Learn how to create sustainable structures using earth, bamboo, and other natural materials. Discover ancient techniques and modern innovations for building homes, community spaces, and garden structures that are beautiful, durable, and environmentally friendly.
Natural building connects us to ancient wisdom while addressing contemporary challenges of climate change, resource depletion, and housing affordability. This comprehensive course explores sustainable building techniques that use locally available natural materials to create structures that are beautiful, durable, and environmentally responsible.
Africa has a rich heritage of natural building traditions, from the mud-brick mosques of Mali to the bamboo structures of Ethiopia. This course honors these traditions while incorporating modern innovations and adaptations for today's needs. You'll learn how to select, prepare, and use natural materials to create various structures—from garden features to full dwellings—that are appropriate for your climate and context.
Through video lessons, detailed demonstrations, case studies, and hands-on projects, you'll develop the knowledge and skills to design and build with nature. Whether you're interested in creating a small garden structure or dreaming of building your own home, this course provides a solid foundation in natural building principles and techniques.
This comprehensive online course includes:
All course materials are available in both English and French.
No prior building experience is required. Basic familiarity with tools is helpful but not necessary. Our "Introduction to Sustainable Gardening" course provides complementary knowledge about working with natural systems but is not required.
This course teaches principles and techniques that can be adapted to your specific context. While we provide guidance on building codes and safety considerations, you should always check local regulations and requirements before starting any significant building project. The course emphasizes small-scale projects that can be completed without specialized equipment, though we also discuss larger applications.
Natural Builder & Sustainable Design Educator
Kofi Amoah has spent over 20 years designing and building with natural materials across Africa. With a background in architecture and a deep passion for traditional building methods, he has created everything from small garden structures to full-scale community buildings using earth, bamboo, stone, and other natural materials.
As the founder of the African Natural Building Network and lead designer for several eco-villages and community projects, Kofi has trained hundreds of builders in sustainable techniques. His approach combines deep respect for traditional wisdom with practical innovations that make natural building accessible and relevant for contemporary needs.
Kofi believes that building with natural materials reconnects us to our environment and cultural heritage while addressing pressing challenges of housing affordability and environmental sustainability. His teaching emphasizes hands-on learning and the development of skills that empower people to create their own beautiful, functional spaces.
2 months ago
This course gave me the confidence to finally build the cob garden shed I've been dreaming of! Kofi's clear explanations and demonstrations made techniques that seemed intimidating become accessible. I especially appreciated the focus on testing and understanding local soils. The community forum was incredibly helpful when I had questions during my build. Now my neighbors are asking me to teach them what I've learned!
1 month ago
As an architect interested in sustainable design, this course provided exactly what I needed to start incorporating natural building techniques into my practice. The technical details were thorough without being overwhelming, and the case studies from different regions helped me understand how to adapt techniques to various contexts. I've already used the bamboo construction methods for a client's outdoor pavilion with great success.
3 months ago
I coordinate a community development program, and this course has been invaluable for our housing initiatives. The practical approach and emphasis on locally available materials made it immediately applicable to our context. My only suggestion would be to include more content on community-scale projects and organizing group builds. That said, we've successfully adapted the techniques to train local builders, and the results have been transformative for our community.
Learn the fundamentals of sustainable gardening practices that work with nature, conserve resources, and produce abundant harvests.
Master simple and effective techniques for capturing, storing, and utilizing rainwater in your garden and home.
Create effective educational gardens that engage students while teaching sustainability, nutrition, and traditional knowledge.
Yes, when properly designed and maintained, natural buildings can be extremely durable in various climates. The course covers specific adaptations for different environments, from arid regions to high-rainfall areas. Traditional natural buildings throughout Africa have stood for centuries, demonstrating their durability when built with appropriate techniques. We emphasize the importance of good foundations, proper roof overhangs, and suitable material selection for your specific climate. The course includes examples of successful natural buildings in diverse African environments and teaches climate-specific considerations for each technique.
Building with natural materials can be significantly more affordable than conventional construction, particularly when using locally sourced materials. Costs vary widely depending on the techniques used, scale of the project, and how much labor you contribute yourself. The course includes cost considerations for different approaches and emphasizes techniques that minimize expenses while maximizing durability and beauty. We provide guidance on phased building approaches for those with limited budgets and discuss ways to reduce costs through community involvement and resource sharing.
Most natural building techniques require only basic tools that are readily available or can be improvised. The course focuses on methods that minimize the need for specialized equipment, particularly for smaller projects. We provide a comprehensive tool list for each technique and suggest alternatives when specialized tools might be needed. For some methods like rammed earth, we discuss both hand tools and simple mechanical options. The emphasis is on accessibility and working with what's available in your context.
Regulations vary widely by country and region. The course includes a module on navigating building codes and permits, with strategies for working within regulatory frameworks. In many areas, small garden structures may not require permits, while larger buildings typically do. We discuss approaches for presenting natural building projects to authorities, documentation that can help with approval processes, and examples of successful permitted projects. The course also covers alternative approaches like starting with small exempt structures to demonstrate the viability of techniques before pursuing larger permitted projects.
Natural building is generally more labor-intensive than conventional construction but can be adapted to different physical abilities. The course discusses labor requirements for various techniques and provides strategies for making the work more manageable, including proper tool use, body mechanics, and community involvement. We emphasize that many natural building projects can be completed in phases, allowing you to work at your own pace. The course also covers techniques that are less physically demanding and ways to adapt methods for different abilities and resources.
Yes! The course is designed to give you the knowledge and confidence to complete small projects immediately while building toward larger ones. We include five complete project tutorials that guide you through building specific structures from start to finish. Many students successfully build garden features, small sheds, or outdoor living spaces after completing the course. For larger projects like homes, the course provides a solid foundation of knowledge, though we recommend gaining experience with smaller structures first and possibly seeking hands-on workshops or experienced assistance for your first major build.
