Courses/Workshops

Regenerative Biotecture Course – Land Design/Management and Alternative Building (NSW, Australia, July, August, September 2014)

Welcome to the first of many Regenerative Biotecture courses facilitated by Terraeden Biotecture. What you will be walking away with will be an honourable title in Regenerative Biotecture (RB). Our main focus is on ‘big picture learning’. Big picture learning is looking at the whole learning experience — the integration of head, hand, gut and soul education. During the course you will get hands on building experience, classroom time, and there will be open-circle discussions and onsite tutoring.

Background of the site

The course will be set in the semi-arid region of central north, NSW, Australia. The region is known mainly for its cotton production and its broad acre agriculture. There is very little in the way of organic farming and natural building in the area. The site is an old broad acre site that has been farmed for generations.The vision is for the farm to be converted from conventional agriculture to a full scale organic farm with a regenerative home at the heart of it. This may very well become somewhat of an influential move once the farm is producing with zero chemical input — not to mention a home that heats and cools passively as well as taking care of its own sustenance through the running of the house itself!

Theory

Classes will be held by facilitators experienced in areas of building, land design, food production, soil science and more. Below is a list of subjects that will be taught throughout the duration of the course:

  • The home’s integrated natural systems
  • World climates and seasonal weather patterns. What is your climate?
  • Adapting design concept to your area
  • Phenology and us
  • The flow of water
  • Harvesting and reusing water
  • Patterns in nature, the matrix of life
  • Understanding maps and reading landforms
  • Overall design including client brief
  • Garden design zones 0-5 including botanical cells
  • Building with natural materials
  • Food security, post harvest, fermentation and food storage
  • Holistic land management – integrating animals
  • Community structures – evolution

Practical

You will learn skills every day with your own hands through the guidance of experienced builders and teachers. The home will be built as well as gardens and other pieces of infrastructure. Practical skills gained over the four sessions include but aren’t limited to:

  • Earth moving delegation
  • Tyre pounding
  • Superadobe
  • Formwork building
  • Bottle wall construction
  • Waterproofing
  • Natural finishes
  • Flooring
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical
  • Solar
  • Sewerage treatment
  • In house food production
  • Exterior garden building
  • Ethical home kills

Community

While doing the course, everyone is welcome to stay on site and camp, free of charge. A large part of this type of learning is living in community. You will be living, learning, building, eating and evolving with the same group of people for two weeks. You will need to bring whatever it is that makes you feel comfortable in your surrounds.

Food

The course will be completely catered for with three meals a day plus plenty of fresh fruit and refreshments. The meals will be put on by the kind folk from ‘foods that heal’ and ‘levity gardens’. There will be a large focus on nutrition for well being and higher learning. It is said that a healthy mind and body starts from the gut outwards. This is the intention set for your sustenance during the course. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements we need to be aware of when you apply.

Course structure

  • Session one: July 27 – 10 August
  • Session two: August 26 – 9 September
  • Session three: September 24 – 8 October

The course cost is $1550 for a single session. Each session will run for two weeks at a time. The theory will be the same in each session, however the practical work will vary depending on which stage of the build is completed in the previous session. The most likely outcome for each session will go as follows:

  • Session one – mainly structural and some systems
  • Session two – some structural, mainly systems, some finishes
  • Session three – some systems and structural, mainly finishes

Apply online here.

There are some volunteer positions available for the set up crew, pre-build. So, let us know if you are interested in that. Get in quick though, spots are limited!

If you have any further questions or queries please feel free to contact us.

One Comment

  1. Hello- I am very interested in this opportunity as a participant or volunteer. I was also wondering if you’ll be offering some sessions next year as I have just learned of this. Please let me know what kind of roles you require for volunteers. Thank you. Kindest Regards, Rene Berg

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