Free Papercrete Workshop

March 12 through 19, 2006 (Spring Break week)

You only pay for your transportation... your (and your pets') lodging, food, showers, and other (rustic) amenities provided by the workshop hostess, an older woman who needs your help getting her dwelling completed.

You will be participating in finishing a partially completed papercrete dome: mixing the mortar and lifting the blocks, and using a rope to check the angle and distance from the center of the sphere. The blocks are light and easy to lift, and the hands-on experience you can take with you anywhere in the world to build low-cost shelter for yourself and others.

We will also be touring other forms of alternative building including adobe, cob, ferrocement, bottle buildings, and underground shelters, many of which are freeform and artistic. Many of the masters started here: Sean Sands, Mike McCain, and Ted Specker, among others.

If you're coming by Greyhound, the nearest station is Deming, NM, about 30 miles north of Columbus; the nearest major airport is in El Paso, TX, about 60 miles east. Contact Fran (see below) if you need transportation from either of these two locations. There is a bar and several restaurants in an easy one-mile walk to downtown Columbus, NM, and you can get to the "wild" life of Palomas, Chihuahua, MX just 4 and a half miles away.

If you are interested -- really interested, in participating, send Fran an email at papercrete@jcomeau.com. Give your name, contact information, from where you will be traveling, how many pets you will be bringing, and anything else you think pertinent. And please print this waiver, sign it and get someone to witness your signature, and bring it with you. Thanks!