FAQs
What makes SIREWALL rammed earth courses different from other rammed earth courses?
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SIREWALL rammed earth courses teach about building with rammed earth...but that is just the beginning.
We know people come to our courses because they want to do something with rammed earth (like build a home), not just learn some nice information about building with rammed earth.
Our course will also give you access to all the resources you need to complete your rammed earth project.
After over 30 years of experience building with rammed earth, we have figured out a wealth of knowledge and can provide those details to you.
We can put you in touch with architects, engineers and laborers/installers who have experience with rammed earth. We can support you with finding the right mix design, formwork, equipment. We can support with the permitting process. And much more.
For example: At SIREWALL we only build rammed earth walls that start at 3000 psi and go up to 8000 psi, and can help you develop the right mix design for your walls, building codes and environmental conditions.
What exactly will I learn in the hands-on practicum?
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You will get hands-on experience with rammed earth material mixing, delivery, and ramming; and formwork construction. Participants are on-site for 8 hours a day, building a rammed earth wall or home. Come expecting to work!
You'll attend daily classroom sessions on rammed earth theory, the SIREWALL system, sustainable design and the SIREWALL Consulting processes.
Each participant will have opportunities during the in-person practicum to consult one-on-one with field experts. Get your rammed earth questions answered, pertaining to YOUR specific project. We have SIREWALL Expert Builders, architects and interior designers available for sessions with you.
It is extremely rare that participants leave with unanswered questions, despite some of them coming with very long lists! The main benefit to the amount of group learning we offer is that participants leave with answers, even to questions they hadn’t yet thought to ask.
Meet like-minded doers. Form connections with passionate green thinkers, other DIYers, and construction professionals.
What is covered in the online content of the in-person course?
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Receive five modules of virtual reading and videos during the month leading up to the course. You'll receive one module per week, each one building on the last. Online pre-course content gives a holistic overview of healthy and responsible building systems. We cover topics such as the history of rammed earth & SIREWALL, North American building standards, and the relationship between health and the built environment.
Who are the course instructors?
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Michael Palethorpe (SIREWALL Master Earth Mason and Co-Owner of SIREWALL USA, LLC.) hosts this multi-day SIREWALL course that will change perceptions about building green and inspire new ways of thinking.
Joss Krayenhoff (SIREWALL Master Earth Mason and Co-Owner of SIREWALL USA, LLC) offers one-on-one personal project consultation.
Arin Smith (Director of RaisingEarth.org) approaches each project with a spirit of creativity and care, weaving together purpose, learning and our relationship with the Earth.
Andrea Keller (4D Design, architect specializing in rammed earth design and sacred geometries) offers one-on-one personal project consultation.
Who are the courses designed for?
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The courses are designed for people from all walks of life. Those who have already benefited from our courses include:
architects
building inspectors
developers
DIYers
engineers
environmental ambassadors
contractors
What people get out of the course is driven by what they want to learn. For some people, the engineering segment is the most interesting, while others benefit most from experiencing hands-on building method.
Some people love networking with like-minded individuals, while others are moved and enlightened by the depth and breadth of our green conversations.
Those who participate in the practicum gain a deep and tactile understanding of the inherent pleasure in building in a way that not only aligns up with their values but is also a fun team-based endeavor.
What is shared by almost all participants is the realization that what is now possible in building goes far beyond what conventional building offers.
Why do you teach SIREWALL MEAN AND METHODS?
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We became disillusioned with conventional homebuilding and made the move to SIREWALL. It is so important that people stop building toxic, disposable homes as such practices wreak havoc on the environment and are largely responsible for climate change. Building with SIREWALL is a sustainable solution that can lead to positive change, and we’re passionate about spreading the word.
Jason McLennan, the creator of The Living Building Challenge, described SIREWALL as "The best wall system on the planet." We want this life-altering technology to become accessible to a greater audience.
What is SIREWALL?
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SIREWALL is a proprietary engineered sandstone wall – capable of extremely high strength for nearly any structural or decorative application, with high R-values for superior thermal performance in any climate region. It is one of the healthiest ways to build homes and commercial buildings and has been used in many homes for people dealing with CIRS and other chemical, toxin and EMF sensitivities. Simply put, it is rammed earth reconsidered and brought into the modern age.
How is SIREWALL superior to other forms of rammed earth?
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Ways in which SIREWALL stands apart from other rammed earth include:
Insulated walls capable of storing heat and regulating humidity, even in harsh climates. The combination of mass and insulation is unique and provides superior results. Rammed earth and stick-frame construction only provides the benefit of one (mass or insulation).
We are able to achieve a fine surface finish through specialized forming methods that result in professional, quality finished walls. We intentionally curate our mix designs to ensure the material blend gives a fine, even finish.
Weak rammed earth is vulnerable to dusting which creates aesthetic, durability and maintenance issues. SIREWALL has eliminated these issues.
The SIREWALL system relies upon a series of advanced protocols that make rammed earth strong enough to compete with concrete as a structural material and thus make it possible to design anything from a small garden wall to large commercial buildings with the many beneficial qualities of rammed earth, previously only available to residential construction. SIREWALL Inc.’s technology is the only rammed earth system in the world capable of tall, load-bearing commercial applications, and it outperforms other types of rammed earth in many other ways — learn more at SIREWALL.com.
The longest, tallest, and strongest rammed earth walls in the world are all SIREWALL.
Your goal may not be to build a 100-foot tall rammed earth tower, but this technically rigorous course will give you an intimate understanding of how and why rammed earth works—and what it takes to make it great, at any scale!
“Rammed earth is easy to do—but difficult to do well.” –Meror Krayenhoff, SIREWALL inventor
What is your refund and cancellation policy?
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Payment is due upon registration. Refunds are available up to 30 days prior to the start of the course, minus a $200 processing fee. If you cancel within the 30 days prior to the start of the course, there will be no refund given.
If you need to cancel your course due to sickness or some other unavoidable life event at any time, we will give you a full price credit/transfer to a future course that takes place within one year of your course dates.
What is not covered during the practicum?
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There are several ways to build formwork and rammed earth. During a one-week course, we are able to give you hands-on experience with one of each forming and building method.
We discuss the general theory of curating a mix design and go through our mix design process. However, we are not able to provide the training to curate your own mix design during the course. Developing SIREWALL standard mix designs (at 3,000 psi minimum) is something that takes years of experience and can’t be taught in 5 days. We do however, offer mix design services for your rammed earth project so you can take advantage of our experts and experience and get the perfect mix design developed for your rammed earth project.
Beyond the set course agenda, the subject matter of the course is determined by the questions, interests & projects participants bring.