In 1980 a group of architect friends who wanted to “change the way people build houses and communities” founded a building and design school in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. They hoped by integrating design and craft they could inspire a new generation of builders by making classes very hands-on.

Today, the Yestermorrow Design/Build School offers 140 classes. They offer more conventional courses in stick-building, but also offer traditional/natural building classes like cob, straw bale, yurt-building. They look to the past, but their name is also a nod to the future (yesterday + tomorrow) and they also focus on more experimental stuff with classes like “fabric-formed concrete” and “hemp-crete”.

In this video, school director Kate Stephenson gives us a tour of the tiny homes and structures scattered across campus- all built by students- including an accessible treehouse, tiny house on wheels, straw bale cabin, cob wall, yurt, DIY solar setup, solar shower and composting toilet.