Location: Moñtana Manatí in Manatí, Puerto Rico

When: January 22-February 18, 2026

About the Location

We are excited to bring the Clay Sand Soul workshop experience to balmy Puerto Rico this coming winter, when temperatures in our home base of Oregon make building with clay quite challenging! This will be our second time building with cob on the island, and we’re so excited to be returning to a new location: Montaña Manatí. Located minutes from the north shore and less than an hour from San Juan (airport) , Moñtana Manatí is a permaculture retreat center owned by Julia Maritza and her mother. Julia was part of the large Puerto Rican diaspora in the Northeastern US who decided to leave the bustling city life and endeavor to create a life lived closer to the land and in community of like-minded individuals on the island of her ancestors. We are grateful to have been asked to lead a natural building workshop on their beautiful property, which has so many ideal qualities for a special workshop experience. Students will have access to an on-site pool, large open gathering and movement space, a rooftop deck with views of the rolling hillside and ocean, acres of bamboo forest to explore, outdoor kitchen, and idyllic beaches only a short drive away. Camping sites will be provided as part of the workshop tuition, but there are also rooms for rent if that better suits a students’ needs. Please inquire for rental cost.

Course Description

What Are We Building?

This 5-week workshop will be focused on completing a 180 sq ft (16.7 sq meters) circular monolithic (no framing) cob structure, which will be used for hosting meals at Moñtana Manatí. It will be an addition to the outdoor kitchen area that guests and volunteers use while camping on the property. The foundation will likely be built from recycled concrete slab (urbanite) that students will construct during the first week of the class. The walls will be solid cob, (clay, sand, and straw) formulated from the clay soil excavated on site. Students will learn how to install doors and windows in the cob wall, along with decorative bottles and other functional/decorative wall features like built-in benches and shelving. We will plaster the walls with a mix of clay and lime plasters, learn how to make clay paints, and sculpt artistic elements into the walls for a truly unique build. The roof portion of the class will teach students how to erect a reciprocal fame and use a waterproof membrane to create a living “green” roof from site soil and sand. The workshop will conclude by mixing and pouring an earthen floor, and students will learn how to oil and care for this type of floor.

Who is this workshop for?

This 5-week workshop is for anyone interested in exploring natural building, for those seeking to build their own earthen home, as well as for those with prior building experience looking to deepen their knowledge. It will also appeal to those looking for an exciting experience at a beautiful place where they will have an opportunity to build community and create art together! No prior building experience is required to attend this workshop. Clay Sand & Soul (CSS) seeks to create an inclusive, positive learning environment where all backgrounds, questions, and inputs are welcome and encouraged.

What will you learn as a student?

During the five weeks working together at Montaña Manatí, students will gain an in-depth, hands-on understanding of all the elements needed to successfully build a small cob structure with a living, reciprocal roof.

These elements include:

-fundamentals of site selection

-floor plan design essentials for a natural building to perform well in your climate

-site soil assessment and testing systems for cob, base plaster, finish plasters, and earthen floors

-foundation fundamentals

-window and door installation

-calculating, planning, and raising a reciprocal roof

-living roof systems and installation

-formulating, mixing, and application of cob, earthen base plaster, earthen finish plasters

-creating sculptures and niches with cob

-inserting bottles in walls for light and beauty

-formulating and pouring an earthen floor

-earth pigment collecting and processing for making interior clay paints

-making and applying lime plaster, fresco, and limewash

-designing and installing built in furniture like benches and shelving

The skills you will develop in this course include:

-planning and managing a build of your own

-developing intuition around assessing, selecting, and formulating solid cob and protective earthen plasters

-a comprehensive range of carpentry skills, such as using a wide variety of electric and battery operated power tools, using a transit level, safety practices, tricks of the trade, etc!

-working and living in community

-building physical strength and proper body mechanics to maintain physical well-being while doing manual labor

-finding joy, freedom, and confidence through doing challenging things

What does the daily rhythm of a CSS workshop look like?

The workshop will open with a welcome circle and communal dinner on Sunday, January 18th. Class will officially begin on Monday, January 19th and end on Saturday, February 21st with a closing meal and ceremony to celebrate. We will work and learn together, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Once a week we facilitate a fire circle, where students, teachers, and hosts have an opportunity to be heard and received equally. Lectures will occur twice a week, usually in the mornings, to lay the groundwork for new building skills and natural building theory. One night a week there will be an opportunity for teachers and students alike to share their natural building work. Each workday can vary, but will generally follow this schedule:

A hearty breakfast at 7:30 am

Stretching, yoga, sharing circle, group readings at 8:30 am

Morning work session from 9am- 12:30, sometimes beginning with a lecture

A nourishing vegetarian lunch from 1-2pm

Afternoon work session from 2:30-5:30pm

Rest and relaxation from 5:30- 7pm

A delicious vegetarian dinner at 7pm

Fire, music, community sharing in the evenings