All Posts Tagged With: "straw bale"

Heathcote is an intentional community located in Freeland Maryland just 30 mile north of Baltimore City. It sits on 112 acres some of which is in a community land trust the other owned by several community members. All of the houses and communal facilities are renovated farmhouses and old grain mills. Additional houses have been built using straw bale. There are many efforts within the community to use renewable resources and become energy independent. Whether you decide to live at Heathcote or just take part in one of there exciting permaculure classes you can always expect to enjoy and organic/ vegetarian meal(s), some of which is fresh from the garden, music, hiking, lounging in a stream-side hammock or helping out with some of the many natural building projects. Heathcote is a drug-free and smoke-free community and is currently looking for members. To find out more about everyday life at Heathcote one of its members has started a blog called Hippie Chick Diaries . You can also go to their website or take a visit to the farm.

One Planet,Ours! Sustainability for the 22nd Century is an outdoor interactive exhibition now on view until Oct. 13th, in the National Botanic Gardens in DC. The exhibit demonstrates a variety of examples of how systems of sustainability work with demonstrations of; solar cookie baking, a solar water pump, and rainbarrel catchment. You can also visit a strawbale house built by Baltimore’s very own Polly Bart , a strawbale construction specialist working with Builders without Borders . Other programs and lectures are scheduled throughout the exhibition run and are sponsored by non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and individuals who are leading efforts toward sustainable lifestyles.
View a slide show or press videos of the project through their website.

GreenBuilders Inc. is a general contractor in Maryland, specializing in remodeling, additions, and the use of straw bale construction when feasible. Polly Bart, PhD, founder of Greenbuilders, is also a LEED accredited professional , frequently working in that capacity as an advisor to general contractors.

They specialize in "not-so-big" construction design to reduce costs; non-toxic, natural materials which will are safe for families; one-of-a-kind handcrafted beauty in finishes and trims; and sensible heating and cooling plans which provide more comfort and save energy.

Greenbuilders recycles, reuses, and donates. Clients get the tax deduction and the satisfaction of knowing that their renovation isn’t sending valuable materials to the landfill. In fact, Greenbuilders does not use dumpsters at all!

Over the years, Julie Gabrielli has done a number of projects with Polly, much to the delight and satisfaction of her clients. Polly always brings practicality, common sense, honesty, great craftsmanship, and a deep care of the earth to her work.

Helicon Works is local architect and ‘green’ builder William Hutchinson. Specializing in environmentally-sensitive architecture and building practices Bill has accepted projects from Maryland and Virginia to Santa Barbara and Southern Baja. Bill designed and built his own house, which features straw bale walls, a living roof, solar pv, corn stove and is equipped with his own biofuel filling station. You can even take a tour of his home or get involved by taking a workshop. Visit the Helicon Works website for more info.