Green building workshop

 LWH and Ecohab.org are teaming up April 1-26, 2024 to transform tires, cans, and plastic bottles filled with trash into classrooms for a village near San Juan Comalapa in Guatemala. 30-year green building veteran Phil Basehart will lead instruction.

The Green Building Workshop (GBW) is Long Way Home and Ecohab’s unique 4-week intensive course designed for individuals who wish to dive deep into green-building and design topics, as taught by expert instructors.

GBW participants will learn and build alongside staff and volunteers from all over the world and our experienced local team. Students will live in a green-designed home and will help keep a zero-waste household, an experience that can create life-changing habits.

The program takes place in April and November each year at our site in San Juan Comalapa, a rural town in Guatemala’s highlands. Participants who join the Workshop will contribute to our efforts to make healthy and resilient structures accessible to low-resourced and climate-stressed communities.

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Escríbenos y con mucho gusto te proveeremos la información necesaria en Español.

Your Teachers

Long Way Home Partners with EcoHab!

Long Way Home Partners with EcoHab!

ECOHAB nurtures both people and place.

Ecohab constructs community centers, schools, and homes in partnership with paid local labor and the generous contribution of donated foreign labor. This collaborative approach benefits communities while fostering a sense of unity between locals and international volunteers.

During the GBW we work through many concepts relevant to eco-building and sustainability principles. This April we will be building a classroom for a local school in our community. You will be learning to green-build step-by-step from the foundation up!

Roberto tells us about his eco-house and the impact of the Green Building Academy.

Program details

What else is included apart from Green Building?

  • Onsite orientation to the Hero School campus

  • Cultural tour in Kaqchikel town of Comalapa, Guatemala

  • Purified drinking water

  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Workshop days

  • Kitchen/house essentials (propane, matches, cooking oil, etc.)

  • Clean bedding every two weeks.

Program Expense:

Green Building Workshop Dorm Package $1600 (4 weeks)

Green Building Workshop Private Package $1900 (4 weeks)

1-Week Green Building Workshop Package $450 (per week)

Week One: Site Analysis & Understanding Building with Earth

Week Two: Foundations, Walls & Building with Alternative Materials

Week Three: Earthen Plasters & Roofs

Week Four: Solar System Installation & Water Systems

25% deposit is required to secure a reservation in the Academy.

Citizens of Latin America receive a price reduction, details are below.

Your registration fee contributes to expenses like building materials, salaries of the team you will learn from, and further LWH’s efforts to make resilient housing accessible to low-resourced and climate-stressed communities. Thank you.


Additional Discounts

We want to make the GBW as inclusive as possible. We have personal discounts and group discounts available for our 2024 April and November Sessions.

  • We provide an automatic 50% discount for citizens of Latin America ($800 for the entire program or $250 for a week)

    GROUP DISCOUNT!

    Groups of 3 or more receive $100 off per person!

    Groups of 5 or more receive $200 off per person!

    If you qualify for one of these options or have any questions, please fill out the form below.

    For more information, you can contact our volunteer coordinator.