A lot of people are excited about the idea of straw bale construction; however, they stumble a bit when it comes to estimating the cost of their potential home. I very often receive emails from people checking out plans on StrawBalePlans.com asking how much a specific plan will cost to actually build. That’s such a hard question to answer and here’s why.

Exactly what a project costs to build will depend so much on where it is built. This is because both labor and material costs vary greatly by region. A yard of concrete may cost $100 here in Oregon and that same yard can run upwards of twice that in other parts of the world. So how is someone supposed to make an informed decision about what plan to buy and what that plan might cost to build?

(more…)

I’m Paul Younger, an architect and associate with Hewitt Studios LLP in the UK. Our practice focuses on high-quality, non-traditional sustainable design – just because its green, doesn’t mean it has to be twee or old-fashioned!

Our practice approached by Herefordshire College of Technology to extend and refurbish the refectory facilities on their Holme Lacy agricultural campus to create a 100 seat student cafe.  In visiting the site and talking to the users, two things struck us: The first was the abundance of natural resources that the campus possessed (it is effectively a training farm, set in acres of fields and woodland), the second was the enthusiasm of the College staff and students to get involved.  It was agreed that, rather than just build an ‘extension’, the new project should be a social ‘hub’ at the heart of the campus. The College would be involved in the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of the building, using as many of their on-site ‘riches’ as possible.
(more…)

I am really excited to make this announcement. I have created an entirely new workshop focused specifically on the design aspect of straw bale construction. It’s really easy to miss key details during the design process that end up coming back to bite you during construction. I can show you how to avoid those issues and how to design your dream straw bale home with success.

Here are the general topics that I will cover during the 2 day workshop. Keep in mind that these are just the general outlines and that each topic has many sub-topics within it. For example, when I say “foundations,” that includes concrete slabs, raised floor foundations, basements, pier foundations, rubble trenches, earthen slabs, radiant floor heating, and more. To check out the full description of this workshop, please click here.

• Advantages of Building with Bales
• Mortgages and Insurance
• Foundations
• Framing Systems
• Engineering
• Electrical and Plumbing Considerations
• General Layouts and Design Considerations
• Working with subcontractors
• Material Selection for Your Floors and Walls
• Green Your Home Top to Bottom

 

I have heard from many people over the years that they need help designing their straw bale projects. I have worked with enough people and with enough sets of plans to see a common thread in mistakes and omissions. By focusing on the details necessary for quality design and by combining that with my years of experience in designing, building, and teaching straw bale construction, I have created a comprehensive workshop that will teach you everything you need to know about straw bale design. This is not to say that I can teach you how to be an architect or designer in two days, but I can teach you how to fully understand the impact of straw bales on your design and how to get the most out of your project.

This workshop will be held in Denver, Colorado October 20-21, 2012 at a Denver International Airport area hotel. This makes for easy access to the site from anywhere in the world! The hotel will provide shuttle service to and from the airport as well as a discounted room rate for those choosing to stay with us at the hotel. Breakfast is provided by the hotel to those guests staying with us. Lunch will be provided on both days and is included in the course fee. There is a restaurant in the hotel for participants to purchase dinner or they can choose from a number of area restaurants. The cost for this workshop is $399. Here’s the link to learn more about the workshop or to sign up today.

One more exciting detail about the workshop is that you will receive a copy of my upcoming book: A Modern Look at Straw Bale Design Details, co-authored with straw bale designer Chris Keefe of Organicforms Design. This book is not yet for sale, as it is brand new and still in production. Those attending the class will be among the very first people to receive a copy. The book is full of design elements and sections described clearly and drawn in detail. Discussions of critical aspects of the design process are also included. I hope you can join us in Denver and start designing the home of your dreams.

Notice that I use the words “straw bale design” in the title. That’s because good design alone is not enough. You have to incorporate all of the details that are specific to straw bale construction in your design to make it work. I see people design their homes either by themselves or with the help of a professional (non-straw bale architects and designers) and miss those straw bale specific details completely. This ends up costing them more during construction and often slows down the code approval process significantly.

There is no sense in trying to figure out straw bale design on your own or in asking an architect or designer to make assumptions about what will or will not work. Instead, take the time to learn how to do it right from the start. Conventional design alone will not get you there. You need to know how bales affect the design process and to account for those adjustments.  For example, in conventional construction wall heights are typically determined by the stud size with standard ceilings at either 8’ or 10’. That’s not the case in bale construction and getting the height of the top plate right is essential to a solid bale wall. Having it too tall or too short will leave you with a weak and wobbly wall.

(more…)

If you live in a coastal area or mountain region, you probably have more experience with big wind gusts than someone living in a quiet little valley (except for those screamers that whip down the valley from time to time). The point is that wind is different wherever you go and building codes reflect those differences. Some areas in the United States, like Florida, Texas, and other Southern Coastal states, have to design their homes to withstand hurricane force winds while areas in Tornado Alley have to build their homes to handle twisters.

This morning I was looking through the internet in search of facts about straw bale construction and high winds and I was shocked to see that the hard data is far and few in between. This seems to be an area in which some studies have been done, with promising results, yet little follow up and publications exist. I hope that I am wrong with this assessment and that, in fact, there are studies and papers out there that I am missing. To that end, if you have any leads I should follow up on or if you know of specific resources in regards to high wind/straw bale studies, please let me know. The following is what I was able to discover and, like I said, it is very promising.

(more…)

When most people think of niche in straw bale walls, they picture the flat bottom, arched top nook with a statue or flower pot in it. I love that look myself and have made many of them. Recently, I had a workshop host who wanted something sweeter in their bedroom. The heart niche was the result of that idea. Made in the same steps as a typical niche, there’s nothing terribly different about it other than the shape.

What I want you to gather from this blog entry is that the only limitation to the niche you install in your project is your imagination. If you can think about it, you can most likely create it. That’s a great advantage of working with straw and plaster. So have it! Have fun and create beautiful things!

One thing that I have done in the past which can be fun is to combine a truth window with the niche. As an example, the heart niche here would have a glass back to it which would reveal the magic of the bale construction. It’s a cool way to bring some depth to any niche. Throw a couple built in shelves into the assembly and now you’ve got a useful and beautiful addition to the home.

Remember: Have Fun With It!

I’m looking for someone to build this specific cottage in a workshop. It’s an amazing design for one or two people to live in, or it can be used as a guest cottage, or even a B&B building. It is 475 square feet and has a sleeping loft and full home amenities including a full kitchen, bathroom , and washer dryer.

I hope to teach a workshop on the structure in September or October of this year, so I hope you have a warm and dry climate that time of year. If you’re interested, please review the hosting details on my workshops website and then contact me by leaving a comment here.

I currently have a few people interested in building this great cottage during a workshop, and I’m still open to hearing from more of you. If you think you have the perfect spot for this structure, please let me know right away so we can get things organized and officially released. If you’re one of the folks I have been talking with already, don’t worry, I still plan on discussing the details with you and being that we have already started our conversations, you have a head start and a “place in line.”

Below you can see the floor plans and the elevations for the cottage. Click on the images to make them bigger and easier to see. Use your “back” button to come back to this page once you have viewed the images.

Many people have recently asked me about landscape walls. As a result of those inquiries, I’ve drawn up a cross section of a landscape wall and rubble trench foundation for you to check out below. This is a basic design that can be used in most locations. Some building departments allow for rubble trench foundations within the codes while others are less accustomed to them. Be sure to discuss the potential to use this design before you commit to the design. You may need to make changes to the system or simply educate the building officials around the effectiveness of the rubble trench design.
(more…)

Everybody likes different things about their house. Some people love their bedroom layout, others like their kitchen design, some are even huge fans of their bathrooms. Okay, the last one may be a bit unusual, but perhaps there’s a reason for that. I’ve noticed over my years as a builder that certain things tend to get overlooked in design. One is lighting plans. Most designs tend to ignore the layout of lights in the house and simply throw some lights on ceilings and walls at the last minute to meet code requirements. This is a bummer as much opportunity is lost in this way. Another place where opportunity is lost is in bathroom design.
(more…)

This is pretty cool: a solid core interior door made out of straw. With other straw products on the market for some time now, I’m happy to see that some of the larger, more mainstream companies are picking up the ball. I hope they run with it and run the right way. The new doors were officially announced on Masonite’s website in February.
(more…)

Congratulations to the Battle Lake Design Group for their 2009 Urban Design Award for Merit which was presented by the city of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. Here’s a description of the project and what the judges had to say about it as presented on the City of Edmonton’s website.
(more…)

Lots of people want the look of adobe homes when they build with bales.  The biggest risk to that is in the inset window details.  If this detail is not properly constructed, there’s a good chance, not just a small chance, but a good chance, that you’ll end up with water damage beneath your windows.  I’ve posted a sketch of a quality flashing and construction detail for this application that will help you ensure water tight seals around your windows.
(more…)

I recently received an email from a woman looking for quality employment with an architectural firm that works in green design, especially straw bale. She sent me her resume and some sample projects and I was very impressed with both. She’s a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Austin with a masters in architecture. Prior to graduate school she worked at Daniel Smith and Associates (www.dsaarch.com) designing and building with straw bales.

If you’re interested in learning more about her, please comment here and I will get you in touch with her. Again, her work is very unique and beautiful, in my opinion.

First of all, I want to extend a word or two of support and sympathy for our brothers and sisters down under as the fires of a heat wave have torn through their beautiful land. Having personal experience with wildfire, I know the challenges and hardships they can create. Several years ago, a roughly six thousand acre fire was stopped on my doorstep, literally. The crews were able to steer the flames and squash them down into a manageable slot and snuff them out just a few hundred feet from the front of my house. We were evacuated at the time, and I remember the impact of the flames and smoke on my family and my animals. I remember having elk in my field, something that does not happen around here, because the smoke had flushed them out of the higher elevations. I can imagine what our brothers and sisters in Australia are experiencing and I send my emotional support out.
(more…)

It must be something in the air. I have received a bunch of emails about building landscape walls in the last week. This after a long drought of such questions. So, I guess it is time to talk about them again. The majority of the questions I have been getting are around the foundation system and the restrictions of building a landscape wall with bales.
(more…)

I was recently told about some new research results that have posted on line. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has just published a report authored by Colin MacDougall called “Effect of Mesh and Bale Orientation on the Strength of Straw Bale Walls“. The report is co-authored by Chris Magwood and Steve Vardy.
(more…)

The following post is somewhat outside the current series on How To Be Your Own contractor; however, I thought the content of the email question was good and the answer would probably serve more than just the man who asked it.
========================
HI ANDREW, I HAVE THE THREE PART DVD SET AND WAS TRYING TO GET THE BALL ROLLING ON A 30X35 GARAGE W/ BONUS ROOM ON TOP.THE INSPECTOR WANTS TO SEE ENGINEERED DRAWINGS. WHAT DO I DO? THANKS FOR NOW. ROB
========================
(more…)

The creation of your dream home starts long before you break ground. For most people, it starts in their imagination. Dreaming of the perfect house is fun and inspiring; however, all too often the end results are less fantastic than the initial dream. This is because the reality of construction costs and how they increase or decrease as a result of specific design elements are not often addressed in the dream stage. The video below discusses how creating an interesting design facade can actually increase the price of your house.
(more…)

I just received this email from a friend who is almost finished with his straw bale house. unfortunately, his house is not performing the way he would have hoped. As the email below says, there is still interior plastering, drywall taping, and caulking to complete. In addition, the foundation stem wall is not insulated which likely has a big impact on the performance. If any of you have personal experience with a situation similar to this, please comment here. Thanks.
(more…)

Today I received the following question and I thought it was worth sharing my response with you all. Here’s the question, my response follows:
“Well the time for using all this information is almost upon us. We are looking at a property at the moment to build on; however, it is quite a steep property. Do you have any ideas or photos of straw bale houses built on steep sites with out doing major earth work? Thanks in advance.
Regards Chris and Jenny”
(more…)