Hello from Maine

I'm hip to building a straw bale cottage like here :

http://www.balewatch.com/

Have any of you built a straw bale house like those?

Thanks,
Craig

Are you talking about "pine tree" straw to build your cottage? The same kind of straw I put into my flowerbeds here in the deep south, here in coastal Mississippi? I've never heard of such.

Straw bale homes are normally built with wheat straw.  I have not heard of anyone using pine straw.  Caution:  Never use hay.  It will rot.  I know of only one home that was built with bahia hay and it developed a strong odor before the homeowner moved in.

Hey that's good to know :) Thanks

I was thinking of buying some land in the country, building a small "guest house" first, then expanding by building a larger house and other buildings on the property.

Maybe building another affordable structure like a barn or an A-frame as a workshop (I like to build stuff) And a little building as a computer shop (I build and fix home computers).

But first a small guest house just for my daughter and I to live while I accumulate more bucks to build more structures.

Then later I could build a house for her :)

That's my fuzzy idea for the future anyway.

I thought about this one :

http://www.balewatch.com/680.html

But with windows added like an EarthShip, the big spaceship style windows that heat a house even when it's cold and and not especially bright in Maine Winters.

What do you guys think of my plan?

Is there anything better than straw bale for similar cost? At first I liked Earthsips but I am concerned about the toxicity of tires. With a straw bale adobe that is passively solar heated I feel it's affordable to live in and works with nature rather than against it.

In Maine most folks have regular homes and have to spend at least a thousand bucks each winter just to keep them warm, otherwise they'd freeze. I'm really hip to building a house that works with nature instead of against it with passive solar heating :) And may be eventually with solar and wind generated electricity.

There is also a straw bale EarthShip plan :

http://www.balewatch.com/990earth.html

I just don't know a lot about environmental architecture so I am kind of clueless. I am reading a book from David Wright AiA and he was e-mailing with me but seemed to quickly lose interested when he found out I was not a richy-rich. His books from the 70's don't resemble his current attitude. I really like the funky architecture from the 70's :)

Thanks :)
Craig

My wife and I are looking into geodesic domes. (Timberline and Natural Spaces are 2 manufacturers we're looking at.) Sound very DIY friendly, strong and efficient. And certainly "funky."

Craig,

Yes I have built a straw bale home in Ontario, Canada. Lived in it for 5 years and was very happy and then work took me elsewhere. I sold it for a good profit so I am not sure I would take advice from anyone who hasn't sold one. Mine sold in one week to....an architect. There are people out there looking for alternative building construction and many do not have the heart or time to do it. Yes they are fewer than those looking for traditional stick construction but you can still sell if you need/want to. I built something like the 'Cube/Square' that is on the website you referred to however mine house was approx. 1200 sq. ft. It had three bedrooms, two full baths, was on a slab foundation with primary heat of a Jotul wood stove (they work very well) and backup electrical (not baseboard, wall radiators). The wood stove kept the house very warm and it was well insulated with 20" of cellulose in the ceiling. Overall the building was very simple as long as you do your homework and plan everything accordingly but that goes for any method of construction.

The only negatives that were my pet peeves was finishing details. Due to the nature of the curved walls it it is a challenge and I am not a finisher anyways. I have seen some very nicely finished straw bale homes on the web however so if you have that skill or pay someone, it can be done.