Natural Building
Natural Building is one of our passions! Using clay-rich soils, sand, and straw we can make beautiful, durable, functional, locally-sourced & environmentally-friendly creations for any house or yard.
All of our classes and workshops are part of a holistic design and philosophy of earthen building we call VersaTerra.
To learn more about VersaTerra visit our building buddies at House Alive.
Two New Workshops for 2022
(see Below)
For 2022 we are excited to offer two courses in two inspiring locations:
(click on each for all the info)
1. VersaTerra10: May 23 - June 2 (10 days) at the Be the Change Project in Reno, Nevada
2. VersaTerra10: September 7 - 17 (10 days) at Long Ranch in Surprise Valley, Nevada. (2 Spots Left)
Our teaching team includes Kyle, Jonathan, Kathleen, and Katy (bios on the workshop pages). We're also welcoming one of last year's students as a teaching apprentice this year. This team is a big reason our workshops are so successful.
3. JUST ADDED! Earthen Building Weekend: July 16-17. Learn all the basics of earthen construction in this hands on weekend experience. Go here for all the details and to register.
Registration for 10-day Workshop
Step 1: Make a Payment
There are two ways to pay for our classes:
First, mail a check for $400 (the deposit) to:
Two Hands Collective (the federal name of our nonprofit)
2055 McCloud Avenue
Reno, NV 89512
Or, second, register through the PayPal button to the right.
Step 2: Fill out the registration form below
Feedback from Workshop Participants
From 2021
"The cob art studio build was the funnest project I have ever worked on!” - David
“I already feel confident to do stuff." - Mads, end of week 2
"It's rattling my cage."
"I loved getting to know ALL the materials better, learning about how they work similarly and differently from each other (cob vs wood, straw vs conventional insulation). Infinitely fun to play with!" - Alix
"The field trip to Kyle and Katy's house had a huge impact on me. It provided a larger picture of how natural building philosophies can create a whole way of life." - Alix
"The teachers were wonderful! Felt like family." - Alix
"It has been one of those few experiences that actually exceeded my expectations." - Kevin
"I learned how beautiful it is to have a loose vision for the building and then seeing how all the other perspectives and opinions can shape it into its final, perfect form." - Kevin
“Kyle is the best teacher I’ve ever had” - Macklin
"I love how versatile the materials are. I learned a lot about myself and my roles in working with a group. - Mads
"I feel like I could teach most of the things we learned to others and hope to do so soon! - Mads
"[The instructors] were fun, creative, organized, informed, experienced, patient, and supportive. They let us make mistakes to learn from when appropriate. Not sure how they could improve. - Anon
"One of my most powerful learning experiences: "overall just gaining the cofidence to make mistakes and finding a way around them" - Anon
About the Food: AMAZING! A++ Epic! I always felt nourished. Being a part of the kitchen was so soothing to me.
"This workshop definitely delivered, and shone a light on all my strengths as well as qualities in myself I'd like to work on or change." - Lindsay
"More than just builing a building. Building a relationship with the immediate surroundings deeply with hands. Lots of fun."
"Anyone can do anything. It helps to gain a physical wisdom. Before, I could imagine building a cob house, now it is a physical wisdom inside of me that knows the path."
"This was so much crammed into 5 weeks. It was beautiful and scary and I grew so much." - Krista
"I discovered I am not as alone as I often fear. There's so many amazing people I need to find!" - Krista
"The environment [of the workshop] from the get go was laid back and easy, combined with structure." - Erin
From Previous Workshops
"The instructors were all so great at not just explaining what to do and how to do it, but why we were doing it in each particular process. Their patience and willingness to explain further when needed was without end!"
"My expectations were met and exceeded! I feel empowered and supported in my dream of building and living in an earthen home."
"Loved the food! I always had plenty of healthy and tasty choices and found it easy to maintain my energy and strength."
"The instruction was geared to the right level and never felt patronizing or swooshed too far over my head. Wonderful humor and camaraderie. I loved the community that formed because of the structure provided and the willingness of the participants to engage."
"I always had my questions answered and always felt supported and/or redirected as needed without ever feeling someone was hovering over me. There was freedom to practice and even make some mistakes to learn from."
"I am sincerely and very gratefully surprised by the high amount of confidence I have in myself as a builder after these 10 days of learning, playing, sweating, laughing, singing and integrating."
"I loved how there was a mix of classroom demonstrations and practical applications for experiential learning. I loved that there was a breadth of information from foundation to roof. I feel confident that I can take this knowledge and build a simple home. I loved the emphasis on community and connectivity to nature. I feel my heart and mind have happily integrated for a better future for myself."
"I enjoyed playing in the mud and feeling like a little kid again. I especially loved being able to connect with others and reconnect with myself through learning about the many variations of cobbing materials, and the rhythm and flow of teamwork."
Literally every meal was 10/10. I didn’t miss meat at all these 10 days and I always had so much to eat!
"Well crafted and well scheduled. The information was addressed in a thoughtful and simple manner during the practice. The breaks were excellent to recharge physically and mentally. Excellent workshop!"
"I had a negative expectation which was “I know they are going to teach me how to build a house, but I won’t be doing that because I am only interested in an oven. The other stuff is for experienced people.” Now I think I can build a cob house that goes with an earthen oven!"
Go here to see pics from the 2020 VersaTerra Plus workshop in La Manzanilla, Mexico
Our 'Cardboard and Cob Cabin" built in 2012 with the help of two workshops.
200 Square feet, $700 total cost, all salvaged wood except one 4"x4"