May 14-20, 2012

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

To read the host’s story, please click here.

I’m happy to once again teach a workshop near my hometown in Oregon. The climate here is perfect for straw bale construction and it’s a wonderful place to camp and explore. Here’s what the host has to say about their project and the location.

The workshop site is about 15 miles from Medford, Oregon in an area called Sam’s Valley.  If you have ever driven down I-5 and noticed the beautiful Table Rocks on the east side of the freeway, you know about where I live.  Sam’s Valley is the center of the many attractions you can enjoy in Jackson and Josephine County.  Within an hour’s drive, you can visit Crater Lake National Park, watch a play in Ashland, visit historic sites in Jacksonville, raft or jet boat down the Rogue River, zip line through the forests, or fly in a hot air balloon.  Hiking trails abound, from the nearby Table Rock trails less than 2 miles away to the many trails along Highway 62 toward Crater Lake.  Crater Lake will probably still have lots of snow.  The north entrance to the park usually doesn’t open up until mid-summer because of snow, so if you love snow that’s the place to go.

My home is situated on 7 level acres with amazing views of Mt. McLoughlin to the East and the Siskiyou Mountains to the South.  Although you can’t see it from my property, the Rogue River is less than a mile away as well.

A variety of wildlife passes through my property. I have seen and heard coyotes. Jackrabbits abound and a family of deer likes to sleep in my carport.  My neighbor says they romp and play like puppies, although I have yet to see that because I currently have no windows in that direction. Something I plan to change.

My straw bale house will have lots of windows in that direction, East, so that I can see the sun rise over Mt. McLoughlin.  I have lived here for19 years and the only time I get to see the mountain is on my way to work.  It will be so nice to see its many changing faces every day.  The home is approximately 1200 square feet including a loft.  It has one bath and one bedroom downstairs and a sewing nook and bathroom upstairs.  The kitchen is a peninsula that faces out into the living area and the East windows.  The dining and living areas will have corner window seats.

My mother and I moved here in 1992 so I could attend Southern Oregon University.  I eventually earned my Teaching Certificate and now teach at a high school within an Oregon youth correctional facility.  It is very rewarding.  I also teach at the local community college two nights a week.  My 90-year-old mother passed away in 2004.  She was always an inspiration to me.  She never believed anything was impossible.  When we lived in Roseburg, she decided she wanted to build a house when she was 70.  She found the builder and the financing by herself and got the house built.  As I watched my mobile home slowly disintegrate, I decided to follow in my mom’s footsteps and build a house.  I am grateful to Hammond’s Construction, Chris Keefe (my designer) and Andrew Morrison for helping my dream come true.

My sister is as excited about this project as I am, so much so, that she wants to come all the up from Arizona to help with the food preparation.  She and my niece, who lives in Salem, want to be the kitchen crew.  The three of us look forward to hosting you on my project and we hope you sign up for this workshop today.

(Andrew here) Just a quick note to let you all know that there has been a change to the structure we will be building in this workshop. Unfortunately, the bank has been dragging their feet and see-sawing back and forth on whether they will or will not fund Teresa’s project. As such, she was unable to move forward with her house as planned and is currently continuing the effort to fund her dream home (baby steps have been made and things are still progressing…one step at a time).

We will be building the Sunset Cottage, a simple, 200 square foot cabin that embodies all of the details of a full size home. Although the structure is smaller than a full scale home, I will still be teaching the same elements of the construction process in the class. In fact, this is the size structure I used to teach all of my workshops on, so I am very comfortable with the change. I hope you will consider joining us and adding your energy to Teresa’s land so that her dream of a straw bale home can continue to come to fruition.

The cost to attend this workshop is $800 which includes all instruction, camping spot, use of bathing facilities, free Straw Bale DVD, and all food during the workshop.  A $200 non refundable deposit secures your spot at the workshop.

Ready to register? Click HERE!