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The Lavacrete Utility Lodge Workshop will be held on our homestead from Apr 6th - Apr 11th, 2026. This weeklong event will include step-by-step details for building with lava concrete - a lightweight, thermally efficient material that can be cast with miminal labor. Come build our utility shed with us in just one week!What is Lavacrete?
Lava Concrete is an under-the-radar alternative building technique that uses volcanic or scoria sand combined with portland cement, lime, and rebar to create thermally efficient, highly compressive walls that need no finishing work.
Lavacrete is beautiful, set in layers similar to rammed earth, is not prone to shrinking or cracking, and can be a cost effective option due to the scoria sand being a byproduct of screening for lava rock used in landscapes.
The process is simple and much less labor intensive than earthbags, so we're looking forward to trying this out.
LAVACRETE BENEFITS
Thermally Efficient
Acoustically Insulated
Fire Resistant
Termite Resistant
Low Labor Intensity
No Finish Work Needed
Cost Effective
Who Are We?
Hi friends, we're Jonathan & Ashley from Tiny Shiny Home. Our family is building an off-grid desert homestead from the ground up, literally! We started with no construction experience, and have managed to create a solar shed office, chicken garden, composting toilet outhouse, and an outdoor shower, all using hyperadobe earthbags.
We love natural and alternative building so we're excited to explore this new (to us) construction style with you. We'll be hosting the event here on our homestead, but the teaching will fall to our friends at Awareness Ranch.
Bringing in the Experts
We're excited to partner with Awareness Ranch for this project! Guru Das has been doing commercial and residential Lavacrete projects in Tucson for 5+ years, and we're looking forward to him bringing his expertise to guide us through the build process.
We're also excited to welcome Paul Schwam as part of this project - he's been integral to the development of Lavacrete for nearly 30 years, and has worked tirelessly to push the technology forward with over 25 permitted and code compliant structures to date.
Lavacrete Utility Lodge
We'll be raising the walls on our 12'x16' utility shed during the week of the workshop. This will include prep work for forms, window and door openings, and utilities as well as the actual mixing, setting, and compacting of the material in the walls.
When we're finished you'll have the knowledge you need to build your own Lavacrete structure!
What We'll Cover
This workshop will focus mainly on building the Lavacrete walls for the utility lodge. What we'll cover:
Building Forms for Corners
Building Forms for Doors & Windows
Building Forms for Lifts
Mixing, Pouring & Compacting Lavacrete
Installing Rebar
Planning for Conduit & Utilities
Important Details
Please read the following information carefully.
DATE & TIME
Apr 6-11, 2026
8:00am - 4:00pm
LOCATION & LODGING
This will be held on our property in Cochise County, AZ. In our best efforts to keep our exact homestead location off the internets, we will be providing recommendations for overnight accommodations only to those signing up. For reference, the closest major towns are Benson & Willcox. There are plenty of options for staying close by:
Hotels
AirBNB's
Campgrounds
Boondocking
Camping on-site is available as well. You must be self-contained (i.e. no disposing of gray or black water on the ground). Porta-Potty will be provided. Spots may be limited.
MEALS
Ashley will be preparing delicious breakfast & lunch for everyone each day :)
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
Limited space - there will be a max of 20 people.
Partners of 2 use the "couples" option, families of 3 or more use the new "family" option and add your family members.
No dogs, please.
If rain is in the forecast we may re-schedule.
More info will be provided after signing up.
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Event Venue
Cochise County, AZ, 217 N County Rd, Benson, AZ 85602-6210, United States
Tickets
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