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Help us to complete our straw-bales house!

The experience

Volunteers can take part in practical, educational activities such as:

Learning how to create and apply natural clay-based panels for insulation and interior design
Discovering traditional and modern techniques for earthen wall finishes, including clay and lime coatings
Participating in the application of natural lime and clay plaster over bamboo mesh, a breathable and eco-friendly exterior finishing method

What you offer

25 hours of help per week

Building & Repairing: Help with a wide range of repairs or building.

Gardening: Help grow plants and cultivate gardens

What you get

2 days off per week

Shared Dorm: You will have a bed in a shared room, which means you will share the same room with other travelers.

Breakfast: You are entitled to a free breakfast, every day of your stay.

Lunch: You are entitled to a free lunch, every day of your stay.

Dinner: You are entitled to a free dinner, every day of your stay.

Pick Up: We will pick you up when you arrive, and take you to our property.

Basic Internet Access: Basic speed internet for you to work remotely

Requirements

Intermediate English or Intermediate Italian

Over 18 years old

Only hosts solo volunteers (doesn’t accept couples or partners)

What's not included

Flights, Travel Insurance, Internal Transportation and Visa

Program Details

Last year we started to build our own house made in wood and straw bales. Professional builders built the wooden frame and the roof. From then (last November) we started the self-construction which involves internal walls frames, dry walls made with hand-made (by us) clay panels, clay coating (internal walls), lime coating (external walls), plumbing, electric stuff, floors and so on. No previous experience is needed (even though it is appreciated of course); Roberto and Tiziana will teach you how to perform every task.

PM to us to understand which activities are foreseen on your desired dates.

Activities & Shift

We usually work three hours in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon after a 'siesta'. In deep summer, if temperatures are hot, we usually wake up early in the morning to exploit the coolest day hours and in the late afternoon for the same reason.

Rules

We eat all together and everyone helps setting and cleaning the table. Who doesn't cook washes dishes, so, since Tiziana and Roberto are cooking almost every day, usually volunteers help to keep the kitchen clean. But the roles can change if someone is sharing some traditional meal from their country which is always appreciated ;-)