Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: straw bale and co-housing

[Strawnet (Strawnet]

In response to a query by Dan Everett of the Kinney Ridge Community in
Athens, GA:

Dear Dan

I'm glad to see so much interest in sustainable development/building on this
list.  Of course, I like the interest in straw bale also.  Well, it sounds
like you are headed in the right direction with your plannig ideas.

As far as code issues go, I'm not intimately familiar with the situation in
Georgia, however, I know that Habitat for Humanity is interested and was
planning to build a straw bale house -I think in Americus. I'd give them a
call and find out if they've had to deal with code issues yet and what their
experience is. Looking at the last map of where straw bale buildings are in
the US, Georgia, along with Mississippi, Louisiana, and South Carolina, are
without sb buildings.  YOU COULD BE FIRST!

I'm not sure what influence it might have where you are, but over in
Huntsville, Alabama there's a two-story straw bale mansion that was built in
1936-38.  It is the Burritt Mansion/Museum, and it is open to the public, I
believe. Also, check out the article on pages 62 - 65 of the October issue of
Architecture Magazine. Nice little piece on a straw bale house built for an
elderly couple in Mason's Bend, Alabama by Samuel Mockbee's Architecture
Studio at Auburn University. He might be another good contact for code
information - at least in the region.  Also, Twyla Ard has gotten two
strawbale buildings permitted in Santa Rosa County Florida. So it is
happening around there.

I can't remember at this late hour if I've posted resource info on this list
- The Last Straw, Out On Bale, Build It With Bales, The Straw Bale House,
etc.  If not, I'll try to get that done tomorrow sometime.  I just realized
how late it is here, and I'm going to bed.  I've got a slide presentation and
talk about straw bale construction to give at noon tomorrow, make that today,
to the Arizona Energy Engineers Association meeting. Please let me know if
you need that info.  I'm going to post this to the whole list, assuming
you'll get it.

Subscribe to The Last Straw - a quarterly journal of straw bale construction,
that is THE source for up to date info.  $28/yr from Out On Bale, 1037 E.
Linden St., Tucson, AZ 85719, (602) 624-1673.  Also, our book, The Straw Bale
House, by David Bainbridge, Bill and Athena Steen and me, is due out this
week.  Published by Chelsea Green Publishing Co. in Vermont, should be
available in bookstores or from Out On Bale, or from me.  8" x 10" paperback,
330 pages, 16 pages of color photos, 250+ b&w photos, 45 illustrations, very
comprehensive - and beautiful - should help convince building officials,
lenders, insurers, etc, that this is legit. List price is $30 plus postage &
handling +-$5.
I'll know for sure when I have the book to weigh etc.
More soon,
David Eisenberg