MotherJones MA93: Huff and puff-proof homes
|
|
Timber industry officials aren't too impressed, but there's a new kind of home on the range, and it's made out of straw.
Straw homes are fire-resistant, energy- and resource-efficient, and unusually quiet. They can stand up to big storms, big rats, and, yes, big bad wolves. Best of all, they're cheap--a do-it-yourself, three- bedroom place can go for as little as $10,000--and their earthy, Pueblo-style design lends them a kind of utilitarian chic.
We wouldn't call straw-bale construction a major trend yet, as there are less than a hundred such homes nationwide, mostly in Arizona and New Mexico. But given the soaring costs of traditional wood home- building, straw homes are suddenly looking like a smart option.
Straw-wall construction is ridiculously simple. For a modest, 2,000- square-foot house, you get about three hundred bales of straw (approximately $1,200), invite a few neighbors over for a "wall- raising," and skewer the bales onto steel beams, like giant shish kebabs stuck into the ground. Once the more difficult (and expensive) parts of the job are finished--like standard roofing, wiring, and plumbing--you just slap on some drywall and move in. The biggest challenge, straw builders say, is winning a building permit from skeptical city bureaucrats.
But at least custom detailing is easy. We watched one builder stroll around a house, cutting out niches for windows and ledges with a chain saw. "If you're off a little," he explained, "you just kick it."
For more information, contact Out on Bale Unlimited in Tucson, Arizona: (602) 624-1673.
