Welcome to cordwoodmasonry.com

the virtual home for Earthwood Building School, accenting Cordwood masonry, Earth-Sheltered Housing and Timber Framing for the Rest of Us!  All under one roof:  a Living Roof!

Note as of January 19, 2020:  Our full 2020 workshop schedule is on line and we are processing registrations.  Click on 2020 Workshops in the main menu above.  Next year, 2021, will be our final season of workshops at Earthwood Building School in West Chazy, NY.  However, we will continue to provide books, videos, and plans through this website. Also, Rob and Jaki Roy are open to conducting cordwood workshops at other locations in North America and around the world by arrangement with organizers at least six months in advance of the desired workshop. Interested parties should email us at robandjaki(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Ancient and modern solar technology at Earthwood: a megalithic stone circle in the foreground and photovoltaics in the background.

Earthwood Building School is in the northeastern foothills of New York’s Adirondacks, close to the Canadian border.  We’re an off-grid facility getting all of our electricity from solar energy. Over the years more photovoltaic panels have been added, the last  in November 2016 replacing a wind turbine which was on site since 1982.

‘Raised Raised’ bed gardening

Because Earthwood is in a reclaimed gravel pit the only viable option for a vegetable garden is raised bed gardening and we have found that ‘raised raised’ beds work really well for us. They help keep most animals out, and, most importantly, they’re great for your back! We have also experimented with hugelkultur, a mounded garden.

The Earthwood campus has a variety of cordwood masonry buildings which hundreds of students have helped to create.  They include four guesthouses, a bookstore/library, sauna, mess hall and garage.  All have living roofs.

Round Outbuildings

Stoneview Guesthouse is an octagon.

In addition, various big stones have grown in numbers, some during Stone Circle Workshops. The stone circle is a gathering place for workshop introductions and evening socials where students can get better acquainted. A positive aspect of workshops is the feeling of support from other like-minded students. Cordwood building draws a special group of people!

Rob explains astronomical features of the Stone Circle

Earthwood Building School maintains a variety of pertinent books available for the owner builder, but it’s hard to compete with the big companies.  So …

Why order books and videos directly from Earthwood?

1. Rob Roy’s books are signed by the author. Big deal. But see the next item.
2. Roy’s Cordwood, Underground, Stone Circle and Timber Framing books are the textbooks for our workshops. If you purchase them from Earthwood – we know, because they’re signed – and then decide to take a workshop, you get a full deduction of the book cost from your registration.
3. You help support small business instead of big business … so that we can stay in business!

Some Earthwood characters

The Gryphon Stone

Sappy

Hermit’s Head

We have been teaching cordwood masonry, earth-sheltered housing, timber framing and megalithic stone building at Earthwood Building School – and around the world – since 1981

Rob and Jaki Roy

Earthwood Building School

366 Murtagh Hill Road

West Chazy, NY 12992

Email: robandjaki(at)yahoo(dot)com

518-493-7744