Current Workshops - 2009
Download the 2009 workshop poster (PDF)!
March 27th, 2009 at 9 a.m., we shall convene at Swan House in Presidio, Texas, to build the adobe walls for an addition to the house at the west patio. A cement bond beam, like a ribbon around the structure, will be poured at a height of 7 feet, later supporting the 6 foot high Nubian vault which we teach in October. Participants will learn how to mix the mud mortar, how to lay brick with sufficient mortar and how to key the bricks at the corners. We will take precise measurements for the placement of fenestration: two French doors and one window onto the patio. Efren Rodriguez, maestro in adobe building and plastering from across the Rio Grande in Ojinaga, Mexico, will lead us while Sandro Canovas, apprentice and fisherman, conducts the workshop in English and Spanish. Students who can collaborate, learn and labor for the entire two weeks will have priority.
October 16th, 2009 at 9 a.m. we shall begin the Nubian vault-building workshop under the skilled tutoring of alumnus Stevan de la Rosa of Baja California. This long-awaited and exciting endeavor will be limited to 8 participants. More information gladly given on request. Registration is $100 before July 1, 2009, and $250 thereafter.
Fees for students run $100 a day for long weekends, $400 a week, and can be negotiated personally according to length of time spent learning hands-on at Swan House in Presidio, Texas.
Interns: maximum three at wall-building workshop, no fee, send application to swan@adobealliance.org. Maximum two for vault-building workshop are invited to report for preparations on October, 9, 2009.
Directions, Meals and Lodging: See Registration & Lodging.
An early deposit of $100 to the non-profit Adobe Alliance, Inc., will allow us to reserve a slot for each student, thus helping to cover in advance the expenses of preparatory work.