Render & Cob Workshop @ Narara

Do you need to polish up your rendering skills? A bit rusty or you've never done it before?  Thinking about building a cob wall but don't know where to start?

Come and join us for 2 days of rendering and cobbing and you'll be finishing your own project before you know it.

During this workshop you'll see we will be rendering internal and external panel walls using specialist Rockcote specialist products and cobbing all the internal walls.   

If you are thinking of using the new Viva Straw Panel Wall system or just building with straw then this workshop is for you. Rendering is easy once you know how and this is a great way to get experience under the guidance of our expert team.

Why are these workshops so different? 

1. You'll get a HUGE amount of work done

Other workshops don't come close to getting this much work done in this time. 

You'll see our system, and just how do we 'pop up' a house in such a short time. 

2. Inspiring ...

Everyone says how inspiring everyone is on our workshops,

everyone is cool, like-minded, hard workers who want to make a difference. 

And seeing results so fast blows our minds everytime

3. Meet new and life long friends... a community

There's something special on one of our workshops, it's hard to describe. 

There's not many places where we can get together as a group with a common goal and help others. 

It's quite special.

You'll most probably keep in contact with the people you meet for years to come.

4. Get Practise!

Get practise building a natural home, with us teaching and supervising, it's best to learn how to do it and then practise straight away. We have work stations and groups so you get practise in all areas. See what tools you need and how to organise a work site. 

But you have to be warned, This is a working rendering workshop

5. This workshops is FREE!

You'll learn a lot of free! Hands on experience is so much better than learning from a book or learning from your mistakes!

What you'll do & learn:

• Learn how to render & build cob walls
• Render using Rockcote specialist renders
• Build internal cob walls (thermal mass walls)
• You’ll see what tools and materials we use, how services are dealt with, how to prepare the walls for rendering. How we prepare the soil and clay before rendering.

IMPORTANT INFO

Rain, hail or shine, it will go ahead - we'll have the roof on

Date:  25th & 26th November (Wed & Thurs)

Time: 7:55am- 5pm Be there on time every day

Address: Narara (Central Coast) (we’ll tell you where when you sign up)

Accommodation

No camping available onsite

Please bring your plates, cups and cutlery.

There will be water but it would be helpful if you bring your own. 

Can I bring my kids?

We can't have kids under 16 on the building site, but there are playgrounds and common areas on site that could keep your kids entertained. You could tag team with your partner if you both want to get a taste of natural building. 

What sort of food will there be?

The Owner(s) will supply: lunch, morning and afternoon teas. You'll need to look after your own breakfasts and dinners.

They’ll cater for:

• No special requirements
• Vegetarian
• Gluten free

There’s a place on the booking form to let us know what you need.  

What about my dog?

No visiting pets are allowed on this site.  Sometimes it's ok to bring your dog to workshops but you'll need to leave Fido at home for this one.  

Can I just come and watch?

No spectators please

(just do one of our courses or jump onto our eco house tour if you’re not up to hard work, a lot of fun and getting dirty!)

I’m not sure whether to do a course or a workshop?

If you want to know HOW TO build a strawbale home...we strongly advise to do one of our courses. 

We can't go through specifics or theory here as the goal is to build a house. 

This is a working workshop. 

Should I book in now or wait til the last minute?

Well...in these strange COVID times our spaces are very limited so please book in now and let us know as soon as possible if you can't come so someone else can take your place.

Please don't come if you have any of the flu like symptoms, fever, sore throat, runny nose.

Spaces are limited so that we can make sure the everyone can safely social distance.

What should I bring?

• Your enthusiasm and work ethic
• Safety gloves (we supply rubber gloves but if you want leather gloves please bring them)
• Enclosed work boots and gum boots
• Work clothes, long sleeves & pants for the straw and lime – for all seasons!
• Your own cups, plates and cutlery (be part of the war on waste!)
• Face masks, extra hand sanitiser (we'll provide but just in case)

How much does it cost?

All of this for just - $0 per person for 2 days

By booking tickets, you agree that:

• Your spot is confirmed
• You commit to arriving at 7:55am everyday
• If you take photos or videos during the workshop, you’ll only use them for personal use
• You are fit and healthy and will work the all the days that you’ve specified 
• You'll give Viva Homes more than 48 hours warning if you cannot attend 
• You may be photographed or filmed by Viva Living Homes and am happy for them to use the photos in promotional material. If you’re not ok with this, tell us immediately & at the workshop 
• You’ll come prepared for work and will bring appropriate clothes (long sleeves & pants) & boots to work in 
• Before starting work on site, you'll do a safety induction lead by one of our Team

What other workshoppers say:

"Amazing experience! Highly recommended! The viva team were incredibly encouraging and it was wonderful meeting like minded people. The knowledge and experience gained was invaluable. Thanks guys :)" Erin

"We contacted Viva in a last ditch effort to find some support with our straw bale walls. It is safe to say that we would not have continued with the plan for straw if we had not done this. 

It was only after we attended a Viva workshop that we had confidence in our abilities to achieve the look that we are after. " Leensy

"I feel better after the workshop than when I came. It's just soooo good to come together, we're a community. We just don't get that in our lives anymore" Kane

“I just finished another workshop and rendering is now so much easier. Something just happened so I don’t have to think about what I’m doing now. It’s so exciting!” Shannon

 "The workshop last year was definitely a must. A big thank you to Viva for providing quality workshops and being there to assist owner builders. We did the workshop and have followed what we learned and have not encountered any problems or issues during the build, so thank you Viva guys!" Ilari

Need another reason?

After your join, you get into our private "Graduates Group", 

stay in touch with other cool folk, ask questions, share your story and build

Such a cool group, here's just 1 post!

My partner and I are currently finishing our plans to build a three bedroom strawbale house in the manning valley region of NSW. We intend to apply for a owner builder loan and subcontract the majority of the work to an experienced owner builder and licensed professionals.The plans have been drawn by an architect and an experienced straw bale house engineer.We have a current bank loan on the land.We are seeking advice on the type of loan we need and who we can approach to apply for it. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Elise

 Get onto it now, book in and be the difference in this world!