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Hi folks,<br>
<br>
A question or two from Alex Wilson, who some of you know. If you
don't, see<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www2.buildinggreen.com/about/people/alexwilson">http://www2.buildinggreen.com/about/people/alexwilson</a><br>
<br>
I attempted to write a brief synopsis here of his contributions to
improving the built environment starting way back before "green" was
a word that went with "building," and failed utterly. Suffice it to
say that he's more than earned our most thorough and considered
responses. Please be sure to CC him at <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:alex@atwilson.com">alex@atwilson.com</a><br>
<br>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>My cousin Allyn is considering building a
timber-frame/straw-bale house on a piece of land he owns in
Alberta, Canada. It is land adjoining his sister's ranch in the
foothills of the Rockies of southwestern Alberta. He wants to
build it really cheaply and was thinking that he might save
money by avoiding a full perimeter foundation--and going with
piers or something like that. But I don't see how he would
support the straw-bale walls in this case.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Any thoughts on that? Have you ever heard of someone doing
that?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Any resources I might recommend to him on building a low-cost
timber-frame/straw-bale home? Or any really neat designs you've
seen?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The Chinook winds there are wicked, so I think a rugged
timber frame is an absolute must with straw-bale. Right near the
ranch, they've recorded a <u>full week</u> where the steady
wind <u>never dropped below 60 mph</u> and a full hour where
the steady wind never dropped below 100 mph!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>My cousin Lucy (Allyn's sister, who owns the ranch), with her
then-husband, built a timber-frame with in-fill straw-bale walls
maybe 25 years ago, and as far as I know it's working great. The
bale walls are a huge benefit in sound deadening. With the very
strong Chinook winds in the spring, the constant noise of the
wind can drive people crazy--literally. The suicide rate goes up
in that region, apparently, when it's really windy and people
speculate that noise is the main factor.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions you can share.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Hope you are well.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Cheers,</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>-Alex</div>
<div><br>
<div>
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<div>39 Leonard Road</div>
<div>Dummerston, VT 05301</div>
<div><i>On sabbatical from
BuildingGreen, Inc.
through November, 2011</i></div>
<div>802-257-0019 (H)</div>
<div>802-579-4858 (C)</div>
<div><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.atwilson.com">www.atwilson.com</a></div>
<div>Twitter: <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://twitter.com/atwilson">http://twitter.com/atwilson</a></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><i>"Anyone who believes
exponential growth can
go on forever in a
finite world is either a
madman or an economist."
Kenneth Boulding, circa
1980</i></div>
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</span></div>
</span></div>
</span></div>
</span></div>
</span></div>
</span></div>
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</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
Strawbale on piers is doable. It's a reasonable choice for
budget-minded owner-builders, especially if they have big wood for
the floor sills as a readily available local commodity. The thing
with that scheme is dealing with the floor insulation.<br>
<br>
It's easy enough to calc spans using common charts based on
estimated weight. Considering his local soil qualities may be
important.<br>
<br>
I think the best owner-builder designs are the simplest ones. Keep
it simple and well thought through. Don't wanna be building some
fancy folly for years to come; get it over with and get on with
life. He might enjoy looking around <a
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.balewatch.com">www.balewatch.com</a><br>
<br>
With your permission I'd like to forward the pertinent parts of your
note to a small email list populated with a raft of strawbale
hotshots.<br>
<br>
I hope the sabbatical is doing wonders.<br>
<br>
<br>
Mark<br>
<br>
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