open on one side. Attached to this building is a long roof sheltering an open-air dining area. The dining area will be open to the volunteers at all hours of the day, to relax in one of the hammocks, read a book, or play cards at the table.
Refrigerator space is limited but available for volunteers who must bring items that need refrigeration (e.g. medications). However, food is good and plentiful, so you do not need to bring food items unless you have dietary restrictions or favorite snacks.
Laundry facilities are very limited and it is advised you bring enough clothing so that you will not need to wash clothes during the course. In extremely wet and muddy conditions, this may not be possible and project staff will arrange laundry batches asking participants to combine loads and wash only the most urgently needed items. Depending on the weather, it may take up to three days for clothes to air dry- there are no dryers on site.
The area is subject to frequent power failure during heavy rains and there is a small generator for essential use onsite. Participants are welcome to bring electronic equipment but should remember that humidity can be damaging to electronic equipment and that the power is irregular. Candlelight dinners are a frequent occurrence!
Participants should generally be prepared to do without phone and email for their stay. There is cell phone service in a few areas on the homestead, however. The project site has high-speed Internet service with wireless connection, but limited download for the researchers, and email may be available to volunteers on a limited basis. Participants are welcome to bring their own laptops with wireless card if they wish, but mustn’t forget that the climate can be very damaging to electronic equipment. Unless you absolutely have to bring electronic devices, it is not recommended that you do so. Please do not plan to conduct business by Internet during the expedition, as there is very limited office space available. You are strongly encouraged to tell friends and colleagues that you will be out of communication during your stay except for emergencies. Come and enjoy the rainforest--leave the office behind!
Food
Two volunteers will be asked to assist with the dinner preparation and clean up each breakfast and dinner. The project staff are great cooks, and volunteers will have the opportunity to sample Caribbean cooking and exotic world cuisine. Meals will be nutritionally balanced, and dinners will contain meat on some nights but may not every night. Vegetarian and vegan options will always be available, however you may want to bring some snacks for the day out, as vegetarian food is generally uncommon in Puerto Rico. Local fruits and vegetables, and seasonal greens from the garden will be used whenever possible. Allergies or other dietary restrictions can be accommodated for, please let us know in advance!
What to bring
Pillow (optional)
Sleeping bag
Headlamp
Long sleeve shirts for work (you will get dirty)
Pants
Forest Safe Boots (close-toed)
Flip flops/sandals
Work Gloves
Bug repellent
Reusable Water Bottle
Any medicine you need
“Comfort Clothes”- Sweats, pajamas, etc.
Bathing suit
“Nice” clothes for the day out
Tent (optional)
Camera (optional)
Travel requirements
Participants are required to book and pay for their own airfare to and from SJU airport in San Juan. All transportation on the island, including to and from the airport, will be taken care of and is included in the cost. US citizens do not require a passport to enter Puerto Rico, as it is a commonwealth of the United States of America. All non-US citizens are required to present a valid passport to enter Puerto Rico. US citizens should bring a driver’s license or other valid form of ID.
Payment Guide:
1) Reserve your spot $200 (non-refundable, unless we cancel)
2) Full tuition payment must be received by 3/15/10. payment plans available
3) $1400 per person.
Includes: food, lodging, transportation to and from the San Juan Airport, transportation on the day out, and all classes and lectures.
Not included: airfare, food/recreation on the day out (eg. kayaking).
$80 per day for Puerto Rico residents. Includes hands-on building experience, talks of the day, and lunch!
Some scholarships available to Puerto Rico residents involved in ecological development or community action. Please contact Patricia Boyko by email (patty.boyko [at] gmail.com)
10% off for bringing a friend. (e.g. if I bring my friend to the course also, then I get 10% off my balance.)
To Register:
We accept check, money order, or paypal.
Make checks payable to: Scott Howard
Send your check or money order payment to us via:
Scott Howard
7155 SE Harrison St.
Portland, Oregon 97215
-OR-
Use PayPal to make your payment (Requires paying an extra 10%. This total is $1540.00)
When sending a payment, Please compose an email to workshops@earthenhand.com with the following information:
Which workshop are you signing up for?
Name Phone Email Physical address
Which method of payment have you selected?
When was it sent?
What was the amount sent?
Your specific areas of interest and experience relating to this workshop
Please wait to make travel arrangements until a couple months before the workshop, just in case there is a cancellation.
Cancellation policy: We understand that in rare circumstances, people's plans must change. We are able to refund workshop fees as follows: We will refund your workshop fee minus $200 before 3/15/10, or the whole fee minus $500 after 3/15/10, and no refund will be given after 4/10/10. In the very unexpected event the workshop is canceled, all money would be refunded to you.
Contact us with questions about Work Trade, Large Group Discounts, Scholarships, Partnerships, or other topics.
Scott (USA and abroad) workshops@earthenhand.com
Patty (Puerto Rico residents) patty.boyko [at] gmail.com
