Come Join US!
Starting this Spring (late April/early May, 2026), we will be starting the building of our own home in the interior of BC, near Lillooet.
We’ll be building a home which exemplifies 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
Our new build is still in the design phase, stay tuned for the plans we will share as we complete our planning/design phase!
This home will be a 3+ bedroom, 2 office, 2 bath, likely 2 storys.
Our design will include round wood timber elements, traditional timber framing, straw bale envelope, clay and lime plasters, earthen floors, rockwool insulation, breathable membranes where appropriate, natural wood finishes, rubble trench, stone work as well as concretized woodchip ICF ( nexcem blocks), minimal adhesives and low VOC products wherever possible, 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!
Over the next two building seasons (that’s 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, strawbale installation, etc. Schedules will appear on this website and on my instagram account as dates are set.
We’re also welcoming between 2-3 apprentices to come and learn for as long as they can commit->
Apprenticeship Opportunities:
Starting in late April, i’ll be welcoming 2-3 folks to come and build alongside me and gain the practical skills and theoretical understanding of the process of building a strawbale home.
The arrangement will be: 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 (lunch and dinner) during workdays. You offer your time ( 8 hours per day, 4 days a week ) , your energy and your mind!
Write to me @ timber.trowel@gmail.com to discuss this opportunity!
I personally learnt 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!
the cabin which will serve as a kitchen/ common space much of the time 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 river which runs through our valley
