When Build School went to Portugal

When Zack Halliday got back from Build School in Portugal, he wasn’t just full of stories about building with a bunch of volunteers—he came back with ideas about how to turn unwanted Eucalyptus trees into something useful. Along with the Common Knowledge crew and the team at Jardim do Mira, Zack helped show the Build School Portugal students, how a hands-on approach can blend building skills with helping the environment.

In this chat, Zack tells us all about what went down: a group of volunteers cutting down trees, milling timber, and putting up a building in just over a week. With the stunning backdrop of Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina and a team speaking different languages, there were plenty of lessons learned. In this article he talks about how Build School was about way more than just construction—it was about making real connections with the land and each other.

So you’ve just got back from Build School in Portugal, how did it go?

Build School in Portugal was a success. We set out to experiment using the Eucalyptus trees on site and turn it into a building materials. With an amazing group of volunteers, we fell and milled trees into dimensional timber and constructed a building in 8 days. 

What was the big idea behind this Build School edition? Why did Portugal – and Jardim do Mira – feel like the perfect spot to host it?

Jardim do Mira is a community responsible who is responsible for  50 acres and aim to turn it into a reforestation project. The idea was to use unwanted and often dangerous Eucalyptus trees as a building materail. We tought both participants from the area and those that had traveled techniques for building with green Eucalyptus. 

Tell us about the collaboration with Jardim do Mira – how did that partnership come together, and why was it such a key part of the course?

Raz and Will reached out to Common Knowledge after reading about the Tiny home project at Common Knowledge. The project focused on a unique solution to the housing crisis we face here at home. They appreciated our ability to find responsible solutions for large problems and our willingness to experiment. I believe thats why they reached out and chose Common Knowledge.

Is there a link between the construction skills you teach at the regular Common Knowledge Build School and the ecological goals over at Jardim do Mira?

We adapted our modular techniques to blend them with traditional joinery using mortise and tenons where we otherwise would rely on screws. All the theory we teach during our regular build school is applicable in all building methods. Our goal is to empower people to be problem solvers when it comes to a build site.

How can this type of construction play a role in environmental restoration?

The Eucalpytus is currently used for paper but the end product is not as commercially viable as it once was and poses a great fire risk. By felling trees on site we opened the canopy giving space to local species and increasing the biodiversity on site with little disturbance. Any branches that were too small to process we laid along the contour lines creating terraces to slow down the water flow. This is a long term approach that looks to utilize the positive qualities of an unwanted material as we transition the environment away from a monoculture. 

Eucalyptus got a starring role in both the reforestation project and the construction techniques you were teaching. What made it such a good fit for building, and how do you think the group felt about working with it?

Eucalyptus has a negative reputation and is seen as a problem which presented as doubt that Eucalyptus has any positive qualities. We selected trees from a young 9-year-old stand that averaged 10 cm in diamater. It grows fast and straight with few branches making the grain relatively straight which is desirable for building timber. It dries like stone and is difficult to work with but is lovely when green. By the end of the build school everyone saw the potential of using Eucalyptus as a building material. 

This Build School edition was bilingual, how did that work in practice? Did it add any interesting dynamics to the group or the learning process?

I enjoyed having different cultures come together with the shared goal of learning to build with Eucalyptus and with each other. The language was never a barrier and there was always someone available to translate if needed. 

Portugal’s natural beauty must have added something special to the course. How did the setting of the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina influence the whole experience?

It was lovely to have a job site in the forest. Building with the trees that surround you was an incredible experience. There is something special when your surroundings are giving you much of the material needed to build. What a lovely spot to put up a building that resembles its surroundings.

When you think back on the seven days, what do you hope people took away from the course? Not just in terms of skills, but also their mindset for future projects?

I hope people look to the natural materials that are local to them to construct their buildings. The course participants should feel confident to design a structure based on those materials and set out to build something they are proud of. 

Participants on the Portugal edition learned the construction basics though at all Build School sessions 

What were the stand-out moments for you and the team over the week? 

I enjoy being a part of a team who thrives on at problem solving. We landed on site without all of our familiar tools and used what we had available to create a building and an worthe educational experience for our course participants. 

And finally, what’s next for Build School? Do you think you’ll be back in Portugal again, or continue working with Jardim do Mira?

The project with Jardim do Mira was a success. Our aim is always to empower people to be self-builders and problem solvers. I look forward to finding other regions with interesting problems and using local resources to overcome them. Thank you Jardim do Mira for trusting us with this project.  

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