Learn how to design DIY eco home you can afford to build // from concept > graph paper > 3D model

12 week, guided, 2D > 3D Bio-Architecture Design & Drawing Class

= Starts 2nd Sep =

This course teaches Bio-Architecture thinking and design skills in order to draw a self heating and cooling Solar Passive House, fusing Antoni Gaudi, CalEarth and Earthship BioTecture

There are 3 parts to the course:

THEORY: During the entire 12 week guided course we will relate to real life scenarios based on 15 years of hands-on experience. We will cover the principles of biological eco home design, biomimicry, strength through catenary geometry as well as the basics of thermodynamics.

2D PENCIL - We'll focus on drafting using graph paper, compass and a ruler to develop a top view (plan), side view (elevations), front view as well as a few slices through the home. This will assist us to visualise the home all around before proceeding into CAD

3D CAD - Then we will model this same design in a professional and intuitive Rhino 3D (3 month licence is available). In this part of the course you'll master drawing of foundations, tire and earthbag wall, wetlands with plants, glazing with frames, cylinder with tapered bricks, aircrete dome (with bricks), superadobe dome with hyperadobe, vaulted roof, spiral shower as well as an Earthship style earthen berm.

At the end of the course you will be able to draw up a professional set of blueprints, with all the necessary dimensions and details, that can be submitted to the building authorities and used at a construction site.

In my new 12 week training, you'll receive 2X pre-recorded tutorials every week and each Saturdays, for the duration of entire course, we'll do a ZOOM live support session to get you through anything that you might be stuck (based on the tutorials received from that particular week.)

You will learn how to conceptualise, design and draw you own home on paper and then model it a super fun and intuitive curvilinear based 3D software. I will gift you a free version of Rhino 3D.

our bio-tecture drawing class is made up of 3 parts:

theory on principles of biological eco home design
drawing a home on graph paper (the same one as in the picture above)
modelling the same home we drew on paper in 3D software

We will kick off with paperwork using basic tools such as a compass and a ruler and then, as a group, we will take my latest (2023) Earthship-inspired Wautillarium for cold climate drawing into Rhino 3D software. Yes, you will draw this same design with me as I guide you along every step of the way.

The course will be interwoven with short video snippets from my previous live builds, as I explain hands-on conclusions and construction methodologies to get our homes from paper > to > 3D software > to physical reality. My main aim is for you to be able to build your creations and live in them or rent them out for additional income.

In the 2D part I've placed the camera right over my desk so you will see my hands and full-scale drawing, as you follow along. I will share my screen whenever we are doing Rhino 3D work so you can see exactly what to do and why. If you fall behind you can always go back to tutorials and watch them again. They will be available to you indefinitely into the future and all the lessons are downloadable.

At our course, we will take a close look at the blueprints for the Moon Cocoon from CalEarth as well as the Simple Survival Model from Earthship Biotecture. This lesson will provide you with necessary details that are required on our set of drawings in order to be approved by a structural engineer and this receive a "Certification of Occupancy" stamp.

Being able to visualize your home on paper and then in 3D is the first big step towards realizing your construction into reality.

To support you, I have created a live telegram group for the duration of our training, and beyond, where you will be able to ask questions and interact with other students.

The aim of this course is for you to be able have crystal clarity when you get to site, whether you are building DIY style or managing a team of contractors.

DESIGN YOUR SELF HEATING SOLAR PASSIVE ECO HOME FOR YOUR UNIQUE CLIMATE

Please join me in a 12 week guided online training program where I will take you through you all the steps, in designing your own eco shelter that affordable to build

below are eco home designs that I drew over the last few years that lead me to a refined 2023 model

conceptualize your home based on your climate, budget, needs, and level of skills
draw your concepts on paper, top view (plan), side view (section), elevation
take your sketches from paper and model them in
add details to your drawings that are necessary to meet the code
what it takes (liquid waste, structural integrity permit etc) to get our homes approved
detailed study of a professional blueprint from CalEarth as well as Earthship Biotecture.

FAQ

Q: I wanted to know if I can purchase the class now and watch right away or if there is a start date for the classes when that would be.

A: Yes the entire class is edited and uploaded, I will get you started and provide you support when needed at agreed time. * Provided that you have watched the lesson and tried to execute what is being shown. If something is still not working out then you watch the previous zoom support call for that lesson (I have ran 5 groups over 15 months) . If something is still not clear or working, I am here to help. I am currently not accepting a large regular group as I am about to engage in my own build, therefore you can join at any time, thus we do not have a starting date. Once you start you do have 12 weeks to reach out for my support. The video lessons are available indefinitely as I keep on paying for my Vimeo subscription.

Q: How different is this course to other drafting courses on the market.

A: Due to a 15 year hands-on natural building experience my design methodology and teaching methods focus on what can be practically constructed with a minimal amount of materials

Q: Can you tell me, if your 3D-software includes a tool for static calculation of different materials, or will that be matter of creator?

A: The software is Rhino 3D which is pretty powerful. In your own time you can delve deep into the physics aspects of it, calculating various materials. The plugin, Rhino Vault 2, which calculates tension and weight loads.

Q: I work in 2D autocad and design a lot of houses, I do not use 3D programs though. Will I still be able to do all of these concepts?

A: I teach students with no CAD experience and we start with graph paper by designing plan view , elevations etc and then we move into Rhino 3D. If you have already been working with CAD, then you are miles ahead and Rhino 3D will be much easier to learn

Q: Not sure when I am going to start the course, but i am going on vacation at the end of this month. Is it an online course or live course? Just want to make sure I am getting as much information as possible.

A: You have 12 weeks of my support from the start of the course. I no longer run groups every season. You can join the training any time. I will provide personal zoom support SHOULD YOU GET STUCK AND NEED MY HELP! * provided that you:

thoroughly watched the lesson
REALLY tried to execute what is expected from you in the lesson
watched the previous support session for this particular lesson (resolutions within the recording from previous zoom group session on same issues that you are stuck on)

Q: Will I need a structural engineer? I do have one, but really not sure how they will react to a design like this, haha. They might take it on might not so just curious!

A: Depends what state you want to build, but yes having an engineer that understands catenary shapes,, vaults and domes might be necessary. Due to the nature of catenary shapes they are extremely strong on compression. Thus a 4 inch(10 cm) recommended thickness of the vault gives tremendous strength to any roof under 15 feet width.

Q: Does your design work for all climates and soil profiles? We are located in Nevada, United States so just curious how standards may change from location to location.

A:The design we draw is particular for the cold climate, but we discuss various changes necessary for various climates. I also welcome the students to bring their designs up for discussion. There are a few good books and videos I share in our telegram group to assist design for specific climatic conditions.

Q: Rhino 3D costs 1000 USD do you have a way around that?

A: Yes I do, I will provide a version for you that you can use for Mac.

Q: When can I have access to the course? When does it start?

A: We have 3 sessions starting around autumn equinox , winter solstice and spring equinox

Q: Do we have a monthly payment plan?

A: For this course I do not, and your tuition fee is not refundable

Q: I am worried that with my schedule and different time zones I will not be able to attend live sessions.

A: When we will run a group below info is applicable. However i found it best to provide a one on one support so you can start the course when you want and continue it at your own pager. I provide support unlimited support * (see above) for 12 weeks. Suport session time can be organised when it is convenient for both of us.

Live Q&A presentations will be recorded and a video link will be sent out shortly after. The session is planned for Saturday's at 9:00 AM PDT time, for 1.5 hours. Also if for some reason you fall out of the course, you are able to join another session in the following season. (i.e. we have 3 sessions run during autumn, winter and spring). You can also send out your question with screen recording to our telegram group and we will get it answered in our Saturday call

Q: Is this course just about 3D drawing, what if I am not computer savvy?

A: Our guided course will include quite a bit of time designing on paper with a compass pencil and a ruler. Rhino 3D is very intuitive, and with practice, you will become better. I will teach you all the tools I use in Rhino 3D to design our eco homes. If you do the work you will get it right and I am there to help you. It is ALL ABOUT YOUR INTENT. If you truly want to learn, and do the exercises I provide, I WILL be there to guide you through!

Q: If I can't or don't want to draw in 3D can I still build my home.

A: Of course, you can. If you can draw a scale sketch of your home as seen from the top, side, and a few slices through it, you will be able to build your own home. This is exactly what we will cover in the first part of our training

Q: If I can't get through all the material by the end of 12 weeks, will I have access to the videos?

A: Yes our tutorials will be available for at least another year and all the lessons are downloadable. You can also attend 1 of the future biotecture drawing classes which I run 2 times per year. If you miss any of the live sessions, no worries, they are downloadable.

The cost of our 12 week online 2D > 3D CAD Bio-tecture drawing class is $400