Take A Picture Tour Of A Hybrid Straw Bale Home

      The following 13 pages will show you the completed home that is featured on this web site and on the "Building With Awareness" DVD video and guidebook. A hybrid straw bale home uses the materials that are best-suited for the job. In this case, straw bale was used for the exterior insulation and adobe was used for the interior thermal mass walls. Both materials have a specific function. Straw bale walls insulate, which is what you want on the outside of the home, and adobes (or other thick and heavy material) absorb and store heat, which is what you want for the interior.
      The exterior shows that form and function can work together. The metal pitched roof is angled for maximum solar gain for the generation of electricity. In addition, the metal provides a clean surface for the collection of rain water for the cistern. It is also one of the better roofing systems for keeping the straw bale walls dry from roof leaks.
       The largest windows are on the south side for maximum solar gain in the winter. A small porch extends the living area to the outdoors for the summer months. The supports for the porch roof are six inch by six inch recycled wood posts.