NATURAL BUILDING- EARTHEN WALLS, PLASTERS & ARTISTRY
MARCH 25 - APRIL 1, 2025
Join us for a fully immersive natural building experience, covering a wide variety of themes, with leading natural builder Benito Steen.
If you prefer to pay your deposit or full course fee via a direct deposit, SINPE Móvil, Wise, bank transfer, check or other method please fill out a registration form and send proof of payment to info@ranchomastatal.com. For information on payment details go here.
DESCRIPTION
Join prominent natural builder and artist Benito Steen and the Ranch crew for an unforgettable and unprecedented collaboration of 8 days of earthen building, plasters and artistry at our wonderful facilities on the edge of the rainforest. We will cover earthen wall systems (adobe and wattle & daub), plasters, sculpting, artistry and more during this unique, comprehensive and life-changing course.
Rancho Mastatal has been hosting transformational natural building workshops since 2002. The Ranch has become a regional leader in the realm of natural building with focuses on earth (wall systems, plasters, floors, and finishes), bamboo, and timber frame construction. Our campus has numerous examples of relevant building styles in our climate and has become a model for those interested in building in the tropics and beyond. We hope that you’ll consider joining us for this incredible opportunity to learn from Benito and our competent team of natural builders.
topics included:
Building adobe/cob benches
Building wattle and daub walls
Sculpting and artistry with earth
Plaster layers: level coats and multiple finishes
Clay plasters
Lime plasters, including tadelakt
Design theory for natural homes
instructors
Benito Steen
Benito Steen, a natural builder, homeschooled, he grew up building with his parents Bill and Athena Steen. He and his younger brother, Oso, gravitated early on as teenagers towards the trades and arts such as; plastering, blacksmithing and woodworking. He has taught natural building throughout Latin American and Southeast Asia. Always learning and experimenting he mixes old techniques with the new, to create beautifully sustainable and healthy house. Check out his amazing YouTube Channel
Rancho Mastatal Building Team
The building team at Rancho Mastatal has 20+ years of experience building naturally in this ecosystem. We have built over a dozen earthen structures on our campus and have hosted numerous workshops over the years.
COURSE START AND ARRIVAL DATES
The course will start at 7.30 a.m. on March 25. Students are encouraged to arrive on March 24. Lodging the night of March 24 is included in the cost of the class. You must arrive before 6.30pm, we will not be able to attend you after this time.
COURSE END AND DEPARTURE DATES
The course will end at around 4 p.m. on April 1. Most students will depart on the morning of April 2. Lodging the night of April 1 is included in the cost of the class.
COST
$1,350
Includes food, lodging and course instruction.
If you prefer to pay your deposit or full course fee via a direct deposit or check please fill out a registration form and send proof of payment to info@ranchomastatal.com. For information on payment details go here.
To pay any remaining balance go to our Payment page for more information and options.
LANGUAGE
The course will be taught in English.
Scholarships
Consider our Bioconstruccion workshop that is priced at a scholarship rate.
ACCOMMODATIONS
All food and lodging is included in the cost of the course. Students will stay in the Ranch bunkhouse with options for upgrades. We provide high quality mattresses, linens and blankets. Please see our Accommodations page for more information.
CANCELLATION POLICY
Please see our cancellation policy here.
GETTING TO RANCHO MASTATAL
Please see our Directions page for detailed information on how to get to Rancho Mastatal.
QUESTIONS
For more information about this class and Rancho Mastatal please contact us at info@ranchomastatal.com , call us at +506 2200-0920 or text/WhatsApp us at +506 8539-1404.