All Posts Tagged With: "strawbale"

The musician owners of a 1960s-era house are planning extensive renovations to the living spaces on the first floor. They are committed to using low-impact, non-toxic, sustainable materials. They also desire to wean themselves off fossil fuels, so energy efficiency is a high priority.

As part of a long-range master plan by Gabrielli Design Studio , the first phase was a small addition to the kitchen. Built by Greenbuilders on the existing foundation of a dilapidated screened porch, the structure is post-and-beam with infill strawbale walls and fiberglass-clad windows . The green (planted) roof drains to a chain drain and a rain barrel.

The new room brings daylight deep into the kitchen, while sweeping views upwards along a steep hillside to the sky. The straw walls are clad in lime plaster, the floor is the existing concrete, finished with a natural, plant-based stain and beeswax.

The next phase was going to be a kitchen renovation. But the new room has changed the character of the existing kitchen so dramatically, the owners may not need to renovate it for a long time.

Working with this family has been an inspiration. During the year we worked together on this project, they also chipped away at wasteful practices all around the house. Using tips from friends and from green websites such as Lime , they reduced their electricity use by 64%! What a difference a little curiosity and a lot of motivation can make in a household’s budget, as well as the health of our planet.

Furbish Company is a sustainable building company specializing in, living roofs, biofilter walls and vegetated retaining walls. Some projects include a living roof installation for a South Baltimore BP filling station and the conversion of an old convenience store warehouse turn modern industrial office space. Located in Brooklyn Park not far from I-95 Luckys “utilizes a modern hydronic energy system for heating and cooling vs. the traditional ducted, forced air system.” How to rent office space and more about Luckys go to: http://www.awebpub.com/furbish/luckys.html
Other projects have included one of the largest straw bale structures on the east coast, maxing out at 27,000 sqft. Commissioned by the Friends Community School and located in College Park, MD the building is post and beam with all exterior walls filled with highly insulated straw bale, delivered from a local farm. To protect and fire proof the straw a lime stucco was used for the outside while a hand mixed earthen wall was made for the inside, 60% of which was used from material found on site.