Industry and Continuing Education

Straw bale construction is an alternative building method which uses baled straw from barley, wheat, rice, flax, rye or oats to build the exterior walls of a house or shed. With a properly insulated roof, straw bale enables a person to build a warm winter home with an R factor of R35 to R50! The workshop includes a mixture of classroom (philosophy, history, operational and construction theory) and hands-on, where an actual small straw bale building is constructed. Contact Yvonne Peterson (780-835-6617) for more information.

Learn the traditional craft of timber frame building and joinery. Massive timbers some weighing as much as 500 pounds, are cut and framed together using time tested mortise and tenon joints. These timbers, once raised and pegged into position, form what we call a timber frame. Following ancient tradition, no nails or metal fasteners of any type are used. Contact Yvonne Peterson (780-835-6617) for more information.
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Green Roofing
A combination of horticulture and sustainable building at its most amazing - part of Fairview College Campus' Traditional Building programs to run in August, 2010
An introduction to the very old, yet very new, phenomenon of living roofs. Discussions will include an overview of green roofing; the history of green roofing; types of green roofs; where green roofs are found today; the economic and environmental benefits of using green roofs; and the actual construction procedures for installing a green roof.
The three-day workshop will include classroom lectures followed by a practical, hands-on implementation of a green roof on a small structure.

An introduction to sawmilling in general and specifically to portable sawmills. The workshop stresses safety and planning, while demonstrating how to maximize the utilization of logs. Students will gain hands-on experience in the use of a common portable sawmill. Lumber grading will also be discussed and demonstrated.
The workshop will be run in a three-day format, with a combination of classroom lectures, demonstration, and hands-on exercises.

Cordwood / Stackwall Construction

Cordwood masonry is a wall building technique commonly used to build homes, barns, saunas -- just about any structure that uses walls above grade. The walls are comprised of debarked cordwood and some form of a mortar. The widths of the walls are equal to the length of the cordwood. Typical wall widths vary from 8" to 24". Various species of cordwood can be used and typically builders use species that are commonly found in their area......from daycreek.com - Frequently asked questions aboutCordwood Masonry (a.k.a. Stackwall)

This course will introduce students to the basics of constructing a structure using the double stack wall method. The workshop will include house planning and designing for energay and space efficience, foundation alternatives, basic framing and roofing, selection of materials and the actual mechanics of stackwall construction. A small structure will be completed during the workshop.

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