May 18, 2026
Heidi's Herbal Retreat: Building Natural Community
Meet Heidi:
She’s an herbalist, a trained plant ecologist and the 2026 client for Yestermorrow’s Natural Building Certificate (NBC).
The Dream: Part teahouse, part herbal library—the space is intended to be a safe and comfortable community gathering place where visitors can stop by for complimentary tea, herbal knowledge and good vibes.
The Challenge: Students will have four weeks to build a small teahouse using natural building materials and techniques, led by a small team of experienced natural builders.
Nestled in the heart of the Mad River Valley is Vineyard Sound Herbs, a nearly four decades-old tea and herbal healing hub that migrated from the north shore of Martha’s Vineyard to Waitsfield in 2005. Locals may recognize Heidi’s work from her whimsical handmade product labels, or from her time spent as a prolific Mad River Glen telemark skier and instructor.
Heidi’s home is surrounded by impressive gardens full of flowers, native plants and beneficial herbs. Near the bottom slope of her property, the Mad River Path meanders by, offering trail enthusiasts a colorful view. Inside her small home (think: cozy witch’s cabin) the smell of chai spice, jasmine, mullein and old books lazily waft through the air. The bottom floor of her home is an apothecary, bursting with herbs and a library that is quite literally overflowing with books—hence the need for a new space. “I have naturalist, botany, soil, herbalist and organic gardening books and journals that I want to put into one building,” shares Heidi. “So it’s accessible for my apprentices, for me, and for visitors who come to visit my herbal apothecary and gardens to reference from.” Heidi’s dream is to provide a space for those who wish to have a quiet moment, and to spread her knowledge about the many therapeutic and healing benefits of the plants that grow all around us.
Heidi approached Yestermorrow with her project idea—which has been years in the making—as soon as she heard about the NBC. “I want to be more gentle on the earth…it just seems like the natural way to go is to work with earth materials,” she says. The project will feature walls built from Straw Structural Insulated Panels (S-SIPs), an emerging product that offers the performance of modern building materials without sacrificing sustainability. S-SIPs have been proven to be highly effective in the New England climate, offering excellent thermal insulation at a reasonable cost. After building the walls, or ‘bones’ of the structure, students will move onto the ‘skin’ of the structure: plasters. Using easily accessible and natural materials like clay and lime, students will create and apply a beautiful and high performance surface that is breathable, healthy, infinitely repairable and will protect the teahouse for years to come.
The teahouse's location on the Mad River Path will be a boon to the local community. Heidi plans to connect her teahouse and gardens to the public trail via a stone stepping path. If her ‘open’ sign is out, then consider that an invitation to have some tea, talk to an herbalist, or just read a book in the garden. “Our tea tastings are on the house,” says Heidi. “I feel that what's important in this world is to connect people with plants.”
This is what Yestermorrow is all about: bringing architecturally interesting ideas to life, exploring innovations, learning by doing, community building, and being gentle on the earth all the while. Students of this year's natural building certificate can expect good vibes, new skills, vital community building and many jobsite tea breaks.