Learn about sustainable building by working on a 9 m² bathroom made from earth, reclaimed & recycled materials

The project is designed as a practical demonstration of how natural building can be approached in a cost-effective, resource-conscious and time-efficient way — using what is available rather than relying on expensive conventional materials.

Leave with a better understanding of natural building, hands-on experience with Bahareque+Cob, and the confidence and inspiration to start your own future projects with a different set of possibilities.

What we will learn

🌱 analyze and work with clay soil

🪵 install framework using reclaimed pallets and wood

🌾 Work with straw and and recycled bottles for insulation

🧱 Mix and prepare cob

✨ Sculpting with cob

🏡 Building Bahareque + theory about other earth building techniques

🔨 Make practical decisions and solve problems as they arise

✨ experiement with earth based plaster

🌍 BUILD WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

One of the central ideas of this workshop is that natural building doesn't have to be expensive.

The bathroom is a demonstration of how earth and other locally available, reclaimed and recycled materials can be combined to create something functional, beautiful and durable.

Instead of starting with a shopping list of expensive building products, we’ll learn to look at the resources around us and ask:

What can we create with what we already have?

This approach can open up completely different possibilities for DIY construction, ecological living and community projects.

🏔️ LANJARÓN & THE ALPUJARRAS

The workshop takes place in Lanjarón, in the Alpujarras of Andalusia — a mountainous region known for its beautiful landscapes, traditional villages and strong connection to rural life.

The workshop itself will be our main focus, but there will also be space to enjoy the surroundings. Depending on the group and the progress of the build, we may take a trip together to a nearby waterfall for a swim and a change of scenery.

October is the best time to enjoy the fruits of the land.

📅 A TYPICAL DAY

The schedule will adapt to the needs of the construction, but a typical day will look something like:

7:30     optional morning movement practice

08:30 — Breakfast & morning preparation
09:30 — Morning building session/ theoretical class
12:00 — Lunch & rest
15:30 — Afternoon building session
17:30 — Clean-up
18:00 onwards — Free time, dinner & community

we start every building session with some body exercise like dance, yoga or qiGong to balance our body and focus our mind.

🌱 THE WEEK

DAY 1 — GETTING STARTED

Meet the group, explore the site and project, begin preparing materials, start installing pallets

DAY 2 — STRUCTURE & INSULATION

finish the structural part of the walls, start filling with straw, clay and bottles for insulation

DAY 3 — INTRODUCTION TO COB

finish insulation. Get into the earth! Learn about clay soils, prepare and mix cob, and begin applying the cob base coat to the pallets

DAY 4 — SHAPING & LEARNING THROUGH REPETITION

Deepen our understanding of cob through hands-on practice. Build up the walls, refine shapes and textures, and gain confidence working with earth.

DAY 5 — SCULPTING & DETAILING

Bring the walls to life. Explore sculptural elements, curves and details, and prepare the surfaces for their final finish.

DAY 6 — NATURAL PLASTER & FINISHING

Learn to prepare and apply natural earth plaster, creating a durable and beautiful final surface. Finish the building together and appreciate what we’ve created.

The exact schedule and construction sequence may change according to weather, materials and the needs of the project.

No previous building experience is required.

You just need curiosity, willingness to participate and a readiness to get your hands dirty.

📍 PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Dates: 9–15 October 2026
Location: Lanjarón, Las Alpujarras, Andalusia, Spain
Duration: 6 days
Price: €390 full

⛺ Camping included
🍴 Food included
👐 Hands-on instruction throughout the workshop

270€ for locales that eat and sleep elsewhere

Limited places available.

Come for a week of earth, creativity and practical skills — and leave knowing a little more about how to build a lot with very little.