School of Constructive Arts

School of Constructive Arts The School of Constructive Arts is a field-school teaching design, building, and ecology through direct participation and experimentation.

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Saturday we joined our community on the banks of the Rio Grande to deliver a clear message: NO BORDER WALLS IN BIG BEND!...
04/06/2026

Saturday we joined our community on the banks of the Rio Grande to deliver a clear message: NO BORDER WALLS IN BIG BEND! It was inspiring to see such a diverse group—ranchers and river guides, republicans and progressives—unite to oppose this wasteful, destructive, and unnecessary project. The wall would run along the U.S. side of the Rio Grande, cutting people and wild life off from the river, and causing irreparable economic, ecological, and cultural devastation. The cost of the wall is astronomical. Approximately 4.8 billion dollars in federal contracts have already been awarded. The wall is budgeted to cost 17 million tax payer dollars a mile but similar systems (in less remote and rugged parts of Texas) have cost $25-$30 million dollars a mile to implement not to mention millions more in annual maintenance. All this in a region with the lowest number of illegal crossings in the country, with natural barriers of high cliffs and miles of inhospitable desert to traverse on either side. Local sheriffs and CBP leaders responsible for enforcement have for years stated that a wall is unnecessary and impractical. We who know and love this place must stand against the ignorant and destructive plans of distant politicians. You can stop this Time to stand up for Texas!
Thank you to our friends for organizing.

02/01/2026

Spots still open for our March Lime Plaster Intensive with Tim White!

Tim White has been an industry leader in sustainable building materials for decades. His research into roman cement formulation and lime pozzolan interactions combined with decades of experimentation with natural wall systems and historic lime plasters make Tim one of the few people with both the technical understanding and practical experience to teach a workshop of this depth. Tim worked with American Clay and Mason Greenstar and founded Texas Healthy Homes, a pioneering design-build firm specializing in hempcrete and natural materials. His accomplishments include developing educational programs, achievements in research & development, and recognition from esteemed institutions such as the US H**p Building Association.  We are honored to have the opportunity to learn from Tim, and look forward to welcoming him to SCA this Spring where we will work together to apply these techniques to the exterior of our new library. 

Visit our website or the link in our bio to learn more and register!

01/28/2026

2 days left to apply to our ninth Student Volunteer program! Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to challenge yourself, develop your skills in earthen construction and off-grid living, and join our growing community of friends who want to build a healthier world from the ground up.

We are pleased to announce the dates for our 9th Student Volunteer Residency! This Spring we are hosting a 2 week progra...
01/07/2026

We are pleased to announce the dates for our 9th Student Volunteer Residency! This Spring we are hosting a 2 week program March 13th - 27th.

The student volunteer program is at the core of SCA’s teach through building and build through teaching approach. Students learn a range of skills while working on building facilities for future students to use. Living communally, working with each other and with the local community, volunteers learn practical skills and develop their leadership and teamwork abilities. This lived experience is augmented by classroom education that connects the work to concepts of ecology, construction, and holistic design. By instilling these values and equipping young people with practical skills and experience, SCA aims to send volunteers back to their communities motivated and empowered to enact positive change and more fully realize their own potential.

Visit our website or follow the link in our bio to learn more & apply today!

             

Aliz is a traditional clay paint made from sifted clay soil and a natural binder such as wheatpaste. The word comes from...
01/06/2026

Aliz is a traditional clay paint made from sifted clay soil and a natural binder such as wheatpaste. The word comes from the Spanish verb “alisar”, which means to smooth. After the paint is applied with a brush a sponge can be used to smooth and burnish the surface. The paint is non-toxic, durable, and easy to repair. Remaining paint can be dried and stored for years, ready to be rehydrated in case a touch up is needed. In October Carole Crews came to SCA and taught us to mix and apply aliz. We levigated a local soil, separating the clay through suspension in water. We mixed three different colored paints and applied them with brushes and sponges to the vaulted outhouse ceiling and the walls of the outhouse and library. Because aliz is thin, a small amount of pigment or colored clay can cover an entire wall making the use of wild harvested clays and pigments much more feasible. The base plaster can be made with whatever adobe soil is most plentiful nearby and later given rich color with the aliz technique.

This March veteran natural builder Tim White will join us to teach a 4 day intensive workshop on exterior lime plasters ...
12/31/2025

This March veteran natural builder Tim White will join us to teach a 4 day intensive workshop on exterior lime plasters tailored to construction professionals who aim to master the enduring craft of working with lime. Lime plaster is an ideal exterior finish for earthen buildings. While cement stucco traps moisture and exterior clay plasters require frequent maintenance, a well applied lime plaster is both breathable and extremely durable. Tim’s lime plaster method, derived from decades of experimentation and deep research into historical techniques, builds up a robust, breathable, self-healing skin of limestone that can protect a building for decades. Tim will explain the details of the lime cycle, microvoids and watervoids, pozzolans, sand gradation, bulking sand, balanced mix design, and application. Students will learn how to make their own mixes, apply plaster with a hawk and trowel, how to wood float lime plaster and when to do so, and how to make and apply a limewash to make lime plaster self-healing. 

Tim White has been an industry leader in sustainable building materials for decades. His research into roman cement formulation and lime pozzolan interactions combined with decades of experimentation with natural wall systems and historic lime plasters, make Tim one of the few people with both the technical understanding and practical experience to teach a workshop of this depth. Tim worked with American Clay and Mason Greenstar and founded Texas Healthy Homes, a pioneering design-build firm specializing in hempcrete and natural materials. His accomplishments include developing educational programs, achievements in research & development, and recognition from esteemed institutions such as the US H**p Building Association. 

We are honored to have the opportunity to learn this ancient art/science from Tim and apply these techniques to the exterior of our new library. Space is limited to 15 participants. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to learn the nitty-gritty of lime plasters from one of the preeminent experts in the Americas.

Finishing up this fieldstone floor was a big job! We found, shaped and placed dozens of stones, from 4 inches to over 4f...
12/09/2025

Finishing up this fieldstone floor was a big job! We found, shaped and placed dozens of stones, from 4 inches to over 4ft in size. Harmonizing the wild variation of found stone was an artistic and physical feat, but it resulted in a floor of unique quality. Special thanks to Sami, Jake, Noah, Hank, Iman, and to for the photos!

We have seen many transformations this season but it was particularly inspiring to see transform a large field stone (l...
12/02/2025

We have seen many transformations this season but it was particularly inspiring to see transform a large field stone (lying a few hundred feet from the build site) into a beautiful carved stone threshold for the library. The stone appeared grey and ordinary but when cut was surprisingly hard, dense, dark, and replete with fossils. It was amazing to see Meghan use simple techniques and affordable handheld tools with great skill and persistence to cut and shape these precise forms from a large irregular rock. Stay posted for video and updates as we install custom bifold steel doors by .

12/01/2025

Flyover by from our recent field stone workshop taught by and . Working with natural stones of very different sizes and shapes (some weighing several hundred lbs) took longer than working with uniform material purchased from the store but the quality of the result was worth the effort. Stay posted to see the recently completed floor.

At the beginning of our stone workshop and taught students how to select, size up, split, and carve found fieldstone. ...
11/13/2025

At the beginning of our stone workshop and taught students how to select, size up, split, and carve found fieldstone. We also prepared a tamped gravel base for the flagstone floor and prepared to install a stone threshold. Photos by .

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1316 Snake Road
Alpine, TX
79830

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