Come Join US!
Starting this Spring (late April/early May, 2026), we will start building our own home in the interior of BC, near Lillooet.
Our home will exemplify all of the systems and values I utilize in my approach to ecological building.
It’s an exciting opportunity for us to create our dream home on our rural, off grid, mountainside property!
How We’ll build
The new build is still in the design phase but will be a 3+ bedroom, 2 office, 2 bath, likely 2 story house. It will include round wood timber elements, traditional timber framing, a straw bale envelope, clay and lime plasters, earthen floors, rockwool insulation, breathable membranes (where appropriate), natural wood finishes, a rubble trench, a foundation of both stone work and concretized woodchip ICF (Nexcem blocks), minimal adhesives/low VOC products, and as much locally sawn lumber as possible!
We’re aiming for affordability, efficiency, a low carbon footprint, high envelope performance, ease of process, a localized material sourcing philosophy, as well as natural beauty and quality finishes as usual!
Come and gain a new skilL through workshops
Over the next two building seasons (our projected timeline), we’ll be having a series of specific skill-learning opportunities throughout the project; folks can come and stay for a period of time and learn a specific phase, such as plastering, earthen floors, lime paints, tadelakt, wood finishing, straw bale installation, etc. Schedules will appear on this website and on my instagram account as dates are set.
Apprenticeship Opportunities
Starting in late April, we will be welcoming 2-3 people to gain the practical skills and theoretical understanding of the entire straw bale home building process.
The arrangement:
We’ll offer you one of our 3 season spaces ( yurt, trailer, or bell tent or bring your own shelter) and 2 meals a day (breakfast and lunch) on workdays. There is a cabin with a shower/tub, a woodstove, internet, and a kitchen that will be a communal space for apprentices.
You offer your time (8 hours per day, 4 or 5 days a week), your energy, and your mind in exchange for learning valuable and niche skillsets.*
Write to me at timber.trowel@gmail.com to discuss this opportunity!
*I personally learned to build by volunteering on natural building projects, as well as paying for an apprentice program. A paid course often means there is pressure to complete phases within a limited timeline, as a student wants to gain all the knowledge they are expected in the time they’ve paid to learn it. I believe the building process should be relaxed and be limited in external pressure: a free, sustenance and space exchange to me represents a low pressure, reciprocal relationship where the flow of building is easeful and less constrained by expectations and timelines.
Where we live:
We live in a rural off-grid community less than an hour from Lillooet, BC. It is a rugged, beautiful landscape with some fairly wild gravel roads to make it there. Our property is a mountainside lot, and runs along a beautiful smaller river. We’ve also got a creek that runs through, from where we get our water and power! There is a tight-knit community here with lots of social events and opportunities. We also have a big garden and are happy to share some of its abundance for a bit of help here and there.
This is the cabin which will serve as the kitchen/common space for apprentices.
Our garden: potato harvesting!
Nearby views
our current little cabin: Too small for our growing family!
We’ve got some sizeable gardens, lots of forest to explore, and a Pyrenees/German Shepperd dog who will love to become your friend. If you’re into a rural, off grid community natural building learning adventure, this may be a great fit for you!
The Bridge River which runs through our valley.
A photo of volunteers on a past project.
