kleiwerks -- cob | slipstraw | earth plaster

The Ashevillage Institute (AVI)
An Urban Sustainability Center

The Ashevillage Institute (AVI) is an emerging urban education center and living laboratory for sustainable solutions in action. AVI is located in a cluster of houses in a neighborhood a few blocks from downtown Asheville, North Carolina.

Click here for our AVI's 2008 Calendar of Events.
Click here to find out about living at AVI.

AVI’s goal is to provide a local, regional, and national…
*Urban demonstration of & support network for residential permaculture
*Hands-on sustainability center for classes, workshops & service learning
*A center for the future “Eco-Hood” pilot project
*Housing for AVI’s live-in staff & interns
*Community meeting space

AVI offers educational programs in the following:
*Permaculture Certification Courses: in a residential & neighborhood context
*Urban homesteading: organic & biodynamic gardening, food preservation & fermentation; bee-keeping; growing shitakes; chickens, etc.
*Natural building: retrofits & weatherization; small-scale green roofs; clay-based paints & plasters; building with earth, straw, bamboo, etc.
*Renewable energy systems: solar, residential greywater & rainwater catchment, etc.
*Holistic health: raw food; fermentation; wild plants & medicine, etc.
*Sacred & healing arts: bio geometry; sacred geometry; human relations & communication, etc

AVI infrastructural development:
2007: Certificate of Occupancy; permaculture design begins; complete house retrofit, including clay plasters/paints, etc; shed relocation; establish gardens, greenhouse, & tent areas; exterior grading; complete garottage (adobe out building); design outdoor courtyard/ kitchen/classroom; kudzu management
2008: Create master permaculture design; set up compost & humanure; increase gardens; tree work; greywater & rainwater systems; construct outdoor courtyard/kitchen/classroom; mosaic bathroom and fireplace; interior earthen floor
2009: Design & build ally grotto; design/implement front yards; sauna?

The Ashevillage Institute (AVI) is a project of Kleiwerks International...
...is a non-profit organization that empowers communities to be more sustainable by teaching hands-on natural building and whole-systems solutions. Since 1998, Kleiwerks has built dozens of community centers using natural and renewable materials. With limited resources and a very small budget we have trained thousands of people from over 30 countries, and have led hundreds of educational programs. AVI is the headquarters for Kleiwerks and is based in Asheville, NC.

Support AVI:
AVI is administered by Kleiwerks International. 100% tax-deductible donations can be made by credit card through paypal at http://www.kleiwerks.org/support_us.php , or checks can be sent to: Kleiwerks International c/o 82 Buchanan Ave., Asheville, NC 28801. Write AVI in the memo line.

For more information contact:
Email: AVI@kleiwerks.org
Call: 828.225.8820

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Stay tuned for updates and new workshop information.