Strawbale Building Workshops

Strawbale Building Workshops by The Center for Ecological Design

We are embarking on an exciting adventure: building a straw bale barn and studio—the Straw Budio. This new hub for the Center for Ecological Design will be located just north of our off-grid straw bale home, in our mini Western town nestled in the center of a mountainous cirque with nothing to see but the hawks and the stars.

The Budio's design is based off of historic barns in our town of Huntsville- in fact, there are over 100 historically-significant buildings in our town! Grounded in this history, we bring modern, sustainabile strawbale design to create a hub for design, innovation, and fabrication.

We are offering three different foci for this build: a strawbale intensive that will focus on building skills with strawbales- and everything a building needs to go around them- and a natural plasters intensive that will focus on lime plaster but will also cover earthen plasters, floors, and benches. For more info on each intensive, please click on the buttons below:

Strawbale Building Intensive

Natural Plasters Intensive

Strawbale Framing Intensive

We are also offering a new type of workshop that we are pretty sure no one is doing, but that is obviously absolutely fundamental to building a strawbale building: a Strawbale Framing Intensive. Due to the nature of framing projects, this workshop is being offered in a slightly different format than the Strawbale and Plasters Intensive, please click this button above for more information.

Join Us!

Life at the site is all about connection—to the land and to each other. Our 18-acre property is bordered by thousands of acres of wilderness, providing a quiet, expansive backdrop for our work.

Accommodations: For those looking for the full "glamping" experience, we have Lotus Belle tents available right on the property. These offer a comfortable, magical way to stay close to the project and the evening campfires. If you prefer a bit more traditional infrastructure, you’ll find wonderful local options nearby (see below).

Meals & Evenings: The heart of our social life is the Tiki Bar, our outdoor cooking and lounge area that boasts the most stunning views of the surrounding mountains. We’ll share hearty meals and cool drinks as the sun sets, transitioning from a day of fabrication to an evening of storytelling under some of the clearest dark skies in Utah.

Nearby Accommodations

If you prefer to not camp (our glamping tents pictured left), the Ogden Valley has several charming options:

Dancing Moose Farm — A nearby permaculture farm offering unique yurt stays.
The Valley House Inn and The Compass Rose Lodge — Two great inns in the heart of Huntsville Town, just a short drive from our property.
Lakeside Village (Eden) — If you’re looking for a condo or vacation rental with a pool and hot tub, the nearby town of Eden (15 minutes away) has plenty of modern mountain retreats- look on AirBnB or VRBO

Travel

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) — Approximately 55 miles (60–75 minutes by car). SLC is a major hub, making it easy to fly in from anywhere.

Driving Directions — From the airport, you'll head north through Ogden Canyon—a spectacular drive that brings you right into the Ogden Valley and leads you toward our property at 2223 N River View Cir.

Carpooling — We love building community before the first bale is even laid. We will help coordinate ride-sharing among participants traveling from the airport.

Local Attractions

The Center for Ecological Design Property — Right here on the property, there are many acres to explore and several amazing hikes just out our back door!

Causey Reservoir — Just 10 minutes from our property, this is a local favorite for its ban on motorized boats. It’s a peaceful, stunning spot for kayaking, paddleboarding, or swimming in the emerald waters. If you're lucky, you might even spot some of the resident mountain goats on the surrounding cliffs.

Pineview Reservoir — Located in the heart of Huntsville, this is the place to cool off. Whether you want to lounge on the sandy beaches of Cemetery Point or explore the shoreline, it’s the perfect post-workshop refresh.

The Shooting Star Saloon — A trip to Huntsville isn't complete without a visit to Utah's oldest continuously operating saloon. It’s famous for its quirky atmosphere, "Star Burgers," and the massive stuffed St. Bernard head on the wall. It's a true step back in time.

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity — For a bit of local history, visit the site of the old Trappist monastery. While the monks have retired, the land remains a beautiful, preserved open space known for its honey and peaceful vistas.

Daily Routine

We follow a structured flow to ensure you get the most out of every hour—balancing expert instruction, hands-on application, and the community spirit that makes these workshops life-changing.

The Morning: Setting the Foundation

8:00 AM – Breakfast & Morning Group Chat Fuel up with a hearty breakfast followed by a briefing on the day’s objectives. We’ll discuss the "big picture" of the project and how our specific tasks for the day fit into the structural integrity of the Budio.
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM – Build Project Demo A focused demonstration of the current construction stage. Whether it’s the proper way to "sew" a corner or the nuances of mixing a lime-sand plaster, you’ll see the technique performed by experts before you pick up a tool.
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Hands-On Practice You’ll be on the wall or at the mixing station, applying the morning’s lesson to the Straw Budio.

The Afternoon: Expert Insights & Application

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM – Lunch A mid-day break to recharge and refuel at the Tiki Bar.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Guest Speaker Series We invite leaders from the Natural Building Community to share their expertise. You’ll hear from engineers, architects, and master builders about the wider world of sustainable design.
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Natural Building Demo A second specialized demo—this might cover anything from installing "nichos" to the technical side of our off-grid solar and fabrication lab integration.
3:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Hands-On Practice Back to the build site to continue progress, refine your skills, and see the tangible results of your afternoon labor.

The Evening: Mastery & Connection

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – DIY Natural Building Lecture A deep-dive lecture series hosted by your site leads. We’ll cover the "behind-the-scenes" of owner-building: permitting, sourcing local straw, budgeting, and the logistics of managing your own site.
7:00 PM – Dinner A communal meal as the sun begins to dip behind the Huntsville mountains.
8:00 PM – Campfire Music & Storytelling The "Old Western" heart of the workshop. We gather around the fire to swap stories, strum banjos, and reflect on the day’s work under a blanket of stars.

Your Hosts

When you join a workshop at the Center for Ecological Design, you aren’t just learning from instructors—you’re working alongside a team that has lived every phase of the owner-builder journey. We recently completed our own extremely complex, off-grid straw bale residence, navigating the rigorous demands of a construction loan and acting as our own general contractors. We understand the technical, financial, and physical hurdles of natural building because we’ve cleared them ourselves.

Dr. Emily Nicolosi

Lead Artist & Research Director Emily brings a rare blend of academic rigor and artistic vision to the world of natural building. With a PhD in Geography from the University of Utah, her research has focused on climate change mitigation and the power of grassroots innovation. She founded the Next Earth Project to bridge the gap between high-level climate science and the practical, "boots-on-the-ground" actions that individuals can take to build a resilient future.

As a formally trained painter and sculptor, Emily views a straw bale wall not just as an insulator, but as a canvas. She applies her expertise in studio art to the "art of the bale"—specializing in the aesthetic shaping, niches, and natural plaster finishes that transform a structure into a work of art. Her background ensures that your build will be as beautiful and soul-stirring as it is ecologically sound.

Ian Nicolosi

Lead Builder & Educator Ian is a trained engineer with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Utah. With over 20 years of professional fabrication experience, he is a master of building with an impressive versatility that ranges from traditional timber framing to advanced digital fabrication.

Ian’s engineering background is critical when it comes to the technical "why" behind straw bale construction. He excels at making complex structural concepts accessible, whether he’s explaining the shear strength of a plastered wall or the thermal dynamics of an off-grid envelope. Ian is a tinkerer at heart, constantly experimenting with green living technologies and innovative ways to integrate modern materials with ancient building methods.

Why Build With Us?

We aren't just theorists; we are practitioners. We know what it’s like to manage a job site, satisfy a bank’s inspectors, and work with engineers to push the boundaries of what natural materials can do. Our goal is to empower you with the same "owner-builder" confidence that allowed us to create our 18-acre off-grid sanctuary from the ground up.

FAQ

Credits and CVs?

Can you get college credits and add this to your CV? Emily Nicolosi is a Human Geography PhD and Research Assistant Professor at the University of Utah, so if you are interested in college credits, its an option we can explore. You can absolutely count this internship as a proud line on your CV! We are a 501c3 registered nonprofit corporation.

Can I bring my dog?

The Center for Ecological Design is located in a fragile, wild ecosystem. Because of this, we do not allow dogs, unless it is fundamentally necessary as a service dog, for example, as a guide dog for a person with blindness.

Can I bring my kid?

This may be a possibility, please reach out directly to discuss!

Can I bring my RV?

The road which leads to the Center is a rugged private road. Some RVs may be able to traverse this road, others may not. We have limited parking for RVs due to the slope of the property.

Can I bring my car?

Yes, you can bring your car. We have onsite parking. Please note, you will not be able to park your car next to your tent.

Do you provide facilities?

Yes, we provide bathroom and shower facilities, in addition to our fully-stocked outdoor kitchen, the "Tiki Bar." Interns will be staying in our 220 sf "glamping" tents- think luxurious camping with actual mattress, carpet, lighting, the works!

What type of food is provided?

The food on premises is 100% lacto-ovo vegetarian. Each day, dinner will be offered by the Center and be eaten together in our strawbale home. Breakfast and lunch materials are not provided, a space for preparation of breakfast and lunch is available in the Tiki Bar.

Will I have access to convenience lifestyle amenities?

The Center for Ecological Design is a remote 18+ acre off-grid property surrounded by thousands of acres of wildlands, 20 minutes from town, and 45 minutes to a metro area. As such, folks who stay with us must be prepared (if they do not have a car) to engage in full ecological living: in essence, you can sip your coffee leisurely amongst the bunnies and birds instead of going to Starbucks, you can print a new phone case on our 3D printer instead of going to Target! We have hundreds of miles of trails to explore right out of our gate, but we do not provide transportation to to metro area for shopping.

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