Women's Natural Building
7-Day Women’s Natural Building Retreat
Build with Your Hands. Connect with Nature. Celebrate the Feminine.
We invite you to join us for a unique 7-day, women-only natural building workshop on our land in Southern Portugal.
This immersive experience, guided by the skilled builders of the Women’s Natural Building Collective (WNBC), brings together ancient building traditions and modern ecological practices. Through hands-on work, practical learning, and shared experience, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of natural building — and the confidence to put these skills into practice in your own life.
Alongside the building, we create space to connect, reflect, laugh, move, rest, and celebrate the feminine in a safe, supportive, and inspiring environment.
Register here
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About the Women’s Natural Building Collective
The Women’s Natural Building Collective (WNBC) is a group of passionate and experienced women builders based in Southern Portugal.
They design and construct unique natural structures while empowering other women with the knowledge and practical skills to build and create homes of their own. They also share a deep passion for building, a commitment to celebrating and honoring the feminine, and a strong calling to protect our planet. Through our work, we hope to contribute to a more balanced, connected, and beautiful future.
What You’ll Learn
This hands-on workshop will focus on building a volunteer house using a variety of natural building methods and techniques.
You’ll gain practical skills, theoretical knowledge, and the confidence to carry these practices into your own projects and everyday life.
Practical Skills
During the workshop, you will learn about:
Ecological house design and implementation Testing clay subsoils to create the perfect earth mix Making adobe bricks The different stages of construction Mixing and applying cob using a variety of techniques Mixing and applying slip straw Working safely with power tools Basic woodworking Creating artwork using glass bottles Theoretical Learning
We’ll also explore the principles and ideas behind natural building, including:
Ecological House Design
How to design energy-efficient homes that respond to and work in harmony with their climate.
Natural Building Theory
How natural building works, why different materials and techniques are used, and how to choose the right approach for a project.
Natural Building Around the World
Exploring building techniques from different cultures and regions — and understanding what is being used, where, and why.
Beyond Building: Celebrating the Feminine
This retreat is about more than learning how to build with natural materials.
It is also an opportunity to connect with ourselves and one another — to share, laugh, dance, sing, cry if we want to, and explore the many layers of who we are.
We will offer a range of optional morning and evening activities designed to support connection, presence, and joy. These may include:
Movement Women’s circles Meditation Dance Singing Time in the sauna
There is no pressure to participate in everything. This is a space to listen to your body, follow your own rhythm, and be exactly where you are.
Together, we create a supportive space to celebrate all that we are — and all that we can become.
Accommodation
Choose the way you’d most like to stay during your retreat:
Guesthouse Room
Enjoy the comfort of a private room in our guesthouse, with access to the shared facilities and communal spaces.
Glamping Bell Tent
Live a little closer to nature in one of our comfortable glamping bell tents.
Inside, you’ll find either a king-size or twin-bed setup, with bed frames, organic mattresses, duvets, and carpets to create a warm, homely feeling.
Bring Your Own Tent
Bring your own tent and create your own little home on the land. A simple and immersive way to connect with nature while still being part of the retreat community.
Bring Your Own Campervan
If you’re travelling with your own campervan, you’re welcome to make yourself at home on the land and enjoy the retreat from your own cosy space.
Living Close to Nature
A little note about the facilities: this is a natural building retreat, and our accommodation reflects that connection to the land.
We have two compost toilets on the property and outdoor showers where you can wash off the dust and refresh after a day of building.
You’ll be living simply and closely with nature — with the sounds, sights, and occasional surprises that come with being outdoors. Think fresh air, open skies, earthy feet, and a little less luxury than a hotel.
In return, you’ll have the chance to slow down, disconnect from everyday life, and experience the beauty of living more simply and in connection with the land.
And after a hard day of building? There’s always the sauna.