A week ago I opened up the Workaway app, punched in 'find hosts near me', and the first hit was an off-grid fablab/farm looking for volunteers to help build geodesic greenhouse domes, DIY thermosyphon solar hot water heaters for the treehouse, and troubleshoot CNC machines in the container stack workshop.
Well. I messaged the host Lucio immediately and a few days later found myself walking up a dirt road in farm country outside Lagos. I knew I’d arrived when I crested the ridge and saw a geodesic dome greenhouse and a pile of shipping containers.
There are about ten other workawayers here, mostly German, a high percentage of engineers, and many vanlifers. Two caravans, a van, and a Land Cruiser with a rooftop tent are scattered across the 22 hectare property. There are sleeping accomodations in an old caravan, the Treehouse (where Jean the French ME grad and I bunk up), and canvas tents if necessary.
One container is full of computers and 3d printers. The other is taken over by a 2mx2m wood CNC machine. The two top ones are materials storage. There is a work-in-progress laser CNC in a canvas tent nearby. The machines are all of Lucio’s own custom design.
The workawayers kitchen.
There is a ramshackle kitchen building for the workawayers separate from the main house. We trade off making dinner for the group, and see after ourselves for breakfast and lunch.
The typical Workaway functions like this: volunteers come and work for 5 hours a day, five days a week. In exchange they get a place to sleep and food. It’s a fantastic way to travel inexpensively, meet local people and other travelers, and find something interesting to do.
There is no lack of interesting things to do here on the fabfarm. It’s actually almost overwhelming.
My current main project is to design and build a DIY thermosiphon solar hot water heater for the treehouse bathroom, which is something I’ve wanted to do for years. Jean is designing and building a new, much larger geodome greenhouse that will also function as a Bobcat and Land Rover repair shed. In a bit I might start a rocket stove heater for the computer shed.
I’m also learning new things at a rate that makes me concerned I won’t retain it all. I had an idea that I’d process and integrate as I go, but I think the only thing I can do is attempt to record as much of it as possible and sort it out later.
I’m designing and modeling for 3d printing for the first time, cooking for 12 people for the first time, learning to build a fire in a pizza oven and bake bread in it, communicating with parts suppliers and gearbox specialists for the first time, as well as experiencing working and living with 10-14 people from all over Europe.