This Site is also available in German
Your path to becoming a certified straw bale builder: With STEP CERTIFIED, you can choose to participate in our Zoom workshops as well as the workshops in our training center and the Building Site Workshops and you have ongoing access to the online course.
The structure: The STEP training comprises 400 hours of training in 8 units. The STEP 6 and 8 units are pure theory modules, the theory of STEP 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7 includes practical days, STEP 5 Clay & Lime – Surfaces and Facades is a mix of theory and practice, so it only takes place „for real“. Here are the descriptions of the modules.
The procedure: If you have completed all theory modules, you can do the final assessment and receive a Certificate of Attendance. If you have also completed the 20 practical days with included performance review, you will also receive the ECVET certificate „Certified Straw Bale Builder“ in addition to the practical certificate.
STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION AND EARTH BUILDING PRACTICE
To become a certified straw bale builder, you also need proof of at least 20 completed STEP practical days. The practical exam is integrated into the training.
lime plaster, 5-6 days practice
fine clay plaster, 5 days practice
Practical Building Site Workshops (to 4 modules: U2, U3, U4, U5): you can book and join individually according to your time budget and the availability of practical workshops. You can also complete the practice over 2 years or more.
The practice workshops cannot be held online. You can at any time book the practical modules as offered on our Workshop-site, but we will have to postpone or cancel them if they cannot take place with at least 5 participants.
TIME SCHEDULE (Practice optional)
PRICE AND REGISTRATION
STEP CERTIFIED training – 8 Theory Workshops (38 days) + all practical Workshops + final assessment: € 2.900,- / € 2.500,- for students and unemployed (you can pay in advance or in 10 instalments of € 300,- / € 250,- each).
Your advantage as a couple: the second person pays the reduced price!
10% discount for asbn membership
Click here to register for the STEP training.
ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation during all practical courses: You can sleep in a tent or (a shared room) in our straw bale house, eat (breakfast/lunch/dinner), shower (2 bathrooms) and do your laundry in our training centre, all for around € 20,-/day (€ 12 for food, € 8 for a bed/night), we cook together by ourselves.
We also offer all courses at the same CERTIFIED price in the sunny Algarve in Portugal, the Quinta da Fornalha training centre is only 3.6km from the beach. Combine a sunny winter holiday with the STEP course. Also combinable with the practical training. Book quickly, limited places! Sign up now!
Accommodation in Portugal: You can sleep (in a single, double or shared room – depending on availability) in one of the guest apartments at Quinta da Fornalha in Castro Marim, 3.6km from the beach, eat (breakfast/lunch/dinner, some of which we cook ourselves), shower (all appartments with bathroom and small kitchen) and do your laundry at the training centre, all for shared food-costs and approximately € 8/night/bed. The practical workshops take place in the training centre or on practical building sites.
STEP-TRAINER:
strawbale.training (Learning Outcomes Deutsch/English)