Natural Building Courses

Our natural building course is comprehensive and covers a range of materials and techniques. The course content is based on Peter McIntosh’s professional and personal experience working with these approaches and from living off-grid since 1999. You will be empowered to be successful and make rational choices whatever the given situation.

Natural building courses 2025

If you’ve been longing to change your life and make a difference, then this is your invitation to join us for our upcoming natural building course. Since 2010, Peter McIntosh has taught more than 300 owner-builders and architects the hands-on practical skills and theoretical principles they need to build and live more naturally and sustainably.

You will gain the skills, knowledge, and confidence to build your dream home on our CPD-accredited natural building courses; and leave feeling connected to the earth, and empowered to change your life with hands-on practical skills and theoretical knowledge on natural building and sustainable living practices.

YouTube made it look either too easy or too hard, now I have more confidence and a better base of understanding. 

— Mynhardt | October 2023

Participate in our natural building course, and take the first step to a sustainable future by learning hands-on natural building skills. Understand the alchemy of how different types of earth work and do not work together – their potential and limitations. You will also explore questions around sustainable living based in Peter McIntosh’s experience living off-grid since 1999.

You will leave with the theoretical understanding and practical grounding of a range of techniques and materials. As a result, you will be equipped to make the most appropriate decisions regarding materials and or sustainability once you are ready to begin your project.

Our courses are CPD-accredited and architectural professionals will receive 7 category 1 SACAP credits.

Discover what you can expect to experience

Dates for 2025:

Natural building course: materials and techniques [7 category 1 SACAP credits]:

  • 7–13 April, 2025 [bookings open]
    • This 7-day course starts on a Monday and finishes on a Sunday.
  • 5–11 October, 2025 [bookings open in July, email us to be added to the waitlist]
    • This 7-day course starts on a Sunday and finishes on a Saturday. 

Venue:

  • Pendennis farm, Villiersdorp [+- 90km from Cape Town]

The hands-on experience was the most valuable part of the course, and I’m walking away with a more open-mind to different natural building materials and methods.

— Mandy | March 2023