Dates: Monday February 5- Friday February 23 , 2007.

An Orientation will take place on February 4 th at 1pm. (Please contact us for other dates as we will be hosting several courses in 2007/2008)

Location: Los Angeles de Talari, Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica , A.k.a. Paradise. This event will be held in one of the most beautiful settings on earth. Located at the entrance to Chirripo National Park, at an elevation of 1320m, our small mountain community is full of crystal clear rivers, spectacular swimming holes, natural hot springs and perfect weather in January; warm dry days and cool breezy nights.

We are 35 minutes from San Isidro del General and 1.5 hours from the Pacific beach town of Dominical.

our guadua grove. part of our micro-bamboo "grow your own house" project

The course will include the following :

• Bamboo Treatment, Preparation and Care
• Grove Management: Guadua Angustifolia and Dendrocalamus Asper
• Micro-Bamboo. Grow your own house. Study two local projects.
• Basic Bamboo Joining and Traditional Construction Techniques
• Advanced Bamboo Joining and Modern Construction Techniques: The most complicated "fish-mouths" made simple!
• Build a geodesic dome of Bamboo in one day.
• Bamboo Crew Management
• Natural Wall Techniques- rice husks, grasses, natural clay mixtures
• Day Tour to See Local Bamboo Structures and Bamboo Furniture Factory
• Discussions on development of bamboo technology for social purposes, i.e. low cost housing and disaster relief housing
• Slide shows and lectures covering all aspects of bamboo construction
• Participant-led discussions and presentations

treating dendrocalymus asper with the boucherie method

Instruction is fully bilingual.  There will be 5-6 days of instruction and construction each week. Each participant will receive course materials including detailed plans of the structure to be built including 3D models and a copy of the Manual de Construccion con Bambu by Oscar Hidalgo- an illustrated text of traditional building techniques from the National university of Colombia. At the end of the course, each participant will receive a certificate of completion.

Instruction will be led by Daniel Simon Jurmann who has built many exciting bamboo structures located the Southern Zone of Costa Rica. In 2006 he trained with Simon Velez and Marcello Villegas, who are world-renowned masters of bamboo design and construction. He is a vibrant and enthusiastic lecturer and will be leading discussions and presentations throughout the three-week course. In addition, there will be a team of bamboo builders previously trained by Daniel, on-site for the duration of the course to assure all participants constant access and guidance.

daniel jurmann (center) with his first full crew at vida natural de diamante. this roof was their first project working with bamboo.

Vegetable Steel has spent the last year training local crews to build with bamboo .  Our success rate is fantastic as you can see from the photos of the structures on our web site.  In 8 months, we have trained 19 people who comprise three crews.  Many of them had limited carpentry skills and some are as young as 16.  Not only have they learned new skills, they have become ambassadors of sustainable building techniques in their communities. 

If you are hoping to build with Bamboo in Costa Rica and need a crew trained for that purpose, this is a perfect opportunity to get them in shape. Please contact us with your specific needs.

patuka and lotte preparing canes for construction on the riverhouse- 2004

What will be built during the course: It is our intention to complete at least one structure. The size of that structure depends largely on the number of participants in the course. Whatever we build will be a two-story structure with an emphasis on an all-bamboo floor system. And, of course, a geodesic dome of bamboo in a one day workshop.

Accommodations: There are several options for accommodations; please contact us directly with your specific needs and we will help you find the best way to go. Cabinas, home-stay, and hotel options are available. Starting at $100/week.

Free camping is also an option (Bring your own gear). January is our dry season.

Meals

A high-quality meal plan can be included for an additional cost of $14 per day. These meals will be full of of organic ingredients from our own gardens and other very local providers, prepared with love by our amazing chefs and served at the main house on our finca.  The meals will range from simple to gourmet with a focus on whole foods. Our cuisine is widely considered some of the best in Costa Rica. Please contact us if you are vegetarian or vegan, and we can discuss your dietary needs.

Families welcome. Child care for all ages is available, provided by the loving mothers of our community.

Cost: Prices cover course materials and field trips. Discounts available for groups and CR residents. Early enrollment discounts are available (see Payment section below.) Two half price volunteer scholarships will be awarded. Please contact us with details.

Full enrollment: $2500 for 3 weeks

Partial enrollment: $900 per week

Meal Plan: $14/day lunch and dinner

Reservations and General Information: Please contact us at workshops@vegetablesteel.com We will be happy to answer any questions you may have. You can call (506) 884-2778 after November 20th when we return from our rainy season hiatus.

Payment: A 50% non-refundable deposit is due by January 5th. Balance can be paid upon arrival. We accept money orders and paypal.

Early Enrollment Discounts: 10% off total enrollment fees for deposits made before December 5th. 5% Before January 5th. Discount applies to enrollment fees only.

Participants are encouraged to give presentations. Please contact us to discuss presentations of your own work or research in the areas of natural and sustainable building, development, and energy. We will do our best to incorporate these discussions into our schedule. We hope this will help to make the course as dynamic a learning experience as possible.