If you prefer to pay your deposit or full course fee via a direct deposit, SINPE Móvil, Wise, bank transfer, check or other method please fill out a registration form and send proof of payment to info@ranchomastatal.com. For information on payment details go here.

DESCRIPTION

Learn the art of square rule timber framing with the Rancho Mastatal team in this 7 day intensive workshop.

During the workshop we will be building a frame for our neighbor. All the joinery and techniques that would be used to build any size building.

Through classroom and practical sessions participants will gain skills to build a structure utilizing the square rule method of timber framing which results in mortise and tenon joinery secured by handmade wooden pegs instead of nails.

On site students can learn from and get inspired by a multitude of naturally built structures that have been constructed at the Ranch and in the small rural community of Mastatal since 2001 including 12 separate timber frame structures.

Students will stay at the Ranch’s amazing facilities and in addition to learning about timber framing will be exposed to a host of other sustainable living projects including a methane digester, composting toilets, permaculture designed gardens and orchards, fermented food products and much more.  It promises to a fun-filled, productive and instructional course for everyone involved.

instructors

Nic Donati
Nic Donati, Rancho Mastatal's Director of Natural Building and Appropriate Technology, first came to the Ranch in 2007 and fell in love with the community and lifestyle he experienced there.  Always good with his hands and wanting to get stuck in meant he was able to develop a wide range of skills both at the Ranch and other farms around the world.  The lure of the Ranch both as a community and working environment have continually drawn him back and he now considers the Ranch community and Mastatal his home.  

He enjoys many aspects about living at the Ranch including communal living, proximity to wild and natural habitats, running around on the football field, solving diverse problems, and wielding tools from chisels to chainsaws to trowels.  He really loves and appreciates the freedom afforded to him to express and practice his ideas, develop new skills and hone existing ones, but above all else he believes in the ideology of the Ranch.

Ali Ostergard
Ali has had a love for working with her hands her whole life. Starting at a young age building chicken coops, to finding the art of natural building in 2014 at the Ranch. Since becoming a part of the team here, she has worked on multiple structures and homes, including her own.

She enjoys each stage for different reasons, from the framing to the earthen floors and plasters. Finding beauty in the repetition, the joy of times shared with others, and the excitement of finishing a project.

She believes it's empowering to know and teach these basic skills of building your own home. And to be able to do it in a mindful and sustainable way.

course start and ARRIVAl dates

The class begins at 7.30 a.m. on January 6. The night before the class begins, January 5, is included in the cost of the class.  You must arrive before 6.00pm the night before, we will not be able to attend you after this time.

course end and departure dates

The last day of the class is January 12.  The night of January 12 is included in the cost of the class.

COST

US$1,350

Cost includes food, lodging and course instruction.

If you prefer to pay your deposit or full course fee via a direct deposit or check please fill out a registration form and send proof of payment to info@ranchomastatal.com. For information on payment details go here.

These prices include lodging, all meals, course instruction and full access to Rancho Mastatal and its private wildlife refuge.

To pay any remaining balance go to our Payment page for more information and options.

LANGUAGE

This class will be taught in English, though instructors are fluent in Spanish.  

ACCOMMODATIONS

All food and lodging is included in the cost of  the course.   Students will stay in the Ranch bunkhouse with options for upgrades.  We provide high quality mattresses, linens and blankets.  Please see our Accommodations page for more information.  

CANCELLATION POLICY

Please see our cancellation policy here.

GETTING TO RANCHO MASTATAL

Please see our Directions page for detailed information on how to get to Rancho Mastatal.  

questions

For more information about this class and Rancho Mastatal please contact us at info@ranchomastatal.com , call us at +506 2200-0920 or text/WhatsApp us at +506 8539-1404.