• Projects

School Houses & Dorms (Adobe Construction)

Over the last 10 years, the project has expanded significantly, so there has been a need for help on the construction side. The buildings are made from a form of adobe construction using locally mined boulders with concrete poured around them for the foundation. Eucalyptus (non-native) posts are used for the framing of the structure, and mud mixed with a hay-like grass is used for the bricks that make up the walls.

The brick-making process entails digging up a large area of dirt and adding water to get a muddy consistency. This mud is then placed into a wood mold along with the hay-like grass which is harvested from a nearby mountain hillside. The wood mold is then pulled off and the process is repeated. These blocks need to dry before they can be used to build the walls. Once the walls are in place they are covered in a waterproof cement like mixture (which helps for insulation) and can be painted once it has dried. The roof is also framed with eucalyptus posts and then topped with terracotta tiles. (see photo section for images of adobe construction)

Greenhouses

The greenhouses also use eucalyptus posts for the structure - wire bracing and large plastic sheets are used as the siding and roofing material. These usually need to be replaced every 5 years or so. There are no windows or hard walls, but there are breaks in the siding that can be opened for cross ventilation.