How to Build a Mud Home - Bulgaria 27-30 August 2026
New Workshop! This will be the last of the year.
In this empowering three day workshop in the beautiful countryside of Bulgaria, I'll be collaborating with RisingSoul Retreat Centre in Bulgaria to teach how to build with the earth and create your own mud home.
Cob building is a total game changer and mind blowing if you've never come across it. In this course you will learn how cob outperforms concrete and how to use it as a construction material. By the end of the workshop you will understand if your soil is suitable for building, how to turn it into a cob, and how to build with it. You will learn the foundations necessary for cob buildings, how to attach roof timbers to cob walls, and basic cob house design. This is going to be a very informative and empowering course.
"I attended Atulya’s cob workshop in Bulgaria and want to rave about it in words. I learned so much and was able to ask many questions and gain perspective that was invaluable to me. In a small group I was able to make connections to like-minded people who I will stay in touch with, not to mention the location and place who hosted us was fantastic in their own merit. Everyone worked together and we enjoyed as we learned how to make our natural living dreams come true. I would recommend to anyone wherever you are in your journey. Atulya thank you for putting up with all my questions and curiosities. It is so important to have a good teacher to truly connect with the material being taught and I am 100% happy to have had this experience and was terribly sad when it was over. If there is a plaster course coming I will be in line to go to that too!" Sara Farooq, course participant in Bulgaria 2026
In this empowering three day workshop in the beautiful countryside of Bulgaria, I'll be collaborating with RisingSoul Retreat Centre in Bulgaria to teach how to build with the earth and create your own mud home.
Cob building is a total game changer and mind blowing if you've never come across it. In this course you will learn how cob outperforms concrete and how to use it as a construction material. By the end of the workshop you will understand if your soil is suitable for building, how to turn it into a cob, and how to build with it. You will learn the foundations necessary for cob buildings, how to attach roof timbers to cob walls, and basic cob house design. This is going to be a very informative and empowering course.
"I attended Atulya’s cob workshop in Bulgaria and want to rave about it in words. I learned so much and was able to ask many questions and gain perspective that was invaluable to me. In a small group I was able to make connections to like-minded people who I will stay in touch with, not to mention the location and place who hosted us was fantastic in their own merit. Everyone worked together and we enjoyed as we learned how to make our natural living dreams come true. I would recommend to anyone wherever you are in your journey. Atulya thank you for putting up with all my questions and curiosities. It is so important to have a good teacher to truly connect with the material being taught and I am 100% happy to have had this experience and was terribly sad when it was over. If there is a plaster course coming I will be in line to go to that too!" Sara Farooq, course participant in Bulgaria 2026
Who is this course for?
"Atulya's Workshop in Bulgaria at the end of May 2026 was my first natural building course and I absolutely loved it. From the start we were learning hands-on skills, getting practical experience. The Q&A sessions over lunch really helped to drill in the knowledge. We learned so much over just a few days! And we had a huge amount of fun. Atulya is a great teacher and made sure we were laughing and relaxed. And our small group therefore really bonded - getting to know our international team-mates was part of the fun. I whole-heartedly recommend the course. Staying at the Rising Soul centre in forest-covered hills also made it very special, with great yoga sessions and amazing food from the international team there. Thanks for all of it!" Jen Barclay, course participant in Bulgaria, 2026
- Anyone considering building a natural home and wondering if cob has a place in their project.
- Anyone who wants to know what cob building entails.
- If you would like to know whether you would actually enjoy building your own mud home, this is for you.
- People who'd like to know how to build structures using the earth beneath their feet.
- Artists and creatives who'd like to know the sculpting potential of cob.
- People who want to connect with other natural builders and be part of a team.
- People with questions about their own projects. I have a Q & A in the lunch breaks.
"Atulya's Workshop in Bulgaria at the end of May 2026 was my first natural building course and I absolutely loved it. From the start we were learning hands-on skills, getting practical experience. The Q&A sessions over lunch really helped to drill in the knowledge. We learned so much over just a few days! And we had a huge amount of fun. Atulya is a great teacher and made sure we were laughing and relaxed. And our small group therefore really bonded - getting to know our international team-mates was part of the fun. I whole-heartedly recommend the course. Staying at the Rising Soul centre in forest-covered hills also made it very special, with great yoga sessions and amazing food from the international team there. Thanks for all of it!" Jen Barclay, course participant in Bulgaria, 2026
For the practical hands on elements of this workshop we will be building up the cob wall of a large restoration project at RisingSoul Retreat Centre, and installing a window into that wall.
What exactly will you learn in this workshop?
What exactly will you learn in this workshop?
- Where to find clayey soil on your land, and how to turn it into a usable building material.
- How to test your cob mixture for strength.
- The function of each ingredient in the cob mixture, and how to tweak it for your own land/project.
- How to build a cob wall. The dos and don'ts.
- How to keep the wall plumb, and how to trim it.
- The correct foundation method for cob buildings.
- Stem walls, their purpose and design.
- How to install windows and doors into cob walls.
- How to install plumbing and wiring into cob buildings.
- How to lay roof timbers onto a cob wall.
- What is thermal mass, and how to use it to your advantage.
- Constructing cob homes in different climates.
- Basic cob house design.
- How to repair and maintain cob.
- Sculpting cob; tips and tricks.
PRICES
Please note these prices are for the workshop only.
Accommodation is booked separately with RisingSoul Retreat Centre: Prices for accommodation start at 152 Euros.
Important! Your accommodation is booked separately.
Prices (all prices include delicious hearty veggie breakfast and dinner for the whole workshop).
Please note: Rising Soul Retreat centre is plant based and a substance free space.
Please note these prices are for the workshop only.
Accommodation is booked separately with RisingSoul Retreat Centre: Prices for accommodation start at 152 Euros.
- First off the blocks: £235
- Early Birds: £260
- Standard Ticket: £290
Important! Your accommodation is booked separately.
Prices (all prices include delicious hearty veggie breakfast and dinner for the whole workshop).
- Bring your own tent or campervan: 152 EUROS.
- Rent a tent 182 EUROS. Price includes delicious and hearty breakfast and dinner for the whole workshop.
- Glamping options are also available.
Camping accommodation at Rising Soul Retreat Centre. All prices include a plentiful, delicious home cooked veggie breakfast and dinner each day. Bear in mind this is a simple eco retreat with composting toilets, not a luxury resort. But it is a beautiful cared for space, and the food is plentiful and high quality.
Free Yoga and Meditation included: For the duration of the workshop, you will have the chance to join a daily meditation and yoga classes if you like. It's a free and entirely optional bonus of staying at RisingSoul Retreat Centre
Please note: Rising Soul Retreat centre is plant based and a substance free space.
Questions about the workshop: Write to Atulya at [email protected]
Questions about the accommodation: Write to Rowena at [email protected]
Questions about the accommodation: Write to Rowena at [email protected]
DATES AND TIMES
27 -30 August 2026
Start time: 4 pm on the 27th August
Finish: 3pm on the 30th August
Start time: 4 pm on the 27th August
Finish: 3pm on the 30th August
Travelling to RisingSoul Retreat Centre
RisingSoul Retreat Centre is in a small village called Belitsa, about 20 mins drive from the town of Tryavna (or Trjavna).
How to get there:
1. Fly to Sofia or Plovdiv
2. Get to Tryavna (usually about a 4 hour journey from Sofia or Plovdiv)
3. Grab a taxi (about 12 Euros) to RisingSoul Retreat centre.
Flying into Sofia or Plovdiv
From Sofia
From Plovdiv
If you get a chance to fly into Plovdiv, it’s a bit closer to the workshop venue, and very worthwhile. Plovdiv is a fascinating ancient town full of great eateries and a boho vibe. Ryanair runs regular flights from London Stansted, Milan and a few other destinations.
RISINGSOUL RETREAT CENTRE ON GOOGLE MAPS: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CZjyuvmEP2yG8Rtx7
IMPORTANT: Bulgaria is not tolerant about cannabis use and you could get arrested for smoking weed even with a medical certificate.
How to get there:
1. Fly to Sofia or Plovdiv
2. Get to Tryavna (usually about a 4 hour journey from Sofia or Plovdiv)
3. Grab a taxi (about 12 Euros) to RisingSoul Retreat centre.
Flying into Sofia or Plovdiv
From Sofia
- Bus from Sofia to Tryavna can be booked here: https://union-ivkoni.com/en
- Train from Sofia to Trjavna can be booked at Bulgarian Railways (BDZ) https://www.bdz.bg/en .
- Taxi from Sofia to Tryavna costs about 180 Euro (though prices are hard to pin down and can change, so this is a rough figure only).
- Car hire. Alternatively, you can hire a car from the usual suspects.
From Plovdiv
If you get a chance to fly into Plovdiv, it’s a bit closer to the workshop venue, and very worthwhile. Plovdiv is a fascinating ancient town full of great eateries and a boho vibe. Ryanair runs regular flights from London Stansted, Milan and a few other destinations.
- The train from Plovdiv can be booked here: Bulgarian Railways (BDZ) https://www.bdz.bg/en
RISINGSOUL RETREAT CENTRE ON GOOGLE MAPS: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CZjyuvmEP2yG8Rtx7
IMPORTANT: Bulgaria is not tolerant about cannabis use and you could get arrested for smoking weed even with a medical certificate.
A typical Bulgarian train station
Workshop Requirements
My workshops are always very eclectic and I welcome everyone from everywhere. You don’t need to have prior building knowledge, but if you do I will build upon it. What you do need both for building a mud home and this event is a positive attitude, and a willingness to get involved. This is a hands on course and you will get dirty. If you have very challenging physical or mental health issues (feel free to connect with me if you are not sure) this workshop might not suit you. However, for anyone willing to muck in and go for it, this will be an incredibly empowering experience. People's lives or life perspective can be changed in these workshops.
If you want to genuinely understand what natural building entails and gain a proper grasp of the technique, you are whole-heartedly invited into this course. My pledge to you in return is to empower you to build from the earth beneath your feet.
My workshops are always very eclectic and I welcome everyone from everywhere. You don’t need to have prior building knowledge, but if you do I will build upon it. What you do need both for building a mud home and this event is a positive attitude, and a willingness to get involved. This is a hands on course and you will get dirty. If you have very challenging physical or mental health issues (feel free to connect with me if you are not sure) this workshop might not suit you. However, for anyone willing to muck in and go for it, this will be an incredibly empowering experience. People's lives or life perspective can be changed in these workshops.
If you want to genuinely understand what natural building entails and gain a proper grasp of the technique, you are whole-heartedly invited into this course. My pledge to you in return is to empower you to build from the earth beneath your feet.
Refunds, sorry.
A cob building workshop is dependent on the number of people who show up. It makes things quite difficult for the organisers when people cancel, because the entire workshop is designed around participant numbers. Materials have all been ordered well in advance and the project planned in relation to the number of students. The host will have gone to a lot of trouble to organise space for tents, toilets and showers. Food and other necessities will have been purchased. Money and time has been invested. For this reason I'm very sorry but I can't offer refunds. Once you've bought a ticket, you've committed to join. You can allow someone else to come in your place, but it's down to you to find a replacement. The organisers cannot find replacements for you.
What participants have said about my previous workshops:
"Atulya’s courses were an absolute game changer! She is full of magic and this truly was one of the highlights of my year." Leo.
“The teacher (Atulya) was amazing and so positive and full of knowledge, she made the workshop run so smoothly.” Annie.
“The atmosphere was great and I couldn't ask for a better group of participants, or a more energetic environment. Loved every minute of it. Can't wait to use my new skills!” Mik.
“Atulya is a brilliant teacher...I returned home with a sparkle in my spirit and a deep appreciation that I was in a position to attend.” Alana
"Atulya’s courses were an absolute game changer! She is full of magic and this truly was one of the highlights of my year." Leo.
“The teacher (Atulya) was amazing and so positive and full of knowledge, she made the workshop run so smoothly.” Annie.
“The atmosphere was great and I couldn't ask for a better group of participants, or a more energetic environment. Loved every minute of it. Can't wait to use my new skills!” Mik.
“Atulya is a brilliant teacher...I returned home with a sparkle in my spirit and a deep appreciation that I was in a position to attend.” Alana
