From old to new - recovery of building materials for ecological new buildings, Räbel near Werben (90 km from Berlin)
Description: The Flusshof is an ecological holiday home in a beautiful nature reserve. Together with the "Naturbauschule" initiative of Spreeplan Projekt UG, architects and engineers for healthy building and renovation, it offers holistic education around the topics of sustainability, healthy living, ecological building and renovation. The aim is to enable people to later apply what they have learned in practice in their everyday lives or in their own projects, or to pass on their knowledge to third parties. The core topic of the projects is the use of exclusively ecological building materials and the recycling of old building materials in connection with sustainable energy production. The offer is complemented by training for physical and mental fitness and the offer of a healthy and balanced diet.
Type of Work: Under the guidance of architects, building materials such as bricks, roof tiles or clay are secured during the demolition of an old ruined stable and reconditioned for later reuse, i.e. cleaned, sorted, stacked, etc.. Depending on the state of the preliminary work, parts of the building materials can be directly reused, e.g. by plastering interior wall surfaces with the recovered clay. The maintenance of the project site and the already existing ecological building at the Flusshof involves general gardening and landscaping work, such as chopping wood, laying out plantings, maintaining green spaces and plants, pruning trees, setting fences or earthworks. It may be possible to build a dry hedge pavilion from tree cuttings. In rainy weather there is work in the barn or in the old farmhouse.
Study Theme: Insight into the planning of the overall project for the village development of Räbel and the Flusshof. General knowledge transfer on the topics of healthy ecological building and renovation, building biology and sustainable energy production. Details on the implementation of ecological new construction and renovation projects, such as the reuse of various building materials and ecological alternatives to conventional building materials. Depending on interest, artistic-practical content can be taught, such as drawing in nature, making natural paints or ecological surfaces for interior design.
Accommodation: Accommodation in the existing buildings of the Flusshof. Please bring your own sleeping bags or bed linen and towels. The sanitary conditions are simple, showers and toilets are available. The group can spend their free time in the buildings and on and off the project site. There is a communal kitchen where they can cook together. Vegan and vegetarian food is possible. For the planned work assignments, please bring work gloves, work shoes (safety shoes) and robust work clothes suitable for rainy weather.
Requirements: Willingness and motivation to do six hours of physical and manual work, on weekdays. Working outdoors even in rainy weather. General interest in topics such as building and renovation, ecological architecture, environment, creative work and sports.
Approximate Location: The Flusshof is located in the small village of Räbel, a district of the Hanseatic town of Werben, directly on the river Elbe in Saxony-Anhalt, where not far away the ferry "Werben" connects the two banks of the Elbe and thus the federal states of Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg. Räbel is located in the Middle Elbe Nature Reserve and Biosphere Reserve in the Altmark region, part of the Elbe River Landscape UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Elbe Cycle Path passes directly by the site and invites you to take early autumn walks to explore the picturesque landscape of the Altmark or to observe wildlife
Notes: The Elbe cycle path is right by the Flusshof and the beautiful landscape with many small lakes can be explored on foot, by bike or on inline skates. It is possible to make trips to Berlin and Potsdam at the weekend. The region is very rural! In Havelberg, there are a few small shops, cafés and bars. The next shopping possibility for food and everyday needs is in Werben, 5 km away.
If interested, the project can offer a changing sports programme as well as artistic and creative workshops. In the evenings and on weekends there is the possibility to barbecue or make a campfire - or to play games, make music etc. indoors. Please note that there is no Wi-Fi (mobile data only)!
INCOMING FEE for volunteers applying via partner organizations and contacts of SCI: https://sci-d.de/incomingfee
Camp Photographs
