Earthen Floor Craftsmanship Workshop

August 22 -23, 2026

The Art of Natural Building:

Made-by-Hand, Inspired-by-Nature

The Art of Natural Building: Earthen Floor Workshop introduces you to construction methods that honour the Earth while creating beautiful and enduring spaces. Using minimally processed, natural materials, natural building offers a holistic alternative to conventional methods. More than reducing environmental impact, this approach asks how we can design and build with the lightest ecological footprint while still ensuring durability and comfort.

In this hands-on workshop, you will explore techniques and principles for working with clay, straw, wood, and other sustainable materials. Natural building often invites collaboration and community, as structures are crafted by the hands of owners, families, and friends. The process transforms building into a shared experience, connecting people to both place and each other. Participants will leave with practical skills, design inspiration, and a deeper understanding of how construction can become an act of creativity, resilience, and ecological care.

Before After

Natural Building: Earthen Floor Workshop: Crafting Sanctuary with Cob & Cordwood

Facilitators: Shantree Kacera, Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera

Overview:
This immersive workshop invites you to learn the art of natural building through hands-on practice and embodied learning. We’ll guide you through every step of creating a ‘Sanctuary/Teaching Space’ using ancient cob and cordwood techniques, blending practical skills with a deeper understanding of natural building philosophies. Through dance, play, and community connection, you’ll blend with your body, feel the earth beneath your toes, and bring walls to life with your hands.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll feel confident working with cob and cordwood and empowered to source and mix your own building materials, often straight from the land beneath your feet.

What You'll Learn:

Practical Skills:

  • Earthen Floor Techniques: Prepare, apply, finish, and seal a beautiful, durable natural earthen floor.

  • Mixing Cob: Craft ideal cob blends using site-sourced materials.

  • Cob Construction: Build sturdy, beautiful cob walls.

  • Cordwood Techniques: Select and Integrate Cordwood into Natural Walls.

  • Structural Integration: Add doors, windows, and unique design elements.

Integrated Learning:

  • Natural Building Methods: Understand when and how to use different techniques.

  • The History & Versatility of Cob: From building to crafting ovens and sculptures.

  • Structural Systems: Explore natural walls, roofs, floors, and foundations.

  • Heating & Cooling: Learn about passive solar design and thermal inertia.

  • Earthen Floor Systems: Learn the layers, materials, and techniques that create beautiful, resilient natural floors.

  • Natural Floor Finishes: Discover traditional oiling, sealing, and maintenance methods for long-lasting performance.

About Cob & Cordwood Construction:

What is Cob?
Cob is an ancient, earthy building technique using a simple mixture of clay, sand, and straw. Unlike adobe bricks, cob is applied directly onto walls, creating soft, organic shapes and a soothing building experience. It is incredibly durable, offering versatility in construction—from homes to outdoor ovens and rocket-mass heaters.

What is Cordwood?
Cordwood construction, also known as stack wall building, uses cut logs like bricks, with cob (or another mortar) holding them together. This method offers a unique aesthetic and reduces the need for clay and sand by utilizing readily available wood.

What is an Earthen Floor?
An earthen floor is a natural flooring system created from a carefully balanced blend of clay, sand, and natural fibres, finished with multiple coats of natural oils and waxes for beauty, durability, and ease of maintenance. Used for thousands of years in homes around the world, earthen floors offer a warm, resilient surface that is both practical and deeply connected to the living landscape.

More than a building material, an earthen floor brings comfort, quiet, and natural beauty into a space. Suitable for homes, studios, gathering places, and natural buildings, it is an invitation to rediscover timeless techniques that create healthy, enduring environments using materials from the Earth itself.

Who is This Workshop For?

This workshop is perfect for:

  • Anyone dreaming of building a natural home or structure.

  • Those wanting to deepen their physical and mental understanding of cob and cordwood techniques.

  • Builders and dreamers eager to create with nature’s gifts.

Whether you’re a novice or have some building experience, you’ll leave with the skills and confidence to begin your own natural building projects.

A rustic, two-story house with a green metal roof, surrounded by leafless trees. The house has large arched windows and a porch area with stacked firewood. The foreground shows a dry grass and small stream.
Six people constructing a wooden structure with logs and cob walls, standing on scaffolding and the ground, smiling and posing for the camera.
Small cabin in a field of yellow wildflowers under a blue sky
Group of people participating in a hands-on natural building workshop, mixing straw and mud on a blue tarp outdoors.
Two women smiling and kneading mud or clay on a large tarp outdoors, with grass and a pail in the background.
People constructing a cordwood building with circular wood pieces and mortar, using a ladder and surrounded by straw bales, in a rural outdoor setting.
People building a cordwood wall inside a small wooden structure. They are standing on bales of straw, applying mortar between cross-section logs embedded in the wall. Construction materials, including buckets and tools, are visible around them.
People constructing a wall using cob and wood logs under a wooden structure supported by tires.
Group of people standing and sitting outside a stone house with green awning, some construction materials and tools visible around.
A two-story house under construction with a rounded upper floor featuring decorative windows and stone siding on the lower level, with wooden framing and scaffolding in the foreground.
Group of people posing for a photo in front of a partially built wooden structure, with some individuals wearing face paint and casual clothing, outdoors surrounded by trees.
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Two people sitting outdoors in a garden, surrounded by green plants and white flowers, smiling and appearing relaxed.

Meet your instructors

Shantree & Lorenna

Shantree Kacera, a renowned author and educator, is a leading figure in natural medicine, ecology, and permaculture. His invaluable contributions to wholistic health, herbalism, wild nutrition, ecology, forest gardening, and regeneration make him a widely recognized expert.

Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera is a highly knowledgeable and experienced educator specializing in Shamanu Earth Wisdom Teachings, WomanEarh and permaculture. Lorenna's teachings inspire individuals to adopt a more conscious and holistic approach to their well-being, recognizing the importance of nurturing themselves and the planet.

Their unparalleled expertise and unbridled passion for the past 50-years each have significantly contributed to promoting regenerative living practices. . LEARN MORE

Testimonials

  • "Mixing cob with my feet, stacking cordwood into place, and shaping the walls with my hands was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever done. Lorenna and Shantree made the process feel both doable and deeply meaningful."

    -Leah

  • "I now know how to mix proper cob, prep cordwood, and build a strong wall from earth and timber. Every part of the process was hands-on and well explained. I left feeling ready to build."

    -Jonas

  • "This workshop gave me real skills. I learned how to dig and shape a foundation, create strong cob with the right soil blend, and fit cordwood pieces tightly into the wall. The atmosphere was encouraging and focused."

    -Daniel

  • "We didn’t just watch or take notes. We worked. We mixed clay and straw with our feet, tested different cob textures, and built a cordwood wall that felt solid and beautiful. I loved every part of it."

    -Maria

  • "I had never built anything before. Now I’ve helped raise a cordwood wall and shaped a window frame with cob. Lorenna and Shantree are generous teachers who guide with experience and patience."

    -James

  • "The hands-on learning made all the difference. From soil testing to finishing techniques, I feel like I truly understand how to work with cob and cordwood. This was practical, empowering, and joyful."

    -Elena

  • "I learned how to design and prepare cordwood properly, and how to apply cob for both insulation and beauty. This wasn’t just about building, it was about building with care."

    -Micah

Still Have Questions?

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