Portugal II Intensive Cob Workshop
6th to 13th of June, 2026
Coruche, Robajeto, Portugal
Join us for a theoretical and hands-on workshop focusing on earthen building through the techniqueof cob. In this 7-day intensive workshop, we will build a complete cob oven with a built-in cob bench and working table.
In this certified workshop, you'll learn how to analyze and stabilize clay-soil mixtures for earthen building, exploring the principles of cob as a building technique. Through this hands-on experience, you will build a full cob oven—from foundations to finish plasters—and a cob bench.
The aim is to equip students with the knowledge and tools to test and analyze clay soils, and to understand each step involved in building a cob oven and a sculpted cob bench. We will have 70% hands-on practice and 30% theoretical learning, diving into different natural building techniques, everything about cob ovens, stone-foundation principles, the benefits of earthen building, how to prepare and apply earthen plasters, how to sculpt with cob, and much more!
Once the workshop is completed, you will have the skills to build your own cob oven, and you will also be able to begin building your own earthen walls for your projects.
Join us for this intensive experience and become part of the TIERRAMIGO community, gaining access to the community chat to connect with others, learn about additional trainings with discounts, and get the Earthen Hands book for a special price!
THE PLACE
Nuno will host us at his project site in Coruche: Sitio Valverde. It is a 6000 square meter property in which Nuno is developing a project of a Farm School for personal, social and ecological growth and development with practical and theoretical classes, such as natural building and regenerative design, and other kind of workshops and activities.
The place is located just an hour away from Lisbon, near the village of Coruche, set in a rural area with nature and quietness around.
COURSE DETAILS
What is a cob oven?
It is a traditional oven built with a mixture of clay, sand, straw, and water. Its operation is based on the retention and gradual release of heat by its thick earthen walls. These ovens are known for their high heat-retention efficiency, reaching very high temperatures, where the heat cooks food through three physical mechanisms: radiation – heat from the fire and the hot walls toward the food, convection – hot air circulating inside the oven, and conduction – the direct transfer of heat from the hot surface to the food (the oven floor).
Thus, these ovens are capable of gradually retaining heat for hours, making them very practical and versatile for cooking different foods: from instant pizzas to stews, meats, vegetables, and even—at the end, using the residual heat—for fermenting yogurt, dehydrating foods, and proofing bread.Cob is a very inclusive, organic, and creative earth-building technique that allows us to shape walls freely, working with curves very easily. In this way, we can sculpt around the oven and its bench, turning it into a collective work of art.
The 7-days intensive workshop will start the 6th of June with a welcome dinner and the workshop introduction.
During the workshop, you will learn how to build your own oven using clay soil and other natural materials - from the foundation to the finish plasters, and also a cob bench. You will sculpt with cob to give your oven a beautiful shape, making it a unique piece! You will also learn the principles of cob and stone foundations, along with all the details of earthen and lime plasters, applying everything directly to a real project.
You will get to truly feel the technique and take with you valuable theoretical and practical knowledge, empowering you to experiment and build your own cob oven, walls, benches, garden structures, or even a small cob cabin! This is the perfect first dive into cob building, with a project that you can start and complete in less than a week while gaining solid principles to continue exploring.
CONTENT
- Understanding clay and its properties
- How to test and assess clay soil for building
- Introduction to other natural building techniques
- Benefits of earth as a building material
- Cob oven steps and how to design and build your own
- Stone foundation principles
- Earthen plasters: how to test, stabilize and apply fine plasters
- Lime plasters and lime cycle
- Sculpting with cob
Feel free to ask questions throughout - we are here to help!
All course materials will
be provided digitally after the workshop, and you will have a special discount for our book Earthen Hands: a practical guide to natural building
DAILY SCHEDULE
The daily schedule may be subject to weather conditions or slight modifications.
07:45 to 08:30 - Breakfast
08:30 to 13:00 - Morning Session
13:00 to 14:30 - Lunch
14:30 to 17:30 - Afternoon Session
19:00 to 20:00 - Dinner
Some mornings or afternoons we will have lectures related to the topics we are working on. On certain evenings, we will also have video nights or presentations connected to the workshop themes, serving as a complement to the learning experience.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Be prepared for physical work, so please bring suitable clothing, closed-toe shoes, flip flops and rubber gloves. Don't forget a hat, water bottle, and a notebook - anything you need to feel comfortable!
We also encourage you to bring a sample of your own soil for testing and analysis during the course.
This workshop will be taught in English, with real-time translation into Portuguese and Spanish if needed.
CAMPING AND MEALS
Camping is included. You need to bring your own gear to stay comfortable. If you have any special requirements, let us know in advance.
There is a house on site with shared rooms available for an additional cost in case you would like to sleep indoors in a bed!
All meals are included during the workshop: breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner.
Meals will be balanced and nutritious to keep you energized. If you have any dietary restrictions, please notify us beforehand.
TRANSPORTATION
You can reach Coruche by bus from Lisbon, about 1.5 hours. From Coruche, it's a 10-minute drive to the workshop site, and taxis may be available. If you're part of a group of four arriving together, the host can arrange to pick you up from the station. If you're driving and have extra seats, let us know so we can organize ride-sharing.
REGISTRATION AND FEES
You can choose from different options: take just one module or all three!
Early Bird! (until 31st of march)
€380 (workshop fee + food + camping)
€430 (workshop fee + food + bed in shared room)
Regular rate
€450 (workshop fee + food + camping)
€515 (workshop fee + food + bed in shared room)
The price includes three hearty meals per day.
The workshop is limited to a maximum of 12 participants. To register, fill out the form or contact Nico at tierramigo@gmail.com or via WhatsApp at +569 9089 7292.
To save your spot, you can reserve your place with a 50% deposit and pay the remaining 50% by April 1st. Payments can be made via bank transfer (IBAN), Wise, PayPal or credit card with a +5% processing fee.
There are 2 work-trade positions available for participants. Each work-trade offers a €60 discount in exchange for 1 hour of work per day for breakfast preparation. Feel free to ask about or propose another type of exchange if you wish to participate in this experience!
Members of the TIERRAMIGO community receive a 10% discount.
THE INSTRUCTOR
Nico Pimentel is a Chilean architect and natural builder founder of Tierramigo.
He is also the co-founder of PIWA, an architecture and design studio based in Chile, focused on housing and hospitality projects in rural areas, with a strong sensitivity to the landscape, the use of natural materials, and passive solar design techniques.
Since 2017, Nico has explored earthen building techniques and facilitated international workshops in various formats: from full builds to mid- and short-term trainings, working throughout Latin America and Europe.
He co-founded Jungla Peumayen, a wildlife and ecosystem conservation reserve in southern Chile, and Kalina, a creative hub and workspace located in the forests of northern Patagonia, where he is developing a Summer School and Fellowship program.
CANCELLATION POLICY
If you need to cancel after registering, please notify us by April 6th to receive a 90% refund. The 10% retention covers administrative fees.
Cancellations made after April 6th will receive a 75% refund, and cancellations made after May 1st will receive a 50% refund, with 50% retained due to organizational costs. This retained amount will be kept as a credit for a future workshop.
If the workshop is cancelled by the organizers, you will receive a full refund.