International Workshop for Self-builders and Professionals

How to refurbish and restore existing (poorly or non-insulated) buildings and how to convert them into cozy, sustainable and healthy living spaces.

Filling the pallets with straw and screwing it as external thermal insulation to posts. Gaps in the palletes are filled with cob, then reed-stucco is attached as a plaster ground. Bamboo reeds and Heraklith board. Wrapping options: with lintels, reeds and pallets - 15 cm insulation or full bale - 36 cm insulation. Lunch Heraklith boards (knaufinsulation.gr) are a good plaster ground on concrete blocks especially in refurbishment of old houses. Heraklith boards (knaufinsulation.gr) are a good plaster ground on concrete blocks especially in refurbishment of old houses. Heraklith boards (knaufinsulation.gr) are a good plaster ground on concrete blocks especially in refurbishment of old houses. Testing the clay mixture. Clay plaster with chopped straw fibers. Well done sponge float by Ilios. Girls in the action, lime plaster application. Lime plaster. Went bit overtime but what a great result! Every night we had a gastronomic orgy in a strawbale house. Demonstrating reciprocal model. We take the first crack at old concrete bed frame. Personal tadelakt training. Giving a new look to old concrete wall. Tadelakt above the ceramic sink. Creation & joy! Creation & joy! Tadelakt companions. Tadelakt stoning session. There is no tadelakt action without night polishing session. Tadelakt application on a shower floor. Perfect! Tadelakt shower is completed. Strawbale infill with CUT technique. Cob application on the straw bale wall sample. I have a dream. Thank you All for the wonderful experience!

Workshop Oct. '15 ENG

Natural Building, plasters & Tadelakt workshop - October 2015

Place: Gabriella's Garden in Paleokastro (near Gazi, Iraklio–Heraklion), Crete (Greece)
Start: Friday, 16th of October, 12:00,
End: Tuesday, 20th of October, 17:00
Trainers: Herbert Gruber (ASBN – Austrian Strawbale Network)
Marta Rakowska & Manolis Ximeris (Minoeco)
Language: English (additional translations in Greek and/or German and/or Polish)
Program: Straw bale techniques (infill), wrapping (thermal insulation with straw), building physics, cob, lime and clay plaster, tadelakt, refurbishing concrete and stone walls, wooden construction (hybrid and loadbearing)
Visit in a straw bale house of our partner, architect & self-builder Christos Choraitis (off-grid, wastewater management and permaculture).
Fee: € 250/participant, € 150/student,€ 350/two partners or friends
Needs to be paid in advance

You will learn how to refurbish and restore existing (poorly or non-insulated) buildings and how to convert them into cozy, sustainable and healthy living spaces, warm in winter (insulation) and cool in summer (thermal mass) and how to save energy and money in this building process and for the future.

This year we orginize the second circle of workshops near Heraklion in Crete, Gabriellas Garden in Paleokastro, 200 m from the beach, a guesthouse built in the ’70s with concrete and stone and will convert two bedrooms including bathrooms into natural and sustainable healthy appartments.

Join our international workshop and enjoy the Autumn sun in Crete at October 2015.

Meals: breakfast & delicious vegeterian dinner, non-alcoholic beverages, coffee-tea (incl. in ticket fee).
Lunch on your own – low price sandwiches, salads and beer/wine are offered in the tavern at Gabriella's Garden.

Accomodation: bed in 3 pax rooms with own sleeping bag (number of places is limited/registration priority), space for your tent or camping car. All the above are with no additional costs. Blankets & pillows 5 € for all workshop.
Possibility to rent more comfort guestrooms in Paleokastro (approx. 20/€/person/day) or a hotel near Paleokastro.

What to bring: work clothes, old work shoes, swim suit.

If you want to rent a car (maybe combined with holidays) search on www.rentalcars.com

Your Travel to Heraklion: We recommend international flights via Athens with Aegean Airlines or from Pireaus by ferry with Minoan (daily departures Piraeus 21:00 – arrival 06:30 in Iraklion/Heraklion).

Transfer by taxi from/to the Airport/Port of Heraklion 25 € per way book your transfer with the company www.taxi-crete.gr

The workshop starts on Friday 16th of October at 12:00 (greek time) and ends on Tuesday, 21st at 17:00. In the evening you have one more dinner (18:30) and we will stay together with the community. So best you plan your departure not before Wednesday morning.

concept-paleokastro thumbA lighthouse project. How to refirbish & insulate a conventional Greek concrete building with sustainable and ecological techniques, to improve living quality (health & comfort), energy standard (reduce heating cost) and offer tourism incentives.
Click to view the pdf.








Registration for the workshop is closed.

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