Andrew is a great teacher who has a rare balance of patience, expertise, the ability to explain things to many different people, a solid grasp of group dynamics, and a fun, relaxed demeanor. As a college professor myself, I understand how rare it is to find all of these qualities in one person. Andrew's mastery of all these aspects makes him an affective and engaging teacher and the class a total success.
Sam P., California
====================
Thank you for teaching such an inspiring workshop. I had the best time while in Montana, learning about straw bale construction. You have instilled a new confidence in me to pursue the construction of my own straw bale home. Your "hands-on" (and "hands-off") teaching approach was well received and allowed everyone to learn so much more. A good time was had by all.
Chad M., Alberta Canada
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I think that if anyone is serious about building a
Straw Bale house, the 7 day hands on building course is NOT an option, it's a
MUST. I feel very confident about my upcoming project now. Great course! Not
only a lot of fun but also a great learning experience in the best of
settings. The evening jocularity, stories and new friendships have left
me with some long and strong memories. Thank you for all that.
Gary W., British Columbia Canada
================
================
Thanks
so much for the tips on building with straw bales, the great healthy meals, and
the generosity that your family offered. The workshop was a blast and I left
there feeling extremely fulfilled with not only the building process with
straw, but also the relationships that were made.
I feel very excited and confident about building our straw bale home in the
near future. Again, thank you to you and your family for the learning
experience and the great times had by all.
Milan M., Massachusetts
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Thank you for offering this one-of-a-kind learning experience, it
was truly worth our while to take the time for the workshop. There is no
doubt we are now more confident to take on much of the straw bale
building process ourselves and potentially save money in labor and costly
mistakes with the knowledge we gained.
Skip & Jenna F., Colorado
================
Andrew
Morrison is an engaging and articulate instructor and his week long workshop
provided plenty of opportunity to practice most aspects of straw bale
construction from installing toe-ups, tying and shaping bales to attaching the
wire mesh and plastering and everything in between. By the end of the
workshop I felt much more confident about moving forward with my own straw
bale building project. The time and money spent was well worth
it! Getting to know and work with others from many parts of North America
was an added bonus.
Ted
K., Alberta Canada
==============
Andrew's
workshop was an exceptional experience! As a girl who had done a ton of reading
about building technique options, I felt that I acquired a more pragmatic
understanding of how a build comes together, a comprehensive knowledge base of
the workability of materials, and what common obstacles are and methods to
manage them. It is an excellent combination of theory and hands on
construction. The atmosphere is motivating and well paced. It is well suited
for the experienced builder who would like to explore the world of bale
building to someone just beginning to consider the viability of the option. It
has added immense depth to my own planning and the potential in my building
process.
Stephanie S., Montana
==============
The class was not only informative but you gave out a
personal energy that I still feel today. You help me believe that
anything is possible as long as I believe and with a little sweat. Thank
you for all that you have given to me.
Roy
T., Florida
============
This
was a life changing experience.
Dana P., Tennessee
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I
know we both learned a lot. You really are a good teacher and you bring
so much to the teaching of the techniques just because of the person you are.
I do miss the whole feeling of being at your home site and having you
come in for breakfast starting our day with humor and kind ways.
Karin
K., Maine
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Federico F., Buenos Aires, Argentina
==============
I thoroughly enjoyed this hands-on opportunity to learn more about
building with straw bales from someone who has straw bale
construction experience and up-to-date industry knowledge. I
definitely gained a lot more confidence and knowledge about the straw bale
building process than I could have from books only and now feel prepared to
embark on my own straw bale building projects.
Chris
W., New Jersey
==============
Many thanks to Andrew & his extended family for
making the May 2008 workshop such a great all round experience. Tom &
I had read a number of books on straw bale building and plastering which left
us with lingering questions. Andrew's instruction was insightful and
compelling. It more than met our expectations. Andrew put it all
into perspective for us and left us with a great enthusiasm to get
started! Andrew is a great resource & nothing can compare to the
hands on experience we shared with everyone in the group. Andrew proved
to be not only a great instructor with a sense of humor through it all but a
person with a great compassion for helping others. The friendships formed
with Andrew, his family and the entire group were invaluable to the
point that we didn't want to leave and break up the group. May our lives
touch in the future.
Tom and Barb M., Washington
=================
The workshop was a
brilliant mix of theoretical and practical training. We were able to
practically go through the whole straw bale building process and I feel
confident with managing my own straw bale building project in the future.
Andrew was an excellent teacher and a mine of building knowledge and tips.
Femke R. Auckland, New Zealand
==================
Thank you soooooo much for the workshop. We loved
it!!!!! I learned so much and am looking forward to building our house.
Tamra R., Utah
==============
Thank you for a great week. You and your family
are wonderful hosts. This past week will never be forgotten. I
already have great plans for my straw bale building!
Frank B., New Mexico
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Thank you for the workshop, we learned a lot!!
Carol F., Oregon
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Thanks for a lot of learning and a fun
week. It was a great experience and a
really good example of an arrangement where all parties “win.” I learned more than I expected to.
Mary L., California
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What a week. I get the feeling that for most of us, what we came away with goes well beyond the proper technique for building straw bale homes. The fact of the matter is that $750 is not much money to come away with more life lessons. For me it was a confidence builder and it helped me gain clarity about what I want for my own project.
Tom W., Oregon
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