Straw Bale Homes & SIPs
From: Rod Lambert (rodecovillage.ithaca.ny.us)
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:01:02 -0700 (PDT)
Sharon,
Almost the entire 2nd neighborhood of 30 units was built with SIPs here. We 
also built 2 straw bale homes. The straw bale homes were by far the most 
expensive. Most builders of straw bale homes say, as I understand it, that you 
should not build with straw bale to save money. It's certainly my opinion. 
However they are beautiful homes, loved by their owners, with a minimum of 
petroleum derived products.
I am quite happy with the SIP homes although I wouldn't say it is significantly 
cheaper then frame.
I continued to spec them in the homes I designed for WhiteHawk ecovillage just 
south of Ithaca NY. The first residents have just moved in and are very pleased 
with how they perform.
Both these nbhds are built with a somewhat unique construction management process 
(allows for sweat equity and customization although it can also be a 
"call-me-when-it's-done contractual process) which I feel has worked very well. 
(The home just moved into at WhiteHawk was a 1240sf home for $110k + 40k common 
cost.)
It's a methodology which is somewhat contrarian to the conventional process having its own pluses and minuses but I continue to recommend it.
Rod
Development manager, design coordinator EcoVillage at Ithaca, NY


<<<Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2008 14:27:56 -0400
From: Sharon Villines <sharon [at] sharonvillines.com>
Subject: [C-L]_ Straw Bale Homes & SIPs
To: Cohousing-L Cohousing-L <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Message-ID: <B66BF788-8CEE-47B5-8387-C4FC601D4230 [at] sharonvillines.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes

I would like to hear from any households or communities that have straw bale homes. People talk about them from time to time but I don't think we've gotten any reports back.

Are you happy with them? What would you do differently? Were they really energy efficient and/or low cost? What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Same for SIPs.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing,Washington DC




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