Building with straw bales
Building with straw bales – a cheap, natural, healthy and low impact way of making your own house. This is a practical building course and involves lots of hands-on workshops.
Course Content
Learn how to build a straw bale structure. This intensive three-day straw bale building course is designed to inspire you and give you the basic skills required for straw bale construction. You will also learn about the environmental and practical benefits of constructing buildings using straw bales.
During the course you will learn:
- How to build straw bale walls
- How to work with straw bales, including shaping, cutting & tying
- Learn about detailing for doors and windows, and how to construct roof structures
- Examine existing straw-bale buildings, built using different methods
By the end of the course, you will have an overview of straw bale building, know the basics of designing a straw bale building and have the practical skills to build a straw bale structure.
Who is the course for?
This course is open to anyone aged 16 or over. It will be of interest to architects, planners, builders and engineers, as well as anyone thinking about building their own home.
It is suitable for complete beginners, as well as those who are familiar with eco-building and want to know more.
The course covers building walls with straw bales and basic carpentry. We will try to avoid power tools, and people of all abilities are welcome.
Course Tutors
Ian Brown
Ian has been teaching low impact building and sustainable construction for many years. He currently teaches construction at City College Brighton. He has built various low impact projects and specialises in straw bale building.
Mischa Hewitt
Mischa will be assisting on this course. Mischa is a Sustainability Consultant and Project Manager with a particular interest in affordable low energy buildings from natural materials.
Course reviews & feedback
A three-day course, Friday to Sunday, 9.30am to 5pm in Brighton.
2027 Course
2027 Dates to be announced
Venue
Earthship Brighton
Stanmer Park (near University of Sussex)
Brighton
Map and Directions
Fees
Fees include tuition, refreshments, handouts and information sheets.
Sponsored / Organisation rate
£340
Individual income: more than 25k/yr
£340
Individual income: 18-25k/yr
£285
Individual income: less than 18k/yr
£230
Individual: Concessionary rate
£175
(check eligibility)
Concessionary places are limited.
Our commitment to affordability relies on voluntary support.
ACCOMMODATION
If you intend to book accommodation, please check availability before booking a place, as accommodation in Brighton can be hard to find, especially over the summer months.
Get details of local accommodation and Brighton Permaculture Trust supporters who can provide accommodation in their homes.
BOOKING
Booking is essential, as most of our courses/events are fully booked weeks in advance. However, if places are still available, then bookings can be made until midday the day before the course/event. A place is not secured until we have received the requested payment.
If you have completed the booking process but you haven’t received a confirmation email from us please contact us to check your booking has gone through.
If you are booking within two weeks of the event, or the event is nearly full, you will not have the option to pay by BACS. Instead, you will need to pay immediately using a credit/debit card or PayPal.
ACCESSIBILITY
Much of this course is hands-on and practical. It is possible to opt out and observe for any elements you are not comfortable with.
If you have any accessibility needs or concerns, please contact us in advance, and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Have questions?
For any enquiries or if you need further information, feel free to reach out. We’re here to help!