Web Links & Resources 

The Last Straw

A world wide quarterly resource guide with articles from owner/builders, and professional architect, designers, builders sharing their straw bale building experience. Please support by joining these passionate, working for free, group. It's only $28/year and with their help everyone has an opportunity to learn and share their journey with natural building.

www.strawhomes.com

The Northwest Eco-Building Guild

The Northwest Eco Building Guild, founded in 1986 is a nineteen year old non–profit educational organization, located through out Washington including local chapters in Oregon, Idaho & Montana. A group of professional designers, builders, architects, developers, city planners, and citizens choosing to learn & educate about sustainable green building. The Guilds Mission statement is:

"Our Mission is to function as an educational forum to facilitate building practices that protect human health, encourage sustainable resources use, and foster long-term economic vitality".

Please join us to make a healthier world for our children and posterity.

http://www.ecobuilding.org/join/

Thermal Solar Heating

Advanced solar technologies have been developed in Europe due to relatively high fuel costs and pressing concerns for the environment. Thermomax is a world leader in this field and has perfected a revolutionary solar collector that is two to three times more efficient, on an annual basis, than the flat-plate collector systems we are familiar with in North America.

Contact B.C. Distributor of Thermomax

Also try Heliodyne they carry the flat plate designed collectors. Residential solar hot water packages modular, proven for many years, certified, easy to install.

http://www.heliodyne.com/
 

Photovoltaic Systems & Alternative Power Source

Power Trip Energy Company will help you implement these renewable energy systems and is capable of contributing to your project in all phases from initial planning through implementation and performance tracking.

Go to www.powertripenergy.com

Roaming Stucco Companies

Washington State, Idaho, Montana, Oregon as well as British Columbia, Alberta and the Yukon Territory.

Sustainable Works
Habib John Gonzalez
615B Cedar Street
Nelson, British Columbia
Canada VIL 2C4
tel/fax: 250.352.3731 email
 

Habib Gonzalez has been helping straw bale owner/builders with their bale installation and stuccoing work party projects by providing a Quick spray rig himself & a two man crew to operate the equipment.

For his work party instructions please email him at [habibg@netidea.com]

He has completed over 60 straw bale home projects and is instrumental in gathering moisture studies with cement based stucco through out Canada. An all around great guy to have on your project!

The Masonry Heater Association of North America

Masonry heaters store heat. Energy from a short hot fire is stored in the thermal mass and can provide heat all day long. It is by far the cleanest way to burn cordwood.

The main thing that distinguishes a masonry heater is the ability to store a large amount of heat. This means that you can rapidly burn a large charge of wood without overheating your house. The heat is stored in the masonry thermal mass, and then slowly radiates into your house for the next 18 to 24 hours.

If you burn wood fairly rapidly, it is a clean fuel. If you try to burn it too slowly, the fire will change from flaming to smoldering combustion. The burning process is incomplete and produces tars. Atmospheric pollution increases dramatically. This is important if you are planning an energy-efficient house. The average energy demand of your house will be quite low. For most of the time, it may require only 1 to 2 kW of heat. For most conventional woodstoves, this is below their “critical burn rate”, or the point where they start to smolder.

Masonry heaters fill the bill perfectly. If you need even a very small amount of heat, such as between seasons when you simply want to take off the chill, you simply burn a smaller fuel charge–yet you still burn it quickly. The large surface is never too hot to touch. You have a premium radiant heating system with a comfort level that simply cannot be equaled by convection or forced air systems.

Options: domestic hot water from a hot water coil.

For more information please go to

The Masonry Heater Association of North America
Beverly J. Marois, Administrator
1252 Stock Farm Road
Randolph
Vermont 05060, USA
Phone 802-728-5896
Fax 802-728-6004
bmarois@sovernet.com

Web site link http://www.mha-net.org/

Washington Straw Bale Homes

Port Townsend

Michael & Sandra Stowell Home in the Rose Wind Community is a beautiful load bearing home completed in 1999. It's the first load bearing home over a partial walk out basement that I've see.

We have a home! We even have homeowners insurance; this is quite a victory for a straw bale home. We are living here most comfortably, since we moved in 8/28/99, and it is still standing. Our moisture meter reads 0 at the four stations we bothered to test. We are still missing trim (baseboards in the hall, door trim in the laundry room, etc. We are slowly making progress with final paint colors; I have completed a three tone paint job in the main hallway, and a more complex flying geese wall mural over painted by glaze in the stairwell. Technically we are still endure an extended temporary occupancy permit, due to missing exterior door thresholds (well, the whole front porch!). Still, the house is truly home, and quite fabulous!

Visit: Michael & Sandra Stowell Straw Bale Home the wolves couldn't blow down.

http://www.firstraven.com/sstowell/House/house/.html

copy and paste on your web browser

Feng Shui Design

“...I just knew Gary would be perfect in designing my new office space to assure that it would attract prosperity, health, wealth, harmony and happiness, and I am not one who likes to take more chances than needed...His approach is organized, methodical and analyzed well before he advises any changes...” Michael D. Mckee, Financial Advisor, Carmel, CA

“Gary..I got so much out of your visit...I did my client’s office arranging on Tuesday, and on Friday of that week they got a $9 million contract...you should feel very pleased with these quick results!...Thank you so much!...” Diane Bitter, Hume, VA

http://www.fengshuidesign.net/

St. Astier Natural Hydraulic Lime

Description: A Valuable Hay Information Resource Website

 http://www.HayCentral.com