June 4-10, 2012

(FOR INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS COVERED IN EACH & EVERY WORKSHOP, CLICK HERE)

I’m hosting another workshop in Oregon in 2012.   I had such a great time and a large showing at my last workshop in Brownsville, OR in 2011 that I have scheduled another workshop for Corvallis.   This time I’ll be on the western edge the Willamette Valley to work on a beautiful timber frame and straw bale structure.  Here’s what the hosts have to say about their project.

The project is near Corvallis, located in the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley.  Located 90 minutes south of the Portland Metropolitan area, the city is about an hour from the spectacular Oregon coast. Corvallis is recognized as one of the top ten places to live and not only has the most green buildings per capita but was ranked #1 on the EPA’s national list of Green Power Communities.

There are plenty of things to see and enjoy before and after the workshop, from the farmers markets, bicycle paths, community gardens, to the historic downtown along the river.   There are many local organic farms and wineries to visit in the surrounding area, plus there are an abundance of hiking trails in the beautiful hills around the city.   Learn more by downloading the Corvallis tourist guide.

Our property is located about eight miles north of Corvallis near Adair Village, a bedroom community to Corvallis.   Adair offers many additional opportunities for those of you that are outdoor enthusiasts.  One just west of town, across Oregon Highway 99W, is a place hikers, bikers and horseback riders can find miles of trails in the McDonald State Forest and Peavy Arboretum.  On Highway 99W there are two retail vendors which sit side by side, these are the AV Market and Tavern, which has basic groceries, snacks, and a sit down café.  There is also Jamocha Jo’s coffee shop for the coffee purist.  If you need anything more than that, then just drive 8 miles south to Corvallis.

Our building site is currently a secluded property with a mix of both pasture area and trees.  Camp-ing will be on a large area adjacent to the workshop.  Participants will enjoy the beautiful views of the Willamette Valley all through the day and the week.

Our project is to build a 1200 square foot workshop, our first building on our land.   The frame will be built with naturally sawn timbers, and crafted with mortise and tenon joints that are held together with wooden pegs.   The plan will be to leave all the timbers exposed on the inside and then to create the bale walls around the building’s exterior perimeter.  This technique calls for a lot less cutting and shaping of the bales than the alternative in-fill technique.

The roof will have a wide overhang to protect the bales and plaster from the weather.  We plan to install most of the windows on the south side of the building to maximize solar gain.   The straw will come from a local farmer.