Earthen Oven Class with Kurt Gardella

This is not an official LABB meetup--but I though you all might be interested in this earth oven workshop. It's being organized by architect Ben Loescher and adobe master Kurt Gardella. I've taken a few classes that Kurt has taught and they are amazing. To sign up for this workshop note the details below--you must contact Ben directly. Here's the description from Ben's website:

Earthen ovens are inexpensive to build, fun to use, and provide baking environment impossible to recreate in the kitchen. This May, Kurt Gardella returns to California for three days to teach you how to make your own earthen oven. Kurt has built dozens of these ovens in New Mexico, and has great expertise in both adobe construction and earthen plasters and finishes. Attendees will leave the class with the knowledge necessary to built an oven of their own, with materials that you may already have in your yard.

The class is suitable for bakers, building professionals and do-it-your-selfers, and is a great introduction to adobe construction and earthen plasters covered in more depth in adobeisnotsoftware’s other classes.

Topics Include:

Local considerations and the siting your earthen oven
Soil and material selection, sourcing and testing
Foundations and oven base design and materials
Sizing
Sand Form and Oven Domes
Natural oven plasters and finishes
Firing and baking in your oven.

Instruction Type:
This is a hands-on class. Attendees will have the opportunity to get dirty and use tools and equipment typical of adobe construction and earthen finishing. Due to the course format, enrollment will be limited to 10 individuals. In the unlikely event of inclement weather, instruction will occur indoors.

Instructors:
Kurt Gardella teaches adobe construction at Northern New Mexico College, is Director of Education for Adobe in Action, and is certified as an earth-building specialist by the German Dachverband Lehm.
Ben Loescher is a licensed architect, founder of adobeisnotsoftware and principal of golem|la, an architecture firm specializing in adobe construction.

Location:
The class will be conducted in the Silver Lake area of Los Angeles, and hosted by Root Simple. Coffee and nibbles will be provided at the beginning of the day; lunch is included.

Registration:
Click here to register. Early bird tuition is $190/person for registrations before April 20th, standard price registrations will be $220 after that date.

Questions?:
Please do not hesitate to contact Ben by email at office@g-o-l-e-m.com or by phone at (760) 278-1134.