The Natural Building Institute of Ontario
Promoting the diversity and quality of natural, sustainable building practices.
Established in 2004, the Natural Building Institute of Ontario offers a series of hands-on workshops aimed at developing confidence in the practical application of natural building methods.
Our Workshops
Situated on Canada's Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world, the NBIO offers workshops covering all aspects of natural building:
- Earthen structures (cob)
- Strawbale construction
- Composting toilets
- Earthen plaster finishes and earthen floors
- Living roofs
- Intuitive design
All of our building methods are suited to the Canadian climates while drawing on techniques developed the world over, in particular Mexico.
We invite everyone to participate in what is not a return to the past, but rather a leap toward the inevitable building movement that will sustain us through the 21st century.
Our Mission
At the Natural Building Institute, we feel that it is our responsibility to pass on our knowledge of sustainable living by revisiting a more whole approach to daily life through the practice of interacting with others.
By applying the use of traditional, natural building methods, we allow our ancestral ability to build with our hands and bodies to be rekindled and remain on a more personal and moralistic level with each other.
Check out the Workshop Schedule >> to learn more, or contact Gino Cacciotti.