Upcoming dates: 20 – 24 October 2025; 10 – 14 November 2025
This course is especially suitable for those who:
- seek an overall introduction to earth building and discover it by practise
- are beginers or have some prior experience in earth building
- have a plan/a dream to build an earth home (or any small-sized building such as a guest room, meditation/yoga/music room, outdoor kitchen etc)
Main points:
- Experiencing the satisfaction, effort and time involved in building by yourself. This will help you to find the right strategy for your future project (using machines, getting help from friends or volunteers, hiring workers or a contractor etc…)
- Learning two building techniques: Adobe bricks and Wattle-and-Daub
- Opportunity to practise many building details: installing windows, electricity, shelves etc
- 15 % discount for future workshops at BaanDinDoi.
- Get a training manual summarizing the main points of the hands-on sessions
- Sharing a great time with like-minded people in a peaceful remote place
Curriculum
| Check-in 10.00 AM | DAY 1 / 11.00 AM – 6.00 PM |
| Soil testing | testing the soil to figure out if it is suitable for earth building testing several ratio of earth,sand and fiber to obtain a strong adobe brick |
| DAY 2 / 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Adobe technique | Preparing the mix and making bricks Laying the bricks by hand, and by using tools. Leveling the wall Classroom session: calculate the number of bricks; estimate the volume of soil/sand/fibers to complete a building |
| DAY 3 / 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Earth plastering and Decoration | Plastering by hand and with tools Decoration: natural painting, small sculptures |
| DAY 4 / 8.30 AM – 5.30 PM | |
| Building details / Wattle-and-Daub technique | Installing window frames, electric conduits, plugs and sockets, shelves Concrete foundations and alternative foundations Wattle-and-daub: Making the frame with bamboo and wood. Filling the frame with a earth/straw mix |
| DAY 5 / 8.30 AM – 4.00 PM Check-out 5 PM | |
| Bio-climatic design | See more details below |
Day 5 : bio-climatic design
On day 5, we propose people to learn design skills and make a draft design of their home. We will not focus on the architectural design, but on the bio-climatic design. Based on the local climate and several factors (sun orientation, wind direction, presence of trees, pond, vegetation on the land etc) it helps to achieve thermal comfort by saving energy to cool down or heat the building. In many cases, an optimised design will allow to lower the construction cost of the building (e.g. earthen walls can be less thick if your building is shaded by trees !)
Day 5 schedule
- information about insulation, thermal mass, passive cooling and heating in several climates
- Comments on the design of earth buildings at BaanDinDoi
- Thinking of your own project design or work on a case-study in the land. Feedback/discussion from the instructor and the group
General information
- Venue ‘Baan Din Doi’, 30 minutes from Chiang Rai city
- Course in English, with a maximum of six participants
- Schedule 8.30am to 5pm with an hour lunch break
- Trainer Alain Madec, natural builder and founder of ‘Baan Din Doi’
Food: vegetarian or non-vegetarian
Accomodation options: (air-con room, earth room or tent). Details here.
Price and discounts
The price includes instruction, accommodation for four nights and all meals during the course.
| Price per person | ||
|---|---|---|
| Large tent | 9,200 bahts | Affordable stay, shared bathroom, nature feel |
| Earth Room | 11,000 bahts | Best value, most popular, private bathroom, nature feel |
| Air-con room | 11,800 bahts | Premium comfort and privacy |
| early-birds discounts | 10 % per person | Three EB spots offered; first come, first served |
| Couple / friends discount | 5 % per person | If sharing the same tent or room |
| Discounts cannot be added: choose one. |
Enquiries and registration
Step 1: Contact us to check availabily or ask any questions. Email baandindoi@gmail.com / WhatsApp +66 856 173 480
Step 2: To reserve a spot, you will need to pay a 25% deposit. Click here to know the payment options and the deposit and cancellation policy
Baan Din Doi Natural Building 