That is quite a quote from a professional appraiser, and while it says a lot about the magic and love built into this home, in this case it barely scratches the surface. This house is truly special.

I have worked on a number of straw bale building projects, and each of them is different, with different ideas and approaches to design and application.  At these building parties, sort of like, I imagine, an old barn raising would be, you meet people from all walks of life interested in this somehow, most human of building techniques. Maybe it is the new friends that come together to build. Maybe it is the well, “play”, stacking building blocks and making mud patties, reminding us of the fun we had as kids. With the simple hand tools and natural materials, anyone can help. Perhaps it is the final construction, with its quiet, solid, womb-like walls, with hand shaped deep-set windows and doors.

Each straw bale home is built with a different set of goals; some people want to live in a place that feels like a castle, solid and thick. Some are looking for low impact on the rest of the world. Some people build with natural materials for the personal health benefits.  Many straw bale builders are looking for super-efficiency, and long-term conservation. Straw bale building can do all of these things and more.

Take a look at a few of these beautiful pictures. This house in the foothills of California’s High Sierra Mountains.

This home is as beautiful as any home I have ever visited, including Versailles. Pictures can’t do justice to this home, and they can’t tell the level of detail that went into the design and the building. One of the features of this fine house is the impeccable indoor air quality, this house has NO PAINT, and NO VOC’s the hand formed woodwork is finished in natural oils and wax, the walls are plastered with imported lime plaster, for a finish that actually gets harder and stronger as time goes on.

I will expound on the wonders of lime plaster in later posts, just understand this house has no paint on it. No paint to flake, blister, fade, or release toxic chemicals.

With the 2 kw. Photo-voltaic solar array, the passive solar design, and the solar water heater system, think about having annual energy bills that look like a standard built home’s monthly bills. I visited this home last week, mid August. It does not have, nor does it need air conditioning. Open the house at night, close in the morning and the R45+ walls, and UnaClad anodized aluminum (80+ year lifetime, 25% recycled, and recyclable) roof take care of staving off the temperature changes.

The finest design went into this home. Everything from Frank Lloyd Wright’s rules to Christopher Alexander and team’s Pattern Language, and so much more went into the thinking on this house. All sight lines were intentionally placed. Each room breaks down into three-inch measurements and the golden ratio is incorporated throughout the design.

Can a house be all things to all people? Of course not. But his home can be building as art, and art as life. 

Please contact me if you would like to see this masterpiece of hand-built, healthy and green homebuilding. I will be doing a local tour of as many straw bale homes in the area as I can in the next few months. Right now I have five, that number will grow. If you know of anyone who is looking to buy a magic and spectacular,  healthy and green home, this one is for sale! Please give me a call or drop me and email. To see a bit more on this beauty visit  www.strawbaledreamhome.com