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The
Brown/Hirsch House:
We were looking for a place to demonstrate the straw clay method of
insulating and natural plasters for wall surfaces.
It was hard for our company to advocate and build this way for
others if we had not a place to show.
 Due
to costs constraints and a desire not to contribute to sprawl we purchased
a 1940’s era shack. The years had taken its toll on this humble dwelling
with several layers of decorations, additions and changes ; none of them
really coordinated together.
Finally, after years of salvaging, collecting and storing used
building materials, I had a place to stage a reason to use them. Piles of
reclaimed lumber, windows, doors and other odds and ends became building
components once again as we gutted and reworked the basement, first level
and built an entirely new second level. The 3 bay “bumpouts” on the first level and the entire
second level are stuffed with 12” of clay coated straw.
The property had many tree saplings that needed thinning.
 These
found their way to clad the exterior as a permanent formwork for the
strawclay infill and as a plaster lath reminiscent of the “waddle and
daub” technique.
Both
interior and exterior surfaces are coated with about an inch of clay and
lime plaster. Clay, sand and straw were locally
derived. EMF mitigation
techniques were used throughout the structure.
ABS plastic drain pipe was substituted for PVC. Radiation-free
smoke detectors were installed. Natural oils by Land Ark were applied to finished wood
surfaces; paints and color washes by Bioshield were used on some walls and
natural mineral pigments were used to color some plasters. Blown-in cellulose/recycled newsprint was used for attic
insulation.
A builder’s bungalow, a work in progress.
Harmony
Home Construction, LLC.
8122 Barney Road
Traverse City,
Michigan 49684
Ph: 1-877-45-GREEN Fx: 231-932-9193
info@harmonyhomeconstruction.com
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