A New Home Built with Straw Bale Construction
Our First Bale House
This green home isn’t as traditional as it looks: the innovative home is literally stacked with sustainable features.
This house’s cheery, gabled red roof looks right at home in its rural setting surrounded by farmland. Taking inspiration from older homes nearby, the house is designed with traditional forms to reflect local character and history.
Even more traditional, however, is the home’s construction — the homeowners wanted to build the house themselves, and they loved the idea of building it from straw.
Straw bale construction has a rich but somewhat hidden history, and only recently has it been revived as a sustainable alternative to modern building techniques.
Together with the homeowners, Terry Phelan hosted her first straw bale construction workshop during this build and participated in its assembly firsthand.
Local, Natural Materials
Straw bales from a wheat field just up the road from this home’s site stack between timber framing, awaiting natural plaster layers that will finish the walls. Our First Bale House | Photo by Terry Phelan.
Local, Natural Materials
Straw bales from a wheat field just up the road from this home’s site stack between timber framing, awaiting natural plaster layers that will finish the walls. Our First Bale House | Photo by Terry Phelan.
Biodegradable Buildings
Straw bale structures can stand for a century, but if they ever come down, the plaster and metal can be recycled, and decomposed timber and straw can be tilled back into the soil. Our First Bale House | Photo by Terry Phelan.
Biodegradable Buildings
Straw bale structures can stand for a century, but if they ever come down, the plaster and metal can be recycled, and decomposed timber and straw can be tilled back into the soil. Our First Bale House | Photo by Terry Phelan.
Bales of straw (a material otherwise seen as a byproduct) are stacked atop each other inside a timber frame to create and insulate the walls. Groundwater is prevented from reaching the straw through careful application of a vapor barrier at the foundation before natural plaster creates a breathable finish both inside and out. Though low-tech, this method of building creates a heavily insulated, biodegradable structure that gains and releases heat slowly, keeping it cooler in summer and warmer in winter than a typical home.
Even in extreme temperatures, the home stays comfortable with a geothermal heat pump. By drawing or dispersing heat several feet below ground instead of from the air, this system isn’t dependent on a moderate climate to work efficiently. By orienting the home to take advantage of its great solar access, the walls can absorb and hold warmth from the sun even in winter.
Green Gables
Though the metal roofs are red, these straw bale structures are environmentally green. Our First Bale House | Photo by Catherine Wanek.
Green Gables
Though the metal roofs are red, these straw bale structures are environmentally green. Our First Bale House | Photo by Catherine Wanek.
Long-Lasting Comforts
Wide paths and minimal, low steps will still be welcoming at any age. Our First Bale House | Photo by Catherine Wanek.
Long-Lasting Comforts
Wide paths and minimal, low steps will still be welcoming at any age. Our First Bale House | Photo by Catherine Wanek.
Despite the rustic materials of the structure, the level of finish inside is elevated, with custom casework and thoughtful use of space. Straw bale walls lend a surprising beauty with a signature curve around windows and doorways, and their thickness makes windowsills into seats perfect for perching. Natural materials like wool carpeting and mill-end wood floors were also chosen for their earth-conscious features.
In considering accessibility and aging-in-place, most of the the home’s space is at ground level, and the stairs are interrupted midway by a landing that makes them easier to ascend. With a host of energy-saving features and the natural beauty of its setting, this house will be a comfortable, sustainable home for years to come.
Notes & Credits
Photography by Terry Phelan and Catherine Wanek.
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