Ultimate Home Design magazine did a wonderful write-up of a project our company, Mountain View Construction, recently completed in Central California. With permission from the author, Paula Aiton, we're republishing it here so it will be accessible online. Enjoy!
Straw Bale Construction in Central California
By Paula Aiton
Reprinted from Ultimate Home Design
For homeowners Ira and Brady Rubin, building an energy-efficient home in Visalia, California had long been a dream for the couple and their family. Now a reality, the 3500 square foot home, built using straw bale wall construction, sits on five acres of land just outside of town with a sweeping view of the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains. In an area of Central California where agriculture is the primary industry, and the idea of hay or straw might be more vividly associated with livestock, this type of construction is becoming more and more popular as a means to achieve many goals, not the least of which is energy efficiency and fire protection.
For many years, the Rubin’s grown daughter, Daryn, had been reminding them, "There is only one issue: the environment!" When she and her husband, John, invited the Rubin’s to create a family home with them and their small children, the entire family embraced the concept of building a sustainable home. They considered a variety of sustainable materials: SIP panels, rammed earth, adobe and even discarded tires. In 2005, they participated in a straw bale workshop with the company, Real Goods, in which they built a small kiosk for a river-rafting company. After that experience they were "sold on straw bale," Mr. Rubin said.
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