Post by Jason Fifield
For the past several months Communitecture has been collaborating with James G. Pierson Structural Engineers and Timothy Kennedy of Vital Systems to design a load-bearing strawbale home in SE Portland. Among the many exciting aspects of strawbale construction is the opportunity to invite the community to participate. This Saturday, August 17th, our friends at City Repair are organizing a strawbale installation work party for this project. Often referred to as a "bale-raising", this is a great opportunity to learn about the magic of strawbale buildings and to get some hands-on experience. Check out City Repair's event page for more detail: https://cityrepair.org/calendar/2019/8/10/straw-bail-installation-workparty
Communitecture worked within the requirements of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code for strawbale construction, which include a height limit of approximately 10' for strawbale walls, no more than one story, and providing a substantial amount of solid wall area to accommodate lateral loads from wind and seismic forces. Metal mesh is applied over the stacked strawbale walls, which is then covered in 1 1/2" of plaster. The straw bales, mesh, and plaster work in combination to support the roof structure and to brace against wind and seismic forces. The result is a sculptural, natural building with reduced impact on deforestation, material processing, and toxins that are common with many modern construction methods.
See below for some in-progress construction photos and a sketch of the completed design:
Communitecture worked within the requirements of the Oregon Residential Specialty Code for strawbale construction, which include a height limit of approximately 10' for strawbale walls, no more than one story, and providing a substantial amount of solid wall area to accommodate lateral loads from wind and seismic forces. Metal mesh is applied over the stacked strawbale walls, which is then covered in 1 1/2" of plaster. The straw bales, mesh, and plaster work in combination to support the roof structure and to brace against wind and seismic forces. The result is a sculptural, natural building with reduced impact on deforestation, material processing, and toxins that are common with many modern construction methods.
See below for some in-progress construction photos and a sketch of the completed design:
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