Natural Building Syllabus
Merritt College
Summer 2015
Instructor: Marisha Farnsworth buildmerritt@gmail.com
Blog: hundredmilehouse.blogspot.com
Monday & Wednesday: 9am – 2:20pm. Meet in H108.
Instructor: Marisha Farnsworth buildmerritt@gmail.com
Blog: hundredmilehouse.blogspot.com
Monday & Wednesday: 9am – 2:20pm. Meet in H108.
Preparation:
Please do each reading and assignment before the date listed on the syllabus.
Required: closed toed shoes, water bottle, lunch, work gloves, dishwashing gloves, hat, safety glasses, ear plugs, dust mask, work clothes, pencil. Note: if you are not prepared with the above gear, you may not be permitted on certain worksites.
Recommended: tape measure, wood and/or bamboo saws, plaster trowel, any other tools that you have and know how to use that you deem useful for the activity on a given day.
Recommended: bring a snack to share.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Be able to name and locate ecological materials appropriate for use in construction. Compare ecological materials and evaluate their appropriateness for diverse building applications. Evaluate the pros and cons of building with ecological materials. Apply earth as a plaster on a wall.
Be able to name and locate ecological materials appropriate for use in construction. Compare ecological materials and evaluate their appropriateness for diverse building applications. Evaluate the pros and cons of building with ecological materials. Apply earth as a plaster on a wall.
Schedule:
Monday 6/1
Lecture: Introduction to Natural Building
Activities: Site Tour
Wednesday 6/3
Lecture: Wattle & Daub, Infill systems
Activities: Review Precedent Studies, Design Charrette
Lecture: Wattle & Daub, Infill systems
Activities: Review Precedent Studies, Design Charrette
Assignment: Post Precedent Studies
Monday 6/8
Lecture: Human waste and the environment
Activities: Soil Report-Backs, Testing Soil Samples
Assignment: Bring a yogurt container (min. more is better) full of wet clay soil from your home or other location. Be prepared to report back on your soil type and location.
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 2 Building Fundamentals & Ch. 3 Alternative Building Strategies
Wednesday 6/10
Lecture: Building with Bamboo
Activities: Bamboo Crafts
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 5 Siting
Monday 6/15
Lecture: Site Considerations
Activity: site work
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 8 Cob and Other Earth Mixes
Wednesday 6/17
Lecture: Earth Building, Adobe, Cob
Assignment: Submit 1 paragraph research topic proposal.
Assignment: Submit 1 paragraph research topic proposal.
Activity: Review Research Topics, Continue Foundation Work
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 7 Structure
Monday 6/22
Activity: Site Visit: 100 Behrens Street El Cerrito
Harvest bamboo for walls, plaster
Please bring: clippers, saws
Harvest bamboo for walls, plaster
Please bring: clippers, saws
Wednesday 6/24
Guest Lecturer: Anthony Dente: Engineering Natural Buildings
Activity: Pour Foundations, bamboo panel design
Reading: http://www.buildwelllibrary.org/building-materials/fibers/bamboo/unmilled-bamboo-1/39-the-architecture-of-simon-velez-deboer-2001-1/file
Monday 6/29
Lecture: Straw Bale
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 11 Modified Stick-Frame
Wednesday 7/1
No class
Monday 7/6
Activity: Research Project Presentations
Assignment: Post 1st part of Research Project
Reading: http://strawbuilding.org/sites/default/files/docs/Strawbale_Construction_Building_Codes.pdf
Gabrielle
Ali
Gabrielle
Ali
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 10 Straw Bale
Wednesday 7/8
Activity: Framing, bamboo panel production
Activity: Plasters & Paint Samples
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 12 Covering the Walls
Seth
Alexa
Alexa
Monday 7/13
TBD Guest Lecturer: Brent Bucknum: Water Systems, Living Systems
TBD Guest Lecturer: Brent Bucknum: Water Systems, Living Systems
Activity: Framing, Bamboo panels
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 13 Covering the Roof
Kendra
My
My
Wednesday 7/15
Lecture: Plasters
Activity: Roof Framing/Roofing, Bamboo panels
Nick
Troy
Troy
Monday 7/20
Lecture: Earth Bag, Rammed Earth, Earth Floors
Activity: Cob, Floor
Peter
Caitlin
Peter
Caitlin
Wednesday 7/22
Activity: hosting Climate Justice Academy, Plumbing, Wetland, Cob
Assignment: Post 2nd part of Research Project
*Extra Credit Assignment: Submit notes on Ch. 14 Covering the Floor
Nathan
Lavinia
Lavinia
Monday 7/27
Lecture: Green Building, Urban Forest Products, Mycelium Building
Activity: Finishes, Door
Jordan
Morgan
Morgan
Wednesday 7/29 Long Class (9-7:30 so that we can fire up the earth oven) Lecture: Earth Ovens
Activity: Finish Everything, Research Project Presentations
Research Project:
Over the course each student will choose a topic related to the course work and produce a research project of one to two pages (500 words min.) in length consisting of any combination of original text, original images, Creative Commons images, images you have permission to use (sited after image), and original video. Research projects will be posted in on our blog, for future students to reference. Research topics should be selected based on personal interest; topics will be proposed and approved or revised on 6/16.
Over the course each student will choose a topic related to the course work and produce a research project of one to two pages (500 words min.) in length consisting of any combination of original text, original images, Creative Commons images, images you have permission to use (sited after image), and original video. Research projects will be posted in on our blog, for future students to reference. Research topics should be selected based on personal interest; topics will be proposed and approved or revised on 6/16.
Everybody
Extra Credit Reading Assignments: Building Green, by Clarke Snell & Tim Callahan - Lark Books, 2009. Selected pages are available through Google Books http://books.google.com/books?id=MoC1ZPvuw-MC&lpg=PP1&ots=Pq6lE2LJmt&dq=building%20green%20snell&pg=PA50#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Extra Credit Assignments:
250 word minimum blog post with clear, descriptive photos documenting a material or process completed during class time.
Blog post with clear documentation of a local waste-stream opportunity including, location, method of use and other relevant information.
Grading:
50% Attendance
25% Research Project
15% Participation, Class Preparedness, Clean-up
10% Assignments & Quizzes
15% Participation, Class Preparedness, Clean-up
10% Assignments & Quizzes
*Extra Credit up to 2% per assignment with a 22% limit
Online resources to explore:
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