Geeli Mitti: Natural Building & Permaculture Workshops
TL;DR: Geeli Mitti offers immersive workshops in India, blending natural building techniques with permaculture principles for creating low-impact housing and land systems.
- Learn cob, adobe, and rammed earth construction.
- Integrate permaculture for holistic land systems.
- Gain hands-on experience in natural plasters and roofing.
- Understand soil testing and foundation techniques.
- Build climate-responsive, energy-efficient mud homes.
Why it matters: These workshops provide practical skills for sustainable living, addressing the growing demand for ecological building and regenerative practices, crucial for minimizing environmental impact.
Do this next: Explore workshops at Geeli Mitti to gain hands-on experience in natural building and permaculture design.
Recommended for: Anyone interested in applying permaculture and natural building techniques for sustainable living and construction.
Geeli Mitti, a Pangot-based learning space near Nainital, India, offers immersive workshops blending traditional Indian natural building techniques like cob, adobe, and rammed earth with permaculture principles for creating low-impact housing and land systems. The campus serves as a living demonstration site in a forested conservation area, using local materials such as mud, lime, and stone to construct climate-responsive homes and common areas. Participants engage in hands-on daily activities including building walls, preparing natural plasters from clay, sand, straw, and water, farm work for food production, and land mapping to integrate food, water, waste, and energy systems holistically. Workshops range from certified permaculture design courses to intensive programs; for instance, a three-week intensive in April 2026 covers soil testing, foundations, construction techniques like cob, adobe, earthbags, roofing options (living roof, slate, clay tile, thatched), and flooring for energy-efficient mud homes. A concurrent three-day introductory workshop provides basics for newcomers. Programs are practitioner-led by founder Shagun Singh, who established Geeli Mitti in 2016 as a social enterprise and research center to revive sustainable building amid growing demand for community ecological projects. Participants from diverse backgrounds—architects, designers, homeowners—live on-site, combining theory with practical implementation. The approach simplifies mud building by teaching soil types and techniques, fostering alternative low-impact living. Costs for the three-week intensive are Rs.35,000 with one rest day. This field-tested model responds to urban-rural shifts toward regenerative practices, offering concrete skills for self-sufficient, ecologically harmonious habitats that minimize environmental impact while maximizing resilience through interconnected systems.[1]