Hands-on Earthen Oven Build
Workshops
Hands-on Earthen Oven Build
Elisha Somerville
Come enjoy the delightfully muddy experience of building with “cob” (clay, sand, and straw).
We will be building an earthen oven from scratch. As we mix clay with our feet and hands, you’ll learn a bit about the thermal design of ovens, how to identify good clay soil, and how to mix the various ratios of ingredients for the different parts of an oven. Most importantly, we will experience the uniquely grounding effects that the earth offers as we work directly with her raw substance.
While there are countless good reasons to use earth as a building material, one of the best parts is the action of building itself. I’ve come to see cob construction as an active form of meditation… a blend of sauna, breathwork, dance, and electrical grounding.
Wear clothes that can get muddy and prepare to feel wonderful. Kids are encouraged to join in!
Teacher Bio:
Elisha Somerville is a builder who has only in recent years discovered the joys of building with earth itself. He is currently building his own strawbale and cob home and has come to appreciate the long, patient process it requires. Elisha is also a farmer, husband,dad and lover of the natural world. His passion is to build as an organic extension of the local elements and landscape, creating structures that fit aesthetically and energetically with the ecosystem they serve.