Course Syllabus
 

Introduction to Ecoheal Certificate program

• Historical overview of earthen building around the world
• Different approaches of building with earth
• Why cob is our preferred forming system material
• Resilience of cob across the vast varieties of climate exposure
• Global and local impact of conventional vs earthen buildings
• Overview of the certificate course

Walking the land and soil selection

• Local biota
• Topography
• Orientation
• Grading
• Topsoil
• Subsoil
• Anecdotal testing

Technical side of earthen building shell

• What is available in terms of science and technologies?
• Our selective approach in terms of science and technology (adopted, modified, and created)
• What is the value of the forming system?
• What are the testing approaches we adopt? (Sift, hydronic test, compression test, shrinkage)
• Earthen mix (Mechanical compaction vs gravity compaction)

Municipality and Codes

• How do we conform with building codes? (including substitutes for basic requirements)
• How do we address scalability?
• How do we address long-term safety?
• Adjustments for seismic, wind, flood, and fire risk areas
• Procedure manual and quality control
• Building trust and enhancing communication skills with local code officials

Procurement of alternative local materials

• Infill
• Sand
• Gravel
• Timber
• Rice husk
• Urbanites
• Reclaimed
• Compost
• Woodchip

Plurality and modification of cob and lime applications

• Cob walls
• Cob between rafters for roofing system
• Cob flooring
• Other applications of cob (oven, cook top, etc…)
• Lime plastering of cob shell
• Lime plastering around window and doors
• Lime and pigments for overhangs and more…

Structural requirements for Windows and doors

• Various forms of bucks
• Stabilizing them with cob shell
• Dealing with trim and shrinkage
• Addressing insulation, insect, and rot issues (lime/linseed oil mixture paste)
• Lintel and Cob

Living Roofing system

• Interaction of rafters and bond beams
• Sheathing and facia
• Curbs
• Membranes and drainage (vents, chimneys, and more)
• Reclaimed and enriched topsoil
• Water reclamation
• Insulation
• Repair and maintenance

Lime plastering

• Benefits and protection
• Components and application
• Stages, timeline, and technical skills
• Application in kitchen and shower areas
• Repair and maintenance

Foundation

• Concrete pouring vs stacking
• Choices of reclaimed concrete
• Stacking techniques
• Relation with the forming system
• Relationship with floor height
• Relationship with grading and drainage
• Thermal break
• Relationship with plumbing and other channeling systems
• Forming System
• Structural requirements and stabilization
• Material list
• Leasing arrangement
• Assembling procedure manual
• Forming system temporary roofing
• Leveling and connection to foundation
• Addressing assemblies and integration with utilities
• Working around doors and windows
• Relation with bond beam, rafters and roofing system
• Removal and upcycling of the materials

Thermal envelopE and energy efficiency

• Understanding thermal and humidity regulation of cob
• Benefit of monolithic structure
• Addressing flooring, footing, and roofing thermal breaks
• Integration that improves thermal benefits (passive solar, vines, and window and door systems etc..)
• Blower door testing
• Cob vs slab flooring
• Understanding insulation values and wall thickness
• Cob floor
• Pros and cons
• Prepping
• Code compliance
• Stages and application
• Repair and maintenance

Alternative heating and cooling systems

• Understanding earthen innate thermal and humidity-controlling qualities
• Understanding the limited thermal requirement of cob building
• Underground coupling closed loop system for cooling
• Modified Jean Pain composting heating system
• BTU testing
• Local biota and landscaping
• Walking the land with restorative ecological perspective
• Enhancing understanding of wild life for healthier local biota
• Ecological clearing, grading (and milling if necessary)
• Ecological landscaping that promotes proliferation of wild life
• Usage of natural approaches for undesired infestation

Job site management

• Estimating project costs
• Characteristics of a good estimator
• Coordinating the construction details
• When things go wrong
• Job site management techniques
• Subcontractor coordination
• Project planning and scheduling
• Factors affecting project performance
• Monitoring project performance
• Managing quality and safety
• The economics of quality and safety
• Managing project risks
• Building information modeling

Health benefits

• Mitigating toxicity and off gassing
• Improving indoor Microbiome
• Mitigating indoor EMF
• Improving Indoor psychometric values

Ecological benefits

• Waste management
• Local biota
• recycling and upcycling
• Impact on carbon footprint
• Low maintenance and durability

Economical benefits

• Direct cost saving
• Indirect cost saving
• upfront cost saving
• Long term cost saving

Home owners involvement

• Interview
• Contractual agreements
• Safe engagement
• Mutual Financial Benefits
• Selective Healing landscaping

This educational program is an introductory course designed to help students gain knowledge necessary for the vocational application of this subject. Completion of this program does not fulfill the legal requirements of particular state licenses or certifications, which may require additional training or apprenticeships.

We take great pride in providing you with the most up-to-date content and hands-on experience. One or more of the above-mentioned subjects may, therefore, change if updating becomes necessary during the course of your studies. The order in which the course material is presented may vary.