Post Fire Series: Building With Adobe - Earthen Bench Construction Workshops

Get grounded in the fundamentals of building an earthen bench at this two-part Earthen Bench Making Workshop series on May 24 and June 8 — as part of the ongoing Post Fire series at Arlington Garden by using the earthen adobe bricks we made at the introductory workshops earlier this spring. Led by Ricky Martin and Lynn Fang of SoilWise and Altadena-based artist Ching Ching Cheng, you’ll learn the ancient and sustainable art of natural earthen construction utilizing the adobe bricks made earlier in the spring workshops.

Register for One or Both Hands-On Half-Day Workshops:

10% off discount offered if you register for both sessions No prerequisite or experience is required for either workshop. The workshops are appropriate for all skill levels and abilities but best suited for adults and teens (accompanied by an adult).  Registration for each session is limited to 20 people.

• Saturday 5/24 from 10am-3pm: BENCH CONSTRUCTION BASICS Learn the first steps of bench construction with handmade sun-dried adobe bricks and upcycled materials to create a bench form and cover it in a base coat of earthen plaster we make together. We'll also cover some of the intro from our brick-making workshops so there is no need to have attended those first if you could not make it, either.
• Sunday 6/8 from 10am-3pm: BENCH FINISHING + DECORATION Mix and apply a smooth fine earthen plaster with natural weatherproofing and then see how to apply a unique mosaic made from historic tiles contributed to the project via a generous Altadena homeowner after being rescued following the Eaton Fire by Save the Tiles.

What You’ll Learn:

• The basics of natural, fire-resistant, and earthquake-resilient building techniques
• How to build a bench form using natural and upcycled materials
• How to mix and apply earthen plaster using just clay, sand, straw, and water
• Construction techniques such as building an arch from adobe bricks for stabilization
• Real-world insight into climate-resilient architecture included in CA's building codes

Pricing Transparency - Required Registration via Eventbrite - https://AGearthenbenchworkshop.eventbrite.com: 

Each workshop is hosted on a sliding scale reciprocity basis beginning at $45. The pricing and scales reflects the costs of materials, design, preparation, hosting, and facilitating these two workshops. If you would like to sponsor the series to make it free of charge, reach out to info@arlingtongardenpasadena.org. Free for under 18 with a paid adult required to accompany. A limited number of first come, first served work trade spaces are also available on 5/23, 5/24 and 6/8 - email info@arlingtongardenpasadena.org to inquire.