Earthbag Dome Building in Mali
| January 9, 2010 | to | January 25, 2010 |
Tirelli, Dogon Country, Mali, West Africa
Instructor: Scott Howard
Tuition: $1800 USD
Let’s build a schoolroom with the Dogon people of Terelli, Mali.
The Dogon will share with us their languages, music, cuisine, farming, and building techniques. We will build alongside the Dogon villagers to complete a one-room schoolhouse. A 5 x 5 meter earthen dome, its construction will be our main activity. Students will learn dome design methods while gaining skills in stone, rammed earth bags, and cob. We will also learn about traditional Dogon building techniques by assisting several local builders with their work. Tour the country by foot and bus to see Dogon Permaculture in action. Visit spectacular ruins of old Dogon towns comparable to Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon. Experience the daily life of the people of Terelli, an off-grid traditional village. Each day will be packed with learning, work, wholesome food, fantastic scenery, and great company. We will be surrounded by learning opportunities throughout our stay. The workshop will be a muti-lingual event with translation between French, English, and Dogon.
Participants will learn everything that they need to build structurally sound domes using little more than earth from the site. The design is a caternary dome with two windows and a door. Lectures and instruction will total in time approximately as follows:
Earthen Dome construction
◦Earth Bag construction
◦Cob construction
◦Stone masonry
◦Rubble trench foundations
Dogon culture and society
Drylands Permaculture
Dogon grainery construction
Dogon Adobe brick construction
