Picture: BNPS

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.

Several years ago wind tests were performed on a straw bale wall in a wind tunnel similar to that described on the Nordic Wind Tunnel website. The test placed the equivalent of a 75 mile per hour gale force wind on the wall. In order to pass the test, the subject wall was not allowed to move more than 3/8″ from its original position. In the initial testing, the wall passed and, in fact, it did not move at all.  The test crew increased the wind load up to a gale force wind of 100 mph. Even with the increase in speed and force, the straw bale wall performed really well, moving only 1/16″, far below the limits provided for in the test.

In Serious Straw Bale, a book by Paul Lacinski and Michel Bergeron published in 2000, reference is made to a study performed in conjunction with the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in which hurricane force wind loads were applied to a test straw bale wall panel. The findings suggest that straw bale walls are vastly superior to conventional walls in resisting wind loads. The results showed that the panel withstood wind loads of 153 pounds per square foot (psf). This means that the straw bale panel could be rated at more than seven times a standard hurricane design load. That’s impressive!

As amazing as this all sounds, I think we need more. I would like to see more research done on the strength of straw bale walls and their ability to withstand high winds. We are seeing bigger hurricanes, more often here in the United States, and no one would likely deny that the same is true for tornadoes.  We may be sitting on a building technique that can protect thousands of people from the forces of nature and yet we are not in a position to take that technique to those who need to hear about it because we don’t have the scientific testing to back up our claims. It doesn’t matter how amazing these structures appear to be. We need to know without a doubt that they are as great as we believe and the only way to convince the “powers that be” in the construction world is through independent testing.

I offer you a call to action. Are you in a place to take part in that testing? Are you a professor or someone else with access to a wind tunnel? Do you have grant writing skills and/or the desire to headline this effort? There are so many things I want to do to increase the popularity of straw bale construction around the world, but I realize I just don’t have the time or ability to do them all. That’s why I’m asking for your help. If we can get the right people together and the right resources lined up, we can make this happen. It’s possible that the results of our efforts will help save lives in the future.

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 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.

One point around landscape walls and moisture. It’s really not that big of a deal if the bales get wet and ultimately rot out. That matters BIG TIME in a house, but a wall is just that, a landscape wall. The bales are not acting as insulation, they’re basically acting as forms for the plaster. Once the mesh is properly installed and you add 1 1/2″ of plaster to each side of the wall (all the way up and over actually), the bales can rot out without the wall collapsing. Of course, the overall strength of the wall is better with the bales in place, so protect them as best you can. Just don’t loose sleep over water getting in through a failed washer on a screw that attaches your wall cap. The wall will be fine!

picture from www.bathroomexchange.com.au

I’ll get things started. I love a simple bathroom, and I want lots of natural light in there. I don’t like having to turn on the power every time I go into my bathroom so that I can find my way across the room. I would like a LOT more natural light in the way of floor to ceiling windows (privacy glass of course and with proper orientation so that my neighbors aren’t watching our silhouettes all night and day) and skylights. I want a passive solar heated floor so that my feet are happy when I get out of the shower, but more so when I wake up in the morning and step on to the tile floor. A little passive solar storage would be great for that one. Also, easy cleaning: I want less design lines on my toilet so that less dust can settle. Clean, straight design lines are a must. Finally, I want a sauna and a steam in my bathroom. I sauna more than I shower these days, so having that at home rather than at the gym would be fantastic. How about you? What wisdom or wants can you share?

There is not any information, in terms of pictures and pricing, on the website yet about these doors. Because the announcement is still very young, I imagine the flow of these doors into retailers may be slow at first. I hope that the price is right on these doors, making them a good option for lots of people. Increased demand of such items will ultimately increase their production. How many of you remember when CD players first came out? They were expensive and pretty basic. Now look at what most CD players cost. In fact, the market is moving through and away from CD players as “something better” has come along. The point is, it was the demand for CD players that expanded the industry and ultimately created a new one. This is how I think the green movement needs to expand.

I’m hopeful that this product catches on and continues to advance the improvements of Green and healthy home construction for the masses, not just for those of us who are willing to look a little harder to find “the right stuff” to build with.

Project Description

The Mill Creek Flex Homes’ project purpose was to develop sustainable residential infill within the inner city. This three-unit, 2-story row housing fits into the City of Edmonton’s vision of higher urban density in the “core,” while complementing the existing neighborhood’s built form. The development’s location and proximity to local amenities increases the desirability and livability of the project.

The building design creates open, functional public and private interior spaces on a small footprint. It is designed and constructed to showcase a contemporary, modern straw bale building in an urban setting. Collaborative design solutions using straw bale technology were developed for the challenges of the Alberta climate.

Cement-lime stucco and vertical cedar siding create a contemporary exterior that embraces traditional building materials and techniques. Organic, textured straw bale walls, exposed structural wood and concrete, as well as extensive window use, form the basis of a design that includes simple yet functional finishes and emphasizes locally-produced materials.

The project incorporates many “green” technologies and ideas, including passive and active solar systems, roof-top patios, and green roofs. Zero and low volatile organic compound (VOC) finishes, and a breathable exterior envelope, contribute to a healthier interior environment.

Mill Creek Flex Homes provides pleasing, meaningful and sustainable alternatives to single-family homes while enhancing the existing character of Edmonton’s mature neighborhoods.

Jury’s Comments

- Very sensitive architecture and the most sustainable project submitted.
- A good example of sensitive infill in Edmonton’s mature neighborhoods.
- The project could have been even better had the applicant challenged the existing zoning and sited the building envelope closer to the public streets. Moving the buildings forward would create an active urban edge.
- We always encourage green roofs and are happy to see them included in this project.

According to Rob Tom of Kanata Ontario, Canada, “the project is short listed for a national urban design award and the first apartment owner reports her first two heating bills for this winter were $21 and $31.” That’s a pretty amazing start, especially considering how cold Edmonton is known to get in the winter. According to the City of Edmonton’s website, “The average winter temperature is -15º C. Low temperatures of -34º C occur on average three or four times per year.” Yikes! I think staying warm is definitely worth $21 and $31 per month!

Here’s a link to the company site if you’re interested in learning more about the project. www.millcreekflexhomes.ca

Once the window is installed, lay a large sheet of adhesive flashing (bituthene) over the window flange and out over the edge of the plywood base. Turn the edge of it down over the outer frame so that any water will drain directly to the plaster, not into the bales. Install the side adhesive flashing and then the window head flashing in that order. I prefer adhesive flashing all the way around. Finally, install a J-metal or custom metal flashing under (and around) the window to create a clean stop for the plaster. Use the bare minimum fasteners for this flashing. If possible, only nail it in two places, outside the window frame by extending the legs of the J-metal wider than the window but while keeping the J channel in line with the rest of the flashing around the window. In other words, the j channel should miter in the corners with the vertical pieces yet the nail plate of the bottom piece can extend out beyond the window frame. Sorry, that’s hard to describe and much easier to show in person at a workshop!

Although the image shows the J-metal out in front of the window flange and frame, it will actually be installed under the window so that water cannot drip in behind it. I had to “explode out” the view so it would make more sense. You can place a bead of clear caulk in the joint between the window and the flashing for extra insurance. Hope that all makes sense. As I said, it’s easier to show you in person than on a blog.

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.

Once again, I hope for rain and I send you thoughts of happiness and safety from up North.