The Mud Home News, April 2025
Nad Kad's Battle to Build a Natural Home in Iowa, Dealing with Building Regs, and Some Exciting Natural Building Rewards from Orchard Barn.
Hello dear Mudsters,
As we skid headlong into daylight saving time here in old Blighty, daffodils and crocuses jigging and jiving in the sunlight, I’m preparing to drive across Europe for my next mud building workshop adventures in Bulgaria. Yee-ha! May the road be open for us all as we skip into summer. One of the most fulfilling aspects of this current chapter in my life is having the energy and time to share. My two self builds took everything I had; energy, time and money. Many people helped me over those years in all sorts of ways, and now at last I have a chance to give back.
In April’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing the fabulous and inspiring story of Nad Kad and his six-year battle to build a straw bale home, plus the next in my Get-Off-the-Blocks series, and some news from a natural building education centre in Suffolk, UK.
But first, a massive mud hug to Pamela, Iona, Timothy and Katerin for stepping up to support The Mud Home recently. If you benefit from all the free information on The Mud Home and would like it to continue, please consider making a pledge. Patrons get a LOT of perks. You can avail yourself of hundreds of special patron-only videos, audios, and articles, as well as a space to ask questions. But most importantly, you allow the massive archive of free, open-source articles on the Mud Home to remain accessible to everyone.
Nad Kad’s Cosy and Cool Natural Home in Iowa
One man’s battle against conformity to create a beautiful straw bale home
This is a fantastic story, and I thoroughly enjoyed writing it. If you’ve ever been involved in a self-build, I’m sure you’ll be nodding your head all the way through. Unfortunately, all too often acquaintances and neighbours can be a big unsupportive pain in the butt when it comes to a natural home.
“Real pressure to abandon the build was exerted over and over…People said I was giving the community a reason to ridicule me. No one should take six years to build a house,” says Nad Kad.
If you are in any way dreaming of building your own home, or you’d like some validation for your own mud experience, do read this story. Nad had to dig deep to complete his beautiful straw bale and clay house. Here’s how it happened…
Getting-Off-the-Blocks (Part 3)
Building regs and what to do about them
I never forget standing up for a talk in the UK and asking the crowd the main reason that they didn’t go for their off-grid natural home dream. I expected them to say “money”. They didn’t. They all said, “the rules and regulations”!
Hmm...I honestly think if you are stopped by the regs, you would have been stopped by the build as well, because both of these require a similar tenacious problem-solving approach. Both of these also need what we in the UK call “a bit of neck”, too. You simply can’t skulk about like a meek wallflower and think the authorities will just give you stuff. They won’t. It’s why I’m always banging on about standing in our power, because nothing amazing happens otherwise.
In truth there is always a way if you look hard enough, are stubborn enough, and yet can also be a bit flexible. So, here’s my guide to dealing with red tape and regulations in building, wherever you are in the world. I this wrote a few years back, and I still stand by it all:)
Also, here’s a great interview with the formidable Kim Fraser, who has built multiple natural structures in all manner of ways. Here she explains how to get permits for a natural home in the UK.
Earn some superb natural building education
Special Crowd Funding Campaign for Orchard Barn
While I am in the UK, I help out at two wonderful places in Suffolk. One of them is Orchard Barn. This really is a special (and frankly amazing) undertaking, because it’s not only a natural building adventure, but a training school to show people how to use ancient tools such as shave horses, draw knives, side axes and more. One of the reasons I love to help out here is the complete lack of machine noise. Almost everything is done the old way.
This month Orchard Barn are running a special fundraiser to complete the final phase of the project. The Long House — originally constructed in 1580 and lovingly reinstated by volunteers — will serve as a rural hub for community-led heritage craft and education. Built using natural, locally sourced materials such as clay, lime, straw and coppiced timber, the project demonstrates low-carbon construction in action and offers a powerful example of how traditional skills can support a more regenerative future.
As part of the fundraiser you can earn some exciting rewards such as:
Learning hot lime
Wattle and daub courses
An introduction to timber framing
Learning to use a shave horse and drawknife
A private guided tour of the masonry stove underfloor heating combo.
And a whole lot more.
Do consider becoming part of this inspiring project — the unique rewards are only available through this Crowdfunding campaign, which runs until 24th May!
My In-Person Workshops 2025
8 - 9 August: Clay Plaster and Cob Fundamentals
Orchard Barn in Suffolk
In this two-day deep dive into clay plasters at inspiring Orchard Barn in Suffolk, I’ll be teaching (hands-on) how to use the dirt on your land to create a beautiful, natural, non-toxic, and environmentally-sound clay plaster and building material. Once you understand the fundamentals of mud mixtures, you’ll be empowered to start your own mud journey.
22 - 23 August: Finishing Plasters and Advanced Clay Plaster Techniques
Orchard Barn in Suffolk
[LIMITED PLACES REMAINING — REGISTER NOW]
In this two-day clay plaster masterclass, we’ll be sinking deep into the art of fine mud finishes. We’ll learn some of the more advanced clay plastering techniques like burnishing, sculpting, embedding mosaic, carving, and using Japanese trowels and sponges to create a variety of different textures and finishes. We'll also be creating our own clay paints from local foraged clays.
31 May - 1 June: Clay Plaster Fundamentals and Mud Mosaic
Harmanli, Bulgaria
[ALMOST SOLD OUT — REGISTER NOW]
In this two-day clay plasters intensive, I’ll be teaching (hands-on) how to use the dirt on your land to create a beautiful, natural, non-toxic, and environmentally-sound plaster, and how to apply it to almost any wall. We'll be practising different application techniques: trowelling, sponging, and how to use a Japanese trowel. We'll also learn how to embed mosaic into clay plaster to create a gorgeous and hard-wearing surface.
Best wishes,
Atulya K Bingham, author of Mud Ball, Dirt Witch, and more.
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