When I say straw bale, you probably visualize a small quaint eco home perched in the middle of rural scenery. Notions like “straw” and “large” don’t usually go well together. A USA-based green architect study Arkin Tilt Architects have gone against the trend and they’ve done a really good job that has recently landed them the “Environmental Design + Construction Excellence in Design Award” prize.
They’ve proven that straw bale buildings can be taken seriously and stretched to substantial sizes.
Their Santa Cruz, California clients had faced a typical environmental dilemma. Being involved in academic-level Biology and Environmental studies they wanted to keep their carbon footprint as small as possible. From the other hand, a modern family needs a modern house that looks great and is fun to live in. Green = Boring? No way!
The building plot is located in a vibrant and busy neighbourhood of Santa Cruz and you simply cannot afford to spoil the setting with a barn-like structure.
The result is stunning; the main façade possesses a perfect balance. The house’s vertical aspiration is accented by unusual (at least for America) grey vertical sidings, stunning upright windows with a large surface and an impressive arboral pillar holding something that looks like a tree house. It is both a subtle reference to the green credentials of this eco-house and a great flow-stopper changing the house from usual to harmonically inspired.
Straw-bale is used in North and West-facing walls to provide good insulation. The South wall is made of wood. It’s not because you cannot build the whole house with straw bale, it’s just clever passive solar planning – the South wall will let the heat in while the North wall will keep the cold where it fits best – outside!
It is a two-storey family house big enough for 6 active people. There’s also a separate office and an additional private dwelling with a separate entrance. What does it for me, though, is the bathroom. Look at the photo – it is absolutely amazing. If I ever do a book on interior design, I’ll insist on having this pic on the front cover.
USA is slowly and steadily moving away from the sterile hospital-like bathroom designs while we Brits are still stuck in the horrible white fashion of the noughties. Umh, something to think about.
One thing I’m not too sure about is the upper level gallery. In an eco house you should ideally be looking to save as much space as possible. Removing the gallery you’d create at least one extra full-size room upstairs, however, if you must have this double-level sitting room and if you’re prepared to sacrifice the upstairs space, there’s nothing too wrong with that, is there? Some people are keen on large and airy living-spaces and the fact that I prefer a Victorian layout with strictly divided functions is really irrelevant in the larger scale of things.
Pics courtesy of Edward Caldwell and Arkin Tilt Architects.
