Builder Crash Course - December 2025

Update

Friends,

After the flurry of interest spawned by our recent viral video, the dust is settling. We have updated the website -

https://www.opensourceecology.org/builder_crash_course_2025-2/

Please review the update. The dates should now be correct, and registration form is updated. Early Bird cutoff is October 20, 2025.

Please read the logistics section thoroughly - https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Future_Builders_Crash_Course_Logistics

See the section on pre-event preparation, work exchange, and how you can get the most out of the onsite time.

Note that we are waiving the HabLab hostel accommodations fee for work exchange participants - but retaining the food costs for the duration of the workshop. This should clarify any confusion from the older announcement - and please let me know if you have any questions. Then reigister and begin preparing by downloading our CAD file so you get the most out of the workshop. The more people download the file, the more transparent the build will be.

So now is the time to fill out our Workshop Logistics Form to coordinate, so please do that after you register and pay - for each person as that's where we send all info and communications:

https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Workshop_Logistics

Thanks, Marcin

Logistics

• Future Builders Crash Course Logistics

Event

https://www.opensourceecology.org/builder_crash_course_2025-2/

Pictures Folder

https://photos.app.goo.gl/iZ8zMzoBj3Ra9jx66

Remote Sessions

Dear ________,

Thank you for your interest.

For the remote option for the Future Builders Crash Course - here is more info:

The way it works is we go over the design and build in the theory sessions - as well as the bigger picture narrative for transforming construction. The latter includes the big picture of solving housing, innovative build techniques, rapid build methods, integrated design, legal issues, and the bigger picture of solving housing with open source design and engineering. We focus on the technology and the social innovation needed to implement hardware technology into the real world. And much more.

The online sessions involve a video link during the actual presentation, which will be typically held in the evenings at 6 PM. We will go over the design and build for each day's work as well in the mornings. You can connect to those as well. The theory sessions will include a 45 minute presentation, followed by audience Q&A. All sessions will be recorded so that if you miss a session, you can watch it later on YouTube. The presentations will also be released for public viewing after the sessions are over. The perk of the registration is that you get to participate more closely by asking questions and interacting with the audience. We will start with 'interrupt and ask questions any time', but if that doesn't work we will switch to 'save all questions for the end'. In any case, we recommend that people come to the sessions with a notebook to take notes and maximize learning. If you register, you will also gain access to several preparatory sessions (minimum of 4, but likely more). In these sessions, we will go over the CAD model, discuss the overview of the build sequence, show you how to view every single detail of the design in the free CAD software called FreeCAD, and will also show you how to generate technical drawings (build plans) from the CAD so that you can use the master file to generate build plans for the whole house. This empowers you to review any of the exhaustive details of the build - which are all found in the complete CAD file down to every single building material item used. The master file includes information on the actual materials used. If you cannot make it to the build, you will at least have a chance to study it in detail. I say that building is actually 80% understanding, and 20% manual build skill. In any case, if you ever decide to build yourself, you will be on a good footing with the understanding part. And if you do decide to take the in person course later, you will compound your learnings with hands-on experience.

The 4 minimum sessions will include at the least the following - but hopefully we get into a lot more detail on the build of the actual systems prior to the event:

• Downloading and using FreeCAD
• Viewing the master CAD file for the house
• Generating build drawings from the master file
• How to analyze the CAD file to reason out approximate build instructions
• How to produce build instructions
• How to collaborate with OSE on solving housing

To sign up, please go to the registration section of the event announcement, https://www.opensourceecology.org/builder_crash_course_2025-2/#registration, and use the Donate to OSE option to make your $200 payment. Or alternately, to avoid payment fees, just send a check to OSE, 909 SW Willow Rd, Maysville, MO 64469.

Did I answer your question?

Thank you, Marcin

Lock in Discount

Dear _________,

Thank you for your interest in the next course, and sorry you can't make it to the current one.

The next course will be February 1-14, 2026. It will be just like this one - with minor tweaks - point being - going over all the systems for a complete house build from foundation to PV. https://www.opensourceecology.org/builder_crash_course_2025-2/ You can register any time up to the early bird deadline, which will be around 6 weeks prior to the event - or December 15, 2025.

It's not too early to register. To lock in the discount and 2-for-1 offer for the next one, you can use the current registration form. To do so, you can just use the 'Donate to OSE' option at https://www.opensourceecology.org/builder_crash_course_2025-2/#registration - or alternately just send a check to OSE, 909 SW Willow Rd, Maysville, MO 64469.

But if you are interested in the work exchange option, the terms are slightly different. For February, we are doing a 1 for 1 day exchange: volunteer for one day, participate for 1 day for free - for up to 10 days of volunteer time. volunteering - a cutoff of around 70% cost reduction. Such that instead of the $2100 or $2450 cost - depending on if you hit the early bird deadline - this comes out to $600 for workshop participation with Early Bird - and $700 without it.

The volunteer days are 8 hours of work, not counting lunch. Typical tasks include construction, cleaning, organizing space for the workshop, etc. We are always building infrastructure, so likely most of this will be building. This is hard work. If you have time and energy, you are welcome to do it. There will be a rest day the day before the workshop. If you would like to save your energy for the workshop - you can volunteer for fewer days or pay outright. Depends on your valuation of time vs money.

If you would like to lock this in for yourself so you don't need to pay attention to the early bird cutoff, you can go to the registration link right now.

Does that make sense?

Marcin

Prep Email

Dear Participants,

Welcome to the Future Builders Crash Course. Here is some prep notes.

If you do one thing to prepare - download FreeCAD for your computer, and study it. It is the full house. We plant to build EVERYTHING that you see in that file. So the more you know about the design, the more you will get out of the workshop. I suggest you open the file, click view/hide for each part in the part tree - and you can examine every single detail at the module level. The file has about 400 parts. These are in about 50 sub-folders. These are in 8 folders. Start by hiding and un-hiding the 8 main folders. Then hide all the folders, and view one at a time. Such as Kitchen. Unfold that folder - and go through the same exercise hiding and unhiding all of its subfolders.

You can do this ad infinitum. We suggest you spend hours doing this. At the workshop, we will ask you first - how many hours did you spend on this exercise? This is actually data for us. Do people care? Do people review the materials beforehand? If not, what are the blocks?

Please confirm with me how many people are in your group if more than one so I can verify my count. And summarize which specific parts of the build are most interesting to you. If you have build experience - let us know what your experience is and let us know what you are proficient at - and what you would like to learn more about. We are planning the event to allocate build roles as effectively as possible, so that we get the most out of the workshop and guarantee the highest level of completion possible.

Better yet - take a look at the available tech drawings in our PDF - 200 pages - and select 20 things that you want to build. This way we are allocating roles already.

Thanks, Marcin

Logistics

See Builder Crash Course Logistics and bcc2

History

• BCC