Our Motto, even if Nigel used to be a cop!.

T-shirts made for the people who helped us.build.

Some of the fine folks who came from around the country to help us lift and cut those dreaded bales.

Bales are loaded onto the second story, and then fitted into place .


From 40 feet in the air the house looks small!!!

The inside of the Little House is covered in cement against the chicken wire for a really sturdy wall.

Bales "GLOW" in the setting sun.

The outside of the house is gunited like you would a swimming pool. The cement sticks really well to the straw.


Kaiser sits on his perch on top of the house and watches for lazy construction workers.

Scott Gurrette did ALL the chicken wire wrapping in the ENTIRE house while we were on vacation. WE LOVE YOU SCOTT!!!

The house is almost done, can you believe it?

Under the bales is a 2x4 sill with roofing felt and gravel as a moisture shield

Pounding rebar completely through the walls, floor to ceiling, ties it all together.

Hugs are always welcome!

Kaiser keeps an eye on things.

Good angle to see the bales.

  This form of building dates back hundreds of years, but was thought  to be first introduced to North America in the 19th century when the Great Plains were being settled.  Because of the superior insulation qualities of bales of straw, many pioneers used them to build their homes.  More recently, the concept has became very popular in New Mexico and Arizona as a practical alternative to adobe.  We chose to build our home from Straw Bales becuae it is a "green " and sustainable material and because of its excellent insulation characteristics.  In the summer, our home remains at a cool 74 degrees without air conditioning, even on a hot 105 degree Hemet afternnon!  In the winter, we often build a fire in our fireplace in the morning and the whole house stays warm and comfy all day.
What the heck is StrawBale Construction?