​

Community Rebuilds Essentials: How We Build Sustainable, Affordable Homes

​

In the past 12 years, we’ve learned a lot about building with sustainability and affordability at the forefront. This crash course will squeeze that knowledge into an action-packed five-day overview, complete with lectures, guest speakers, tours, and hands-on experiential learning opportunities. Topics in this course will include natural building techniques, working with local policies, and living with your home with sustainability and community in mind. On top of all that, residential participants will have the opportunity to stay in our straw bale Bunkhouse for eight nights, leaving plenty of extra time to enjoy the incredible desert landscape and experience Moab. 

 

Course Schedule

 

Course Dates:

Move in: July 24, 2022

Move out: August 1, 2022

 

General Structure:

All instruction days will begin at 9:00am and wrap up around 5:00pm, with snack and lunch breaks mixed in throughout. Instructional sessions will include both lectures and hands-on demonstrations and workshops, and there will be plenty of time for discussion and Q&A. Class days will take place Monday through Friday, leaving residential participants with a long weekend to cap off their experience with a couple days of desert adventures. See the schedule below for more detail!

 

Note: The schedule below reflects a rough outline of what participants could learn through this course. While specific lecture topics and activities may shift, we’re committed to putting up a course that not only highlights the best of what Community Rebuilds has to offer, but also leaves flexibility for the interests and discussions brought in by our participants. 

 

Day 0: Move In! 

 

Day 1: Introduction to Community Rebuilds

Key Topics:  Overview, what Community Rebuilds does (and how)

 

The first day will kick off with introductions and a chance for the participants and instructors to get to know each other and the goals for the week. Throughout the day, you’ll get an overview of how Community Rebuilds works and how we build affordable, sustainable homes. (Don’t worry, we’re not all talk - part of the day will offer an opportunity to tour around town and see current and past projects up close!)

 

Day 2: What’s in a Wall?

Potential Topics: Wall systems, working with straw, insulation options

 

Now that we’ve introduced you to how we build, let’s talk about what we build! Today, we’ll get into wall systems, and give participants a chance to learn about working with straw. Throughout the workshop, participants will have a chance to learn about the benefits of working with various wall options - focusing on straw bales - and how these options interact with the rest of the home.

​

Day 3: Energy Inside and Out

Potential Topics: Solar energy, site assessment, landscaping 

 

A huge part of sustainable homes is the energy it takes to keep them healthy and comfortable year-round. Today, we’ll talk about assessing your build site for decisions on orientation, landscaping, and integrating the natural resources right outside. We'll also be joined by a guest instructor to learn about using solar energy in your home! 

 

Day 4: Earthen Plasters 

Potential Topics: Plaster basics and samples, render rainbows, preparing walls for earthen plasters

​

Get ready to play in the mud! We’re digging into the basics of earthen plasters. Today, participants will gain experience on a real work site! After an introduction into the characteristics and application of plasters, participants will get to try their hand working on our current homes on the Moab Area Community Land Trust. making tiles with tadelakt - an incredibly durable and beautiful Moroccan style of plastering.  

 

Day 5: Tadelakt and Bringing it all Together

Potential Topics: Tadelakt tile making, carbon storage, fighting climate change through natural construction, the future of Community Rebuilds

 

We’ll spend the last morning of instruction with a discussion of where we go from here. With all this knowledge under our (and your) belts, it's time to talk about how to make it even better, and what's coming up in the world of sustainable building. Renowned builder, designer, and educator Chris Magwood will join us to discuss how the construction industry can fight climate change with sustainable materials. Then, we’ll wrap up our time together learning to make tadelakt tiles while joined by a panel of experts to answer your last burning questions..

 

Days 6-8: It’s the weekend!

The last three days will offer residential participants the opportunity to appreciate the desert surroundings and make memories on the river, explore Utah’s iconic red rocks, and more! 

 

Move-out by noon on August 1, 2022.

 

What’s Included:

 

• All instruction, materials and tools. All participants will also receive a copy of the course curriculum so that they can carry everything they learn back home with them.

​

• Lunch will be provided for all participants for each day of instruction. Registrants’ dietary restrictions will be taken into account.  

​

• ​​Access to all sorts of desert adventures! The Community Rebuilds campus is nestled in the heart of Moab, UT, with Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Dead Horse Point State Park, and more all less than an hour’s drive from town. Each day’s instruction ends with plenty of time to take advantage of Moab’s plethora of beautiful landscapes, rich histories, and all sorts of outdoor recreation as the hot summer day cools down into the evening. Residential participants will have a long weekend in the Bunkhouse at the end of the course to explore Moab even further.

​

• (Residential participants only) Housing in our two-story straw bale Bunkhouse! We offer single or double occupancy room options. The Bunkhouse is fully furnished and outfitted with washers/dryers, full communal kitchen and living room, and 5 bathrooms. The kitchen is stocked with breakfast essentials including coffee/tea, eggs, oatmeal, and toast, as well as basic cooking appliances. The grocery store is just around the corner, and residential participants are welcome to full use of the kitchen.

 

Pricing and Registration Options:

​

Residential Passes: 

Single Occupancy Room: $1200*  

Double Occupancy Room: $900*  

 

Non-Residential (Local) Pass: $450*  

 

Day Pass: $100*  

 

*Note: If you would like to pay through PayPal, rates are slightly higher to account for processing fees. Please add 3% to all PayPal payments:

Single Occupancy: $1236  | Double Occupancy: $927  | Non-Residential: $463.50 | Day Pass: $103 

 

How to Register:

Use the form below to save your spot for this course.  Note: Your registration will not be considered complete until we have received your payment.

​