THE SACRED DOME Community Cob Temazcal Styled Sweat Lodge Build

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Join us June 13th thru 27th for The Sacred Dome, a hands-on community build where we will co-create a round cob temazcal styled ceremonial dome using earth-based materials and ancestral construction techniques.

This is experience is or young people, elders, and people of different abilities.

This immersive experience blends natural building, cultural practice, and community collaboration—resulting in a permanent healing structure at the Gallery in the Forest site in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The Sacred Dome will take place at the Gallery in the Forest, a 2-acre land-based arts and environmental site in rural Garland County near Hot Springs. Set along a historic branch of the Southwest Trail, the site features a forested landscape, spring-fed creek, and emerging ecological installations.

This natural setting serves as a living classroom—providing an immersive environment where participants can engage in hands-on building, land stewardship, and cultural practice while contributing to the transformation of the space into a community-centered resilience and healing hub.

LODGING

Onsite Offgrid Camping Included limited tents available

Local Airbnb and hotels if preferred

Light snacks (daily) including

Meals not included

WHAT WE’RE BUILDING

• Round Cob Dome (Temazcal Style)
• 18” Thick Earthen Walls
• ~5 ft Height
• Rubble Trench Foundation
• Natural Plaster Finish

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• Cob construction (clay, sand, straw mixing)
• Natural building techniques
• Foundation systems (rubble trench)
• Earthen plastering methods
• Cultural significance of temazcal structures
• Collaborative, land-based design practices

WHO SHOULD JOIN

• Artists + creatives
• Youth (16–24)
• Builders + homesteaders
• Environmental stewards
• Community members seeking hands-on learning

WHAT TO BRING

• Work clothes + boots
• Gloves
• Water bottle
• 2 tarps (recommended)
• Open mind + willingness to build together

MATERIALS PROVIDED

• Clay, sand, straw
• Stone + drainage gravel
• Tools + build equipment
• Water access
• Optional lime plaster