Bookings in the Straw Bale Cottage (above) and the Straw Bale Cabin have been well up during the summer. This is the Cabin’s fourth and best summer. I’d hoped to re paint and lime wash the exterior over the summer but there hasn’t been a gap between bookings – and still isn’t!!
Sam has been busy building too. Ben’s load bearing straw bale bungalow near Driffield is nearing completion. It’s been a good summer for straw bale building and the bungalow is looking really great.The interior now has most of its final coat of clay plaster on. It just needs to dry before the Earthborn clay paint, electrics final fix and plumbing can be done.
A straw bale building for organic farmers Tim and Caroline Sellers at Foston on the Wolds (see www.sideoven.com) is also well underway. The exterior lime render is complete and the first coat of clay has been applied to the inside. Spelt straw grown on the farm has been used for this building – definitely the first spelt straw bale building in the UK and very few worldwide I suspect. This is our first timber frame building. It’s good to have the roof firmly in place, keeping all our hard work dry but it is tricky fitting straw bales into a predefined space.
In mid August, I spent a few days with Rachel and Andrew Loader near Newmarket. They are building a timber framed straw bale house which can be seen at www.designedtobreathe.com . As well as super-insulated straw bale walls, this house has a limecrete floor without a damp proof membrane.
I'll post photos of all these projects soon (ish......given my recent posting history!!)
