Let’s Talk About Earth-Building: An after-work seminar on building with natural materials
Event description
Join us for a super sweet evening at Windrose House where I’ll present a seminar on earth-building while giving you the opportunity to practice making your own dorodango (Japanese earthen balls) while we chat. It’ll be both informative and relaxed. I’ll do a little presentation on the projector and share a brief history of earth building, show some of my past projects, and explain some good starting places for those that want to try building/playing with it. You can just ask questions and share your own experiences/ perspectives throughout. Let's learn from each other!
ABOUT THE HOST:
My name is Iza Lakapati. I first experienced the joy of earth-building at 18 while spending six months living in a traditionally crafted mud house in a rural Malawian village. This is where I found my love for living in community and living in harmony with nature. Upon returning to Aotearoa, I completed a Bachelor of Architectural Studies at Victoria University of Wellington with electives in Biology Conservation and Design for Sustainability. Since graduating, I have trained under seven different teachers including internationally- acclaimed earth-builders Athena Steen and Verena Maeder. I have contributed to over 10 natural-construction projects ranging from simple clay-painting existing walls to the more recent completion of a co-designed and co-constructed 28m2 strawbale roundhouse. I have co-hosted or facilitated teaching six educational workshops from four days to two-month building immersive workshops.
Beyond the undeniable environmental and health benefits, there is also a deeper cultural shift that I believe natural building contributes to. It invites us to engage with deeper understandings of our belonging in the natural world, responsible stewardship of the land, decolonisation of the construction industry, and reconnection to our community.
In a few months, I will go to study Master’s of Sustainable Architecture at the Centre of Alternative Technology, a Welsh institute with over 50 years of experience in sustainable practice. I view these studies as a necessary bridge between my current efforts on small-scale projects and my aspirations to contribute to the wider industry by deepening my understanding of global challenges and collaborating with like-minded people. I am hosting these workshops to share this knowledge before I depart the country, raise awareness for earth-building and my fundraising campaign, and this particular event is to raise money for the Kiwi Trust For Palestinian Children Relief. You can view their work here: https://www.kiwipal.org/about-...
You can see more of my work here: https://instagram.com/wanderin...
COST:
This is a koha event to raise awareness about earth-building and to fundraise for Kiwi Trust For Palestinian Children Relief. Pay what you feel able to.
If you're looking for a more tactile earth-building experience, consider one of the other events this week:
One day at Okuti Garden: https://events.humanitix.com/b...
Weekend Workshop at Ōtākaro Orchard: https://events.humanitix.com/m...