A view of the shed roof decking going upon this simple straw bale house in Penasco, New Mexico. This project had the constraints of a tight budget therefore the house was created with a very simple, easy to execute design in mind. The foundation was poured and created before the two week workshop held by the World Hands Project, the organization founded and headed by the late architect Alfred von Bachmayar whom Carolyn worked closely with for some years. During this particular year, this was the third straw bale project held by the organization, the other two small straw bale house workshops held in the colonial of Anapra, Mexico for families in need of good housing.
The goal of this two week workshop was to raise the straw bale walls and get the brown/ scratch plaster coats of mud upon the walls on this 1500 sq. ft. straw bale home, a rather daunting task. The shipping pallet trusses, an invention and signature design creation of Alfred’s were of course created and raised for the roof during this build, the spans for this large roof exceeding any lengths executed in the past. Both were challenges well met with the group World Hand teachers attending and workshop participants who all worked long and hard toward a successful project.
As stated throughout this gallery, this straw bale home was not a contracted project of Earthen Touch Natural Builders, but rather a project both Carolyn and Norbert worked upon in different capacities than their current work as ETB.
