Wow! Over 60 of our friends showed up and raised the walls on our house.
If you're interested, please check out the pictures on the WALLRAISING page.

464 Strawbales, delivered December, 1999

In our search for a good material to structure an earth-friendly and comfortable house, we have learned about many techniques. While many approaches are good, building with strawbales (R-45 insulation, deep windows, quick wall raising) fits who we are and want we want to accomplish. By finishing with an earthen plaster and using adobe for flooring, we will be wrapped in the earth, and kept cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The design for the house utilizes passive solar ideas: big windows on the south, a thermal mass (flooring and earthen interior walls) and good insulation to keep in the temperature. The plans include an evaporative cooler and seven ceiling fans for the hot season. When it is cold, we will use radiant floor heating and a super-efficient freestanding wood-burning fireplace.

We will be sharing a well among three landowners, and may use renewable (solar panels, wind generator) energy in a few years. For now, we will be tied to the grid for electricity. We have a septic system that will allow us to include greywater usage in this dry land.

If you are curious as to why we chose strawbale, please check out the excellent sites listed at Surfin' Strawbale. If you are still curious, drop me a line or come out to the site.

Send email to: SoulBill@aol.com