Workshop: Natural Construction
Join the 8000+ People Who Have Helped Build the World’s First Arcology (architecture + ecology)
The principle of learning-by-doing has guided Arcosanti since its inception in 1970. People from all over the world come here to learn in an immersive environment unlike anywhere else. In our Natural Construction Workshop, you’ll connect to the majestic High Sonoran Desert of Arizona, the unique architecture, and a culture that lives in both worlds—all while learning new skills and helping create community.
About Our Natural Construction Workshop
The Natural Construction Workshop focuses on building using natural earth technology. Participants have learned how to work with natural materials such as clay, rock, and reed to construct rock walls, cobb bricks, rammed earth, reed screens, and clay plaster. After a week of material study and exploration, each participant draws designs of how to construct an architectural intervention through natural means. The winning design became their final project. Our last workshop built a bench seat and fire pit in Camp using rock, cobb, sand, rammed earth, and plaster.
The cliff-face dwellings of indigenous people are a founding influence of Arcosanti’s core philosophy, arcology. The workshop’s focus on vernacular building technology and local sustainable materials aligns with our mission to harmonize human city living with the natural landscape. Through workshops like this, we plan to grow our understanding and use of natural construction to improve our architecture and exemplify arcology’s principle of elegant frugality, a richness through shared community resources.
Schedule
Week 1: Seminar Week
Week 2: Exploring Natural Material & Design
Monday: Harvest and process local clay and test clay materials
Tuesday: Gather and stack local stone
Wednesday: Harvest and process giant reed
Thursday: Thanksgiving
Friday: Compete in design charette to determine project
Week 3: Continuing Natural Construction
Monday-Thursday: Develop and construct project
Friday: Test different clay finishes and surface treatments, including natural lime
Week 4: Finishing Project & Conclusion
Monday-Thursday: Continue work on project
Friday: Graduation, feedback session, and presentation of project to community and conviviality celebration.
Program Fees
$1550 for four-week workshop: $500 for Seminar Week; $350 per regular work week.
Includes tuition, 5-day per week lunch, housing, facilities, and field trips.
Upon graduation you join the more than 8,000 alumni who have built the arcology of Arcosanti.
If you have any question or to request more information please email workshop@arcosanti.org
2024 Dates
- November 18 – December 13
2025 Dates
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- February 10 – March 7
- April 7 – May 2
- May 19 – June 13
Our Other Workshops:
Workshops: In the event that a participant must cancel registration, the workshop fee will be refunded IN FULL up until 2 weeks before the first date of scheduled workshop date(s). Refunds requested less than 2 weeks before the first date of the scheduled workshop will be refunded at 50% or, applied IN FULL to a future workshop held during the same calendar year. Refunds requested on or after the first date of the scheduled workshop are not eligible for a refund.
Public Programs and Performances: Ticket-holders may request a refund up until 1 week before the scheduled performance or program date; EventBrite, our ticketing platform, reserves the right to charge a nominal fee for issuing a refund. Refunds requested less than one week of the scheduled performance or after a performance or program has taken place are not eligible for a refund.
Special Circumstance Cancellations: For single-day workshops and public programs that The Cosanti Foundation is forced to cancel due to low enrollment or ticket sales, extraordinary or unforeseen circumstances, or acts of god, registrants and ticket-holders will be notified via email and receive a refund IN FULL.
Private Events: Refunds for the cancellation of private events are subject to the terms and conditions stated in the individual contractual agreements between the event organizer and The Cosanti Foundation.
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