A Living Classroom
Hands-On Natural Building Workshops
Learn off-grid, earth-based construction through immersive, sustainable building classes using natural materials and time-tested methods.
We offer hands-on natural building workshops that teach people how to build strong, beautiful structures using the land itself. Rooted in earth-based construction methods, our off-grid building classes focus on sustainable, affordable, and low-impact building techniques that are deeply connected to place. Participants learn through immersive, learn-by-doing instruction that turns natural materials like earth, clay, sand, straw and lime into durable, long-lasting shelter.
Our natural building workshops in southern Arizona, located near Bisbee, are designed for beginners and experienced builders alike. Students gain practical skills in site preparation, rubble trench foundations, hyperadobe earthbag construction, cob building, adobe brick making, and traditional lime plaster finishes—while building confidence, self-reliance, and a deeper respect for the land. These hands-on sustainable building workshops are ideal for anyone interested in off-grid living, self-built homes, and resilient construction suited to desert climates.
Daily Workshops $145 per workshop
Each workshop can be taken on its own, or combined for a deeper, more complete learning experience.
Format:
Saturdays 9 am – 4 pm, November – May
Sundays 9 am – 4 pm, November – May
Light lunch, snacks and water provided.
Please bring your own vessel for water.
Our workshops take place on a live, evolving build. Hands-on work may not directly mirror the lecture but is intentionally designed to give students real-world experience with materials, tools, teamwork, and on-site problem solving—skills that transfer across all phases of natural building.
AVAILABLE DAILY WORKSHOPS
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ:
Physical Nature of the Workshops
Please note that these workshops are highly physical and hands-on. Participants should be prepared to work hard, lift materials, move earth, and get very dirty and muddy. This is real building work done with natural materials, not a demonstration or observation-only class.
We encourage attendees to come ready for physical labor, teamwork, and full participation, with appropriate clothing, footwear, and a willingness to engage in the process.
Workshop: Hyperadobe Earthbags & Soil
Morning: Get Started Building
We begin the day with a brief safety overview before jumping straight into the build. Participants will start working with materials right away—mixing, moving, and building as a group. Instruction happens in real time, with guidance woven into the work rather than set apart from it.
Midday: Lunch & Questions
We break for a light lunch, offering space for questions, conversation, and sharing insights from the morning’s work.
Afternoon: Continue the Build
The afternoon continues in the same hands-on rhythm. As the build progresses, we introduce techniques as they become relevant, allowing participants to learn by doing in real conditions. There is ongoing discussion, problem-solving, and skill sharing throughout the process and at the end of the day.
Workshop: Cob & Adobe
Morning: Get Started Mixing & Making
We begin with a brief safety overview, then get straight into the work. Participants will start by learning how to identify and test soil, then move directly into mixing cob by foot and preparing material for adobe brick making.
From there, we’ll form and shape cob, and begin making and molding adobe bricks, covering proper mix consistency, forming techniques, and how to set bricks up for successful drying.
Instruction happens in real time as we work, including best practices for material ratios, mixing methods, and handling techniques.
Midday: Lunch & Questions
We break for a light lunch with time for questions, conversation, and sharing observations from the morning’s work.
Afternoon: Continue Building & Forming
The afternoon continues hands-on, with participants refining cob mixing and shaping while producing more adobe bricks. We’ll cover efficient workflow, batching, and drying considerations, along with how these materials are used in wall systems.
Discussion continues throughout the workday, with a final check-in to review what was learned and how to apply it moving forward.
Workshop: Lime Plaster & Natural Finishes
Morning: Get Started Mixing & Applying
We begin with a brief safety overview, then move straight into hands-on work. Participants will learn how to mix and apply natural earthen finishes and lime plaster, starting with surface preparation and moving into first coats.
We’ll cover how different substrates affect adhesion, how to achieve the right consistency, and how to apply finishes evenly. Instruction happens in real time, including techniques for troweling and layering.
Midday: Lunch & Questions
We break for a light lunch with time for questions, discussion, and sharing observations from the morning’s work.
Afternoon: Continue Plastering & Finishing
In the afternoon, we continue applying finishes, refining technique and exploring additional layers. Participants will work with texture, smoothing, and final coats, gaining a feel for timing, moisture control, and finish quality.
We’ll also touch on burnishing, maintenance, and durability, depending on conditions and drying time. Discussion continues throughout the workday, with a final check-in at the end.
A Quick Note on Our Approach
Meet your hosts, Ryan and Ali. We love our off-grid life and feel it’s important to share what we’ve learned along the way—especially in times like these, when reconnecting with land, materials, and community feels both meaningful and necessary.
We’re not experts or authorities—we’re practitioners who’ve learned through years of building alongside others in a community focused on off-grid, earthen homes. What we teach comes from hands-on experience, trial and error, and knowledge shared among people doing similar work.
These workshops are meant to expose you to a range of building methods and give you real experience with materials and techniques, so you can decide what works best for you and what you want to build.
Think of this as shared knowledge, passed hand to hand—not a rulebook.
Homeschool Group Oportunities
Roots to Walls is a hands-on educational living homestead designed specifically for homeschooling families who want learning to happen beyond a desk. We operate as a living classroom—an outdoor, real-world learning environment where students ages 10 and up engage directly in meaningful, physical work.
Classes take place on an active earthen building site in South Bisbee, Arizona that functions as a working homestead. Students ages 10 and up learn by doing—making adobe bricks, building with adobe and cob, applying earth plasters, and understanding how natural materials perform structurally and environmentally over time.
The homestead setting allows students to experience earth building as it is meant to be practiced: in relationship with the land, climate, and daily use of the structures being built. Projects are real, ongoing, and purposeful, giving homeschool students the opportunity to see earth-building methods from raw material to finished form.
At Roots to Walls, the focus is not demonstration but participation. Students actively engage in earth-building techniques while developing practical skills, problem-solving abilities, and a deeper understanding of sustainable construction through lived experience.
Event Title
Event Time
Event Date
Change the event description to include your own content. Adjust the settings to customize the style.
August 2026
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
THU
FRI
SAT
What to Expect
-
Working outdoors on a real build site
-
Mixing and moving earth by hand and foot
-
Standing, lifting, shaping, and building
-
Dirt under fingernails and mud on clothes
-
Real tools, real materials, real responsibility
Families should plan to wear clothes they don’t mind getting dirty and closed-toe shoes suitable for outdoor work.
Programs
Example cob oven created with an adobe brick base.
From Mud to Meal: Build & Bake with Earth
Program Overview
Ages: 10–17
Duration: 3 months (6 sessions, every other week)
Session Length: 2.5–3 hours
Location: Outdoor living classroom / active earthen building site
From Mud to Meal is a hands-on, project-based living classroom where students learn traditional adobe block making and earth-building techniques by constructing a real, functional bread oven. Over three months, students mix mud, form adobe blocks, build walls, shape an oven, work with fire science, and ultimately bake food together in the oven they created.
This program blends history, science, math, teamwork, and physical labor into a memorable, real-world learning experience.
This is a messy, outdoor, get-your-hands-dirty class.
Learning Outcomes (Student-Focused)
By the end of the program, students will:
-
Understand the basic principles of adobe and earthen construction
-
Learn how soil composition, water, and fiber work together as building materials
-
Apply basic math, measurement, and geometry in construction
-
Understand heat transfer, thermal mass, and fire safety
-
Build confidence through teamwork and physical work
-
Complete a long-term project from start to finish
-
Prepare and bake food using traditional methods
Session Breakdown
Session 1: Making Adobe Blocks
Focus: Materials & foundations of earth building
Activities:
-
Introduction to adobe and earth building traditions
-
Soil testing and texture analysis
-
Mixing adobe with feet and tools
-
Forming adobe blocks using molds
-
Marking and curing blocks in the sun
Learning Highlights:
-
Material science basics
-
Ratios and consistency
-
Team collaboration
What to Wear: Clothes that can get muddy, closed-toe shoes, hat
Session 2: Oven Design & Foundation
Focus: Design thinking and structure
Activities:
-
Explore traditional bread ovens from different cultures
-
Group design and sketching
-
Site selection and layout
-
Building a stone or rubble foundation
-
Leveling and measuring
Learning Highlights:
-
Geometry and scale
-
Structural stability
-
Planning before building
Session 3: Building with Adobe Blocks
Focus: Construction and teamwork
Activities:
-
Mixing adobe mortar
-
Laying adobe blocks
-
Building oven walls and openings
-
Learning about arches and load
Learning Highlights:
-
Precision and patience
-
Structural problem-solving
-
Safe tool use
-
Session 4: Shaping the Oven & Fire Science
Focus: Form, heat, and science
Activities:
-
Shaping the oven dome
-
Understanding thermal mass
-
Heat movement demonstrations
-
Applying earthen layers
-
Decorative elements and symbols
Learning Highlights:
-
Heat transfer concepts
-
Cultural history of ovens
-
Creative expression
Session 5: Earth Plaster & Curing
Focus: Finishing and care
Activities:
-
Mixing and applying earth plaster
-
Surface texture exploration
-
Controlled drying methods
-
Gentle teacher-led curing fires
-
Planning bake day menu
Learning Highlights:
-
Material finishing
-
Patience and observation
-
Cause-and-effect relationships
Session 6: Fire It Up & Bake Day
Focus: Celebration and reflection
Activities:
-
Safe oven firing
-
Heat management
-
Baking bread, flatbread, or pizza
-
Shared meal
-
Reflection circle and recognition
Learning Highlights:
-
Fire safety and responsibility
-
Food preparation basics
-
Pride in completed work
Arizona Homeschool Charter Alignment (General)
This program supports common homeschool educational goals including:
-
Science: Earth science, heat transfer, material properties
-
Math: Measurement, ratios, geometry
-
History & Social Studies: Traditional building and food systems
-
Physical Education: Strength, coordination, endurance
-
Life Skills: Teamwork, responsibility, problem-solving
Documentation, attendance tracking, and invoices can be provided for charter reimbursement where applicable.
Safety & Liability Description (Parent-Facing)
This is an outdoor, hands-on construction class involving mud, tools, lifting materials, and supervised fire use. Safety instruction is provided at each session, and tools and fire are used only under direct instructor supervision.
Participants must be able to follow instructions and work cooperatively in a group setting. Parents/guardians will be required to sign a liability waiver prior to participation.
Parent Notes
-
This class is intentionally messy and physical
-
Students should expect to get dirty each session
-
Sunscreen, water, and weather-appropriate clothing are required
-
The oven remains as a permanent structure on the land
Earth as a Building Material: Soil, Sand & Straw
Overview:
Students learn how earth becomes a building material by testing, mixing, and working directly with soil. This class lays the foundation for all other earth-based building methods.
Hands-On Activities:
-
Digging and examining local soil
-
Testing soil for clay content
-
Mixing earth with sand and straw
-
Observing how different mixes behave
Learning Outcomes:
-
Understand basic soil composition
-
Learn how earth is transformed into a building material
-
Recognize why local materials matter
-
Build awareness of climate and material relationships
What to Wear:
-
Clothes that can get dirty
-
Closed-toe shoes suitable for outdoor work
- Sun protection (hat, sunscreen)
Making and Building with Adobe Bricks
In this two-part, hands-on class, students experience the full adobe building process — from raw earth to standing wall. Participants will mix wet adobe by hand, form bricks using molds, and then use cured bricks to build a section of wall on the Roots to Walls demonstration structure.
This class is physical, messy, and deeply engaging. Students should expect to work with mud, water, and heavy materials while learning how individual bricks come together to create durable, load-bearing walls.
Hands-On Activities:
-
Mixing adobe by hand
-
Filling and lifting brick molds
-
Drying and curing adobe bricks
-
Mixing mud mortar
-
Laying bricks and building a wall section
Learning Outcomes:
-
Understand the full adobe construction process
-
Learn how soil composition affects brick strength
-
Explore concepts of weight, balance, and structure
-
Experience teamwork and shared responsibility
-
See tangible results from physical labor
What to Wear:
-
Clothes that can get dirty
-
Closed-toe shoes suitable for outdoor work
- Sun protection (hat, sunscreen)
Introduction to Cob Building
Overview:
Cob building introduces a more sculptural approach to earth construction, allowing students to shape walls by hand while learning how form and function work together.
Hands-On Activities:
-
Mixing cob by foot
-
Shaping and applying cob to a wall
-
Experimenting with thickness and form
-
Working collaboratively on a shared structure
Learning Outcomes:
-
Understand how cob differs from adobe
-
Learn how walls gain strength through mass and form
-
Develop problem-solving and creative thinking
-
Experience building as both functional and expressive
What to Wear:
-
Clothes that can get very muddy
-
Closed-toe shoes that can get wet or dirty
-
Rolled-up pants or shorts
Examples
The examples below showcase a range of homes built from natural earth materials—proving that sustainability and modern living go hand in hand. These homes are not only visually stunning and fully equipped with today’s amenities, but they also offer remarkable natural performance. Earthen structures naturally regulate indoor temperatures, helping homes stay cool during the summer months and comfortable year-round, all while blending seamlessly with the surrounding environment.
Contact
Have a question or want to learn more about our programs? Feel free to reach out to us using the form below.