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21 oct. 2025
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Séjour min. souhaité : Au moins deux semaines
Infos
Description
Join Our Eco-Artistic Journey!
Three and a half years ago, I stumbled upon a slice of paradise—a sun-drenched plot in the enchanting village of Dereköy, near Aydın, crowned with a thriving olive grove. As a fine artist (painter, sculptor, and author of a book on handmade paints), I saw more than just land—I saw a canvas for sustainable living.
Breathing new life into a crumbling 200-year-old Turkish mud house, I carefully restored its soul while honoring its history. Now, I’m crafting a brand-new eco-home from the earth itself—wood, straw bale, and lime plaster form its bones, while floors of clay and cow manure (yes, really!) keep it grounded. The perimeter wall rises using the ancient ‘Rammed Earth’ technique—the same method that built the Great Wall of China—and not a speck of cement in sight.
So far, a workshop and a whimsical strawbale roundhouse have sprung from these principles, with an art studio soon to follow. Over 200 Workawayers have already joined this adventure, lending their hands and hearts to the vision. With their help, I hope to complete this dream within a year.
Want to be part of something extraordinary? We’re now outfitting the pottery studio, crafting potters’ wheels, and building a wood-fired kiln—lessons will begin soon! Once the art studio and gallery open, I’ll teach painting, sculpting, and even how to make your own paints. Beyond art, our little farm thrives: seven buzzing beehives (beekeeping lessons included!), six egg-laying ducks, and a flourishing vegetable garden. Plus, our aquaponics system—fed by duck pond water—grows organic greens in perfect harmony. Soon, a donkey and goats will complete the family.
This is more than a project—it’s a hands-on school for sustainable living. Whether you’re drawn to natural building, organic farming, or creative arts, you’ll learn by doing, surrounded by like-minded souls.
As a member of the ‘European Straw Building Association’ and the ‘UK’s School of Natural Building’ (founded by Barbara Jones, the legendary strawbale pioneer), I’m deeply rooted in eco-construction. Now, I invite you to dig in, get inspired, and help grow this magical haven in Dereköy.
Come for the experience—leave with skills, stories, and maybe a little clay between your fingers!🌿🎨🐝
Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre
Bénévolat
Projets artistiques
Pratique d’une langue
Aide avec des éco-projets
Enseignement
Jardinage
Bricolage et construction
Aide dans une ferme
Cuisine/repas pour la famille
Aide à la maison
Accueil / tourisme
Entretien général
Aide informatique/internet
Centres d’intérêt
Livres
Vidéographie
Technologie
Dev. durable
Dev. personnel
Animaux de compagnie
Ferme
Culture
Bénévolat
Écriture
Soin des plantes
Photographie
Musique
Histoire
Jardinage
Dessin et peinture
Bricolage / artisanat
Cuisine et alimentation
Menuiserie
Blogs
Art et design
Architecture
Animaux
Activités en plein air
Sports d'équipe
Nature
Fitness
Cyclisme
Camping
Plage
Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre
Travellers will learn about architecture, sustainable building practices and culture, and languages. In the future once all the construction work is completed, I will be teaching art, pottery, bee keeping, animal husbandry, environmental sustainability living whilst having loads of fun
Aide
All students are welcome, from architecture, arts, historians, crafts, carpentry, veterinarians, linguists (English, and Afrikaans is spoken by the host), if you have any other skills please enquire.
Langues
Langues parlées
Anglais: CourantCet hôte propose un échange linguistique
Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il souhaitait faire partager sa propre langue ou en apprendre une nouvelle.
Contactez-le pour en savoir plus.
Hébergement
Various types of accommodation anre available on the project site. There are 2 double rooms available with 2 toilets and showers. In good weather additional accommodation will be provided in the form of a 4man tent.
Autres infos...
We are 25 km from the ancient city of Ephesus and 8km from the ancient city of Magnesia. The Aegean Sea is only an 26 km away from Dereköy, where unspoilt beaches will welcome you. Izmir International airport is less than an hour away.
Informations complémentaires
Accès Internet
Accès Internet limité
Nous avons des animaux
Nous sommes fumeurs
Familles bienvenues
Possibilité d’accueillir les digital nomads
Cet hôte a indiqué qu’il aimait accueillir les digital nomads.
Espace pour garer des vans
No size limit, any campervan is acceptable
Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux
Cet hôte a dit qu’il acceptait les personnes voyageant avec un animal.
Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?
Plus de 2
Mes animaux
Zeytin (5 ans)
Mixed breed small dog
Duke and Duchess with 4 more younger ducks (6 mois)
Domestic ducks
Kerpiç (3 ans)
Mixed breed small dog
Discutez avec des workawayers qui ont séjourné chez cet hôte
Feedback (25)
I stayed for three weeks and learned a lot about natural building and carpentry, especially the straw-bale structures, even though most of my contribution was in helping Herman with his… read more
I'm really glad to hear that they valued the hands-on experience with the straw bale construction and enjoyed working with… read more
Photos
Discutez avec des workawayers qui ont séjourné chez cet hôte
Feedback
Ce sont des évaluations supplémentaires en option lorsque les membres laissent un feedback. La note moyenne pour chaque option est affichée.
Exactitude du profil:
(4.6)
Échange culturel:
(4.5)
Communication:
(4.4)
I stayed for three weeks and learned a lot about natural building and carpentry, especially the straw-bale structures, even though most of my contribution was in helping Herman with his… read more
I'm really glad to hear that they valued the hands-on experience with the straw bale construction and enjoyed working with… read more
Dereköy is a really peaceful and quiet village, and I stayed there for two weeks and enjoyed a relaxing time. I had a good time with host Herman, architect Tanju, Workawayers Lucile and Jim. Dogs Zeytin and Kerpiç and ducks are really cute! I usually worked from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (worked 5… read more
Herman took really care of us like family members. I felt very welcomed there. We had our meals together and went also shopping together to the market with the other workawayer Lucille. The work and free time was in a right balance.… read more
First of all I thank Herman and Tanju to accept me, because I sent a lot of messages to hosts but only this host accepted me and I get happy. I had sometimes free healthy and delicious food and always a clean bedroom. It was one of the best experiences for me to… read more
Hyeon was a fantastic addition to our team of Workaway volunteers. He picks up new skills quickly and is always willing to put in extra effort. He collaborated seamlessly with the group, clearly enjoying their company—and they loved having him around. While there were some initial communication… read more
This was my first workaway experience. I decided to work at Hermann and Tanju’s house because I thought that I would be able to learn about architectures, how to use tools, and communications. However, I learned much more things from this experience. I met wonderful people from Canada and England and I could communicate while… read more
There was a different job almost every day, from clay to stone and woodwork. We always received great guidance and were given a lot of freedom while working.
Even after work, we had a well-equipped workshop with lots of tools and plenty of wood and other materials at our disposal and we had the… read more
From the very beginning, Dana was deeply engaged in the project, showcasing… read more
Thank you Herman and Tanju for everything, we wish you all the best and hope to come back one day :).
Herman is a passionate and very interesting host. He welcomed me very well, in an organized way, and was very generous. His project is very rich and interesting. I carried out a wide variety of tasks in a pleasant environment. The village is charming, in the heart of the olive groves, and its… read more
The project is very unique and shows his creative vision...he is appreciative of… read more
