Solar Adobe School - Learn about Adobe Construction, Adobe Home Building, Adobe Bricks, Green Building, Rammed Earth, Pressed Block Construction, Earthen Construction, Adobe Drafting.

1. EARLY BIRD PLANNING CLASS (for Adobe and Compressed Earth Block)
March 27 & 28, 2010 (Sat-Sun)
Albuquerque, NM

This mostly inside class helps you plan your project- code, design, plans and permits. It will be held in North Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Courtyard by Marriott near Interstate 25 and Paseo del Norte. Local accommodations, maps and initial reading material sent when you register. Late March can be cool and windy- be sure to bring a warm jacket.

Saturday March 27, 2010
8:00am - 11:00am - Code/Construction review for Adobe & Compressed Earth Block (part1).
Students receive a New Mexico code handout and Earthbuilders' Encyclopedia CD. We will view slides and drawings to clarify main points and explain codes for Foundations, Fireplaces, Walls, Lateral Support, Rough Bucks, Bond Beams, Roof Framing as well as coming changes in the International Residential Code for Earthen Construction. Illustrated handouts backup main construction points. If you don’t understand the code, you may have difficulty with your plans to obtain a building permit. If a contractor or architect wants your job, learn the code and how they are built~ then you’ll know who is fit to bid. Short breaks during the period.

11:00am - 1:30pm - Munch-lunch tour to local adobe and architectural wood supply yard
This period is a continuation of class, but outside with lunch. We will take your order at mid-morning in class (burritos courtesy SWSA) and they will be waiting for you at the adobe yard (If you require a particular diet, please bring your own). Each student receives a clipboard to continue note taking in the field. Bring your camera. We will get a good look at how adobes are made and what you should consider about rough-cut lumber, vigas, latillas, corbels and other structural elements used in adobe architecture.

1:30pm - 5:30pm - Code/Construction review for Adobe & Compressed Earth Block (part 2).
During the afternoon, we tackle Bond Beams, Attachments, Vigas, Roofing and Insulation schemes. As we move through these topics, we’ll point out cost and style options. While earthen construction has always been ‘green’, a portion of it has succumbed to petroleum-based materials over the years. What can you do to reduce your in-home carbon footprint? We’ll point out some greener alternatives that can meet code, along with current popular methods.

Sunday March 28, 2010

8:00am - 11:45am - Passive Solar Design
We review the basics of what qualifies a structure as "passive solar". Plans (working drawings) are handed out during this period for Passive Solaradobe 894 and are used as a teaching tool. The SWSA philosophy is that with an earthen structure, one begins with passive solar design, and then adds other solar technology (such as PV) to that design. Floor plans should include designed space for solar components. Learn Orientation, Overhangs, types of Passive Solar, south glass to heated floor space ratios, room arrangements that work, managing mass, Insulation, cooling tips and ideas on adapting particular architectural styles to passive solar arrangements. Emphasis on locations between 3500’ (mid-desert locales) and 7500’ (high plateau to mountain locales) in the intermountain Southwest. Short breaks during the period.

11:45am - 1pm - Lunch Break (on your own today)

1pm - 2:30pm - Meeting Energy Codes.
To obtain a building permit, you must also pass the energy code. While some might see this as another bureaucratic hurdle, it is actually part of your recipe for a successful, energy conservative home. Plan 894 will serve as a base case example. In New Mexico, if you submit a passive solar plan, it is easier to pass the energy code, but you must provide calculations showing your structure will at least meet code minimums. We’ll go through the steps.

2:30pm - 5:00pm - Requirements for Adobe, Mud Mortars and Compressed Earth Blocks.
If you want to make your own, this know-how is critical. Or, since the block you buy must meet code, it is equally critical. Your adobe or CEB must pass Compression and Modulus of Rupture standards. How do you find a suitable soil? Stabilization is popular and has real advantages, but how do you achieve it? We review simple field tests as well as professional lab tests to show you how, using emulsions, Portland cement or lime. Easy to understand, but important. Handouts and references provided. Short breaks during the period.

Class ends at 5pm

Cost: $255 one person, $433 for two registering together (web site adds state tax to these figures).
Class capacity: 16 students
Class Handouts: Earthbuilders’ Encyclopedia CD, Solaradobe Plan 894, various hard copy handouts.

This class repeats the March class above- the only difference being the usually warmer weather (still too cool for hands-on). Please refer to the March class schedule above for daily details. This mostly inside class helps you plan your project-code, design, plans and permits. It will also be held in North Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Courtyard by Marriott near Interstate 25 and Paseo del Norte. Local accommodations, maps and initial reading material sent when you register. Be sure to bring a jacket for the tour periods - it can be windy.

3. ADOBE and COMPRESSED EARTH BLOCK HANDS-ON CLASS
May 15/16, 2010 (Sat-Sun)
Bosque, NM

This warmer weather class devotes the weekend to preparing Adobe and CEB earthen materials, using tools of the trade and working on real walls. The idea is to teach you important basics and give you a sense of heft for the tools and materials. Please note that Saturday’s class will go to 5:30 pm and Sunday's class to 4:30 pm*. Soloradobe Plan 894 is included as a handout for this class.

The nearest town with a plentiful choice of motels and restaurants is Belén, located 8 miles north on a paved highway. Belén is 32 miles south of Albuquerque on Interstate 25. Local directions, map and list of accommodations when you register. Weather in mid-May is warm and sunny days and cool nights. This is a rustic class in the rural countryside. We will provide cold drinks, water, shade and places to sit, but dust, wind, and insects may exist. Old clothes are best, along with hat, gloves, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses and good foot protection (please, no sandals or bare toes- cacti and mesquite do occur).

You may 'brownbag' your lunch at the hands-on site if you prefer or drive into Belén for lunch. Coffee, water and cold fruit juice are free on-site each day. SWSA will provide tools and materials. You may wish to bring some of your soil for testing (two 5 gallon buckets are ideal). Bring your notebook and camera. Safety will be stressed: SWSA will ask you to sign a work safety release as class begins.

* Travel time from country site to the Albuquerque airport is about 50 minutes

Saturday May 15, 2010

8:00am - 9:30am - Site Tour, Tools and Safety Earthbuilders’ Encyclopedia CD distributed along with handouts. Safety is discussed as we review both common and unusual tools used with Adobe and Pressed Block. Show-and-tell tour of features around the site (adobe dome, Count Rumford fireplace, different wall finishes, different soils, light clay insulation setup, etc.) Rather than call specific breaks, students can short-break as needed during hands-on periods.

9:30am - 12:00noon - First Hands-on period- for Adobe and CEB.
Instructors will direct students in setting up leads, preparing mud mortar, and laying adobes and compressed earth block to the string. Learn aspects of wall construction as we go along- speed leads, placing adobes, code overlaps, cutting and shaping of blocks, finishing joints, rough bucks and their attachments, electrical circuits, box attachment, in-wall reinforcement and more.

12:00noon - 1:20pm - Lunch break.
Brown bag on site or drive to Belén (8 miles). Cold drinks and water free on site.

1:20pm - 5:30pm- Second Hands-on period- for Adobe
Continue wall construction from morning period. At mid-afternoon, learn to building a Roman arch and make 3 different types of adobes using forms on site. Learn how stabilizers are measured and mixed. Clean up tools and wheelbarrows at 5:15. Class ends at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday May 16, 2010

8:15am - 12:30pm - Third Hands-on Period- for CEB.
The morning is dedicated to Compressed Earth Block. Larry Elkins of Adobe International will visit and demonstrate one of his compressed earth block machines (you are welcome to bring at least 5-10 gallons of your soil for testing purposes. We will press your soil and try amendments if necessary) Larry Elkins and students press your soil using hand-powered Cinva-Ram and Adobe International hydraulic Press. Take a few sample blocks home for observation.

12:30pm - 1:45pm- Lunch Break
Brown bag on site or drive to Belén for lunch with Larry Elkins and SWSA instructor.

1:45pm - 4:30pm - fourth Hands-on period. Bond Beam and Viga Construction.
We’ll get up on the scaffolds, and lay some adobes atop the bond beam. Explained are the use of 1” x 8” forming, tie wire, spreaders and form clips, steel layout, holey adobes, FHA straps for viga attachment and other standard bond beam components. What you learn on the bond beam for adobe is similar for compressed earth block. We'll strap down a few vigas and work with students to cut and lay adobes between them.

Clean up of tools starts at 4:15 p.m. Class adjourns at 4:30 p.m. Note: if truly bad weather occurs on either day, class may be moved indoors for continued instruction or some work periods might be switched.

Cost: $255 one person, $433 for two registering together (web site adds state tax to these figures).
Class capacity: 18 students
Class handouts: Earthbuilders’ Encyclopedia CD, Solaradobe Plan 894, various hard copy handouts.

This warmer weather class devotes the weekend to preparing Rammed Earth and Adobe earthen materials, using tools of the trade and working on real walls. The idea is to teach you important basics and give you a sense of heft for the tools and materials. Please note that Saturday’s class will go to 5:30 pm and Sunday's class to 4:45 pm*. Solaradobe Plan # 894 is included for students interested in Adobe. Passive Solar Rammed Earth Plan #1680 is included for students interested in rammed earth. You can pick your plan via email to SWSA before class (if you register as a couple, one person can request # 894 and the other #1680).

The nearest town with a plentiful choice of motels and restaurants is Belén, located 8 miles north on a paved highway. Belén is 32 miles south of Albuquerque on Interstate 25. Local directions, map and list of accommodations when you register. Weather in early June is warm to warmer with sunny days. Nights average a low of 60 degrees. This is a rustic class in the rural countryside. We will provide cold drinks, water, shade and places to sit, but dust, wind, sweat and insects may exist. Old clothes are best, along with hat, gloves, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses and good foot protection (please, no sandals or bare toes- cacti and mesquite seem magnetized). You may 'brownbag' your lunch at the hands-on site if you prefer or drive into Belén for lunch. Coffee, water and cold fruit juice are free on-site each day. SWSA will provide tools and materials. You may wish to bring some of your soil for testing (two 5 gallon buckets are ideal). Bring your notebook and camera. Because of the mechanized nature of rammed earth equipment and its noise, Safety will be stressed: SWSA will ask you to sign a work safety release before class begins.

* Travel time from country site to the Albuquerque airport is about 50 minutes

Schedule

Saturday June 5, 2010

8:00- 9:30 a.m. - Tools, Tour and Safety. The first day is largely dedicated to Rammed Earth. Earthbuilders’ Encyclopedia CD and plan sets distributed along with a copy of the rammed earth code. Safety is stressed as we review both common and unusual tools used with Adobe and Rammed Earth. Show-and-tell tour of features around the site includes both adobe and rammed earth walls. Rather than call specific breaks, students can short-break as needed during hands-on periods. Coffee/water/cold drinks free on site.

Students will be taught about forms for Rammed Earth and how to set them up. We’ll review sizes of forms, different brands, ties, corners, wedges, braces and the set up of electrical boxes and plumbing vents within forms. Students will have a chance to use the air compressor and backfill tamper, and learn how to add the proper moisture content to the material. During ramming, an SWSA instructor will use the Bobcat to load the forms. Again, safety will be stressed.

9:30 – 12:30 a.m. - First Hands-on Period- for Rammed Earth.
SWSA will use the SWSA bobcat to premix two recipes in the days before class. As an interesting experiment for SWSA and students, the morning section will be stabilized using Portland cement (at about 6% by weight) and the afternoon section stabilized using hydrated lime (at about 6% by weight). To make the work more interesting, we will attempt to ram 2” (R10) of underground rated blueboard within the wall system for both sections, with one portion 14” thick, insulation 2” thick and an outer rammed earth portion 8” thick. Some morning work may extend into afternoon.

12:30pm - 1:50pm - Lunch Break
Brown bag on site or drive to Belén.

1:50 - 5:30 p.m. - Second Hands-on Period- for Rammed Earth.
The afternoon will see us working on the second section using hydrated lime (also at 6% by weight) as a stabilizer. The lime will take its time to activate and stabilize (30 days), but we’ll be reporting on it later in the newsletter. Again, working with materials like lime require that safety be stressed. Students close to the work will be supplied with rubber gloves, goggles and a long-sleeved shirt for protection. Please wear your cap or hat of choice.

Clean up of tools starts at 5 p.m. with a Q&A session between tool clean up and finish at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday June 6, 2009

8:00- 9 a.m. - Removing forms. The day is dedicated to Adobe, but we will begin by removing the forms from the Portland stabilized rammed earth section done on Saturday. The forms for the lime stabilized section must stay on for two weeks to fully activate the lime, after which the forms are removed to allow air to begin the carbonization process. Short break for coffee before switching to Adobe.

9:10 a.m. - 12:00 noon - Third hands-on period- for Adobe.
Instructors will direct students in setting up leads, preparing mud mortar, and laying adobes and compressed earth block to the string. Learn aspects of wall construction as we go along- speed leads, placing adobes, code overlaps, cutting and shaping of blocks, finishing joints, rough bucks and their attachments, electrical circuits and box attachment, in-wall reinforcement and more. Students are supplied with a copy of the Adobe code. We will lay 2-3 courses of adobes on bond beam (you will be 6 feet off ground on a scaffold). We also have an actual size bond beam dummy set up on the ground for you to inspect and photograph.

12:00 noon - 1:20 p.m. - Lunch Break
Brown bag on site or drive to Belén (8 miles). Cold drinks and water free on site.

1:20 - 4:30 p.m. - Fourth Hands-on period- for Adobe.
Continue wall construction from morning period. At 2:30, learn to build a Roman adobe arch. At 3:30 cast 3 different types of adobes using forms on site. Learn how stabilizers are proportioned and mixed. Clean up tools and wheelbarrows starting at 4:30 p.m. Class ends at 4:45 pm.

Note: if truly bad weather is forecast on either day, class may be moved indoors for continued instruction using slides and lecture, or days may be switched. For example, it’s safer to mix Portland and dry soil materials on a calm, rather than windy day.

Cost: $255 one person, $433 for two registering together (web site adds state tax to these figures).
Class capacity: 18 students
Class handouts: Earthbuilders’ Encyclopedia CD, Solaradobe Plan 894, various hard copy handouts.