Green Building

Materials, innovations &

tecniques foreco-friendly construction.

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How to build with Straw

Construction Process

Structural Straw Bale Building

We have built with a wide variety of green materials.

This is a listing of some of our favorite products, and construction techniques.

Sheet goods

This sheet goods product is beautiful and adaptable. We have used it directly as a wall surface and for furniture construction. It is created from sunflower hulls. With a disticntive color and texture - it always gets noticed. It comes in a variety of thicknesses, we usually apply a clear wood finish (water based low VOC) but it can also be stained.

Biocomposites.

Sheet goods material - composed of straw fibers. A slightly more reasonable option over Dakota Burl, with similar properties. We have used it for cabinets and wall surfaces. Easy to work with and adaptable. Glowing golden color.

Biocomposites.

Insulation

A perfect alternative to fiberglass batt insulation. Made from natural cotton fiber is has the same insulation value per inch as the "pink" type - but far better sound absorption. It is easy to work with and good for the do it yourself type. Product name is ultra touch.

Bonded Logic.

Perfect ecological insulation for new construction. Made from soybeans this American product also saves transportation costs as it is expanded in place. We were amazed at the speed of installation and the products ability to fill every gap. It is our prefered insulation for roofs of straw bale construction - as it will completely seal the irregularities at the top edges of the bale walls. It also provides superior protection from air infiltration.

Bio Based Insulation

Cellulose insulation is a recycled product made from wood fiber or newspaper. It has a low embodied energy. It is usually treated with fire-retardant. A great product for remodel projects where the wall is not going to be opened down to the studs. It is very widely available and inexpensive.

Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association

Interior Finishes

Eco Friendly Flooring

There is an increasing diversity of green flooring choices. Several companies are producing recycled carpets - made from industrial waste products these products are very long wearing and offere cradle to cradle use. Natrural materials are also popular. Cork and bamboo floorings are popular and easy to Traditional linoleum and natural rubber is being updated, with new colors and patterns available. Another option is to stain and seal concrete floors - rather than adding secondary flooring materials on top of the surface. When we select flooring we consider not only the material but also the embodied energy in its production and transportation.

Greenfloors

Recycled Glass Tiles

For a beautiful and ecological tile - recycled glass is the perfect choice. We have been designing large scale mosaics for some of our cleints and use a wide variety of glass tiles. The best product we have found so far is Organiks. They are certified 100% recycled content and the color range is fantastic.

Susan Jablon Mosaics

We have used this product on several projects. It is a solid surface like countertop material made from 100% post industrial recycled paper. It performs well and is easy to work with. The finished product is warm to the touch and elegantly simple. The color range is limited - but growing.

Paperstone.

Low VOC (volatile organic compound) water-based (latex) paints are a great choice for green building. Our favorite is Eco-Spec from Benjamin Moore. It is widely available and high quality.

Benjamin Moore

Green design also applies to furnishings and fabrics. The best eco-friendly fabrics for drapery, upholstry, wallcoverings and panel systems are from Knoll. Other companies are producing great new green products as well, but we prefer the quality, durability and style available from Knoll.

Knoll Textiles

One need not purchase new building products or furnishings. The best choice is sometimes to re-use existing elements. Our favorite recycled materials are refurbished antique tin ceilings and antique barn wood. We also frequently design new custom furniture pieces using stock cast-off office furniture.

Eco Business Links

Lighting

Switch to CFL (compact fluorescent lights) or LED (light emiting diode). Fluorescent lights require significantly less energy than incandescent type and last far longer. There are a wide variety of color temperatures, shapes and wattages available, and more stylish fixtures as well. The best choice is LED type lights are a growing trend - but not enough options for fixtures are being produced.

Energy Efficiency and renewable energy

Foundations & Masonry

Durisol is an ICF (insulated concrete form). This is the only type that we will use as it is the most green ICF product available and one of the most fool-proof. It can be used for foundations as well as above grade wall systems. Very easy and fast system. Usually we select the extra mineral batt insulation to further reduce the amount of concrete used to infill the blocks - as well as to increase the insulation value of the wall.

Durisol

Earth bag or sand bag construction is a very economical and simple way to build foundations, walls, site features such as benches & retaining walls as well as structures and domes. Sand bags are filled with gravel & soil and finished with plasters. Every low embodied energy and flexible technique.

Article

A very simple thing to change: request fly-ash concrete. Fly-ash is a by-product of coal fired electrical generating plants. Adding it to the concrete mix reduces waste while reducing the amount of new materials needed. It also improves the quality and performance of concrete.

Headwaters

Heating, cooling & equipment

Energy efficient equipment should be selected. Energy star provides a good start for understanding useage. Reducing water usage should also be a consideration when selecting equipement.

Energy Star

Geothermal heating and cooling is a great energy saving HVAC system. It uses the thermal energy stored in the earth and a small amount of electricity to run the system. Great in combination with in-floor radiant heating systems. Heating and cooling are produced from the same unit, and it can be used with forced air and/or water radiant systems. It is more to install initially - but it has a very short pay-back.

Geo Exchange

Masonry Furnaces are wood burning fireplaces that store the heat energy from a short hot fire in its thermal mass. The provide slow even heat radiating from the mass over a period of about 24 hours. These units burn clean and hot. Bake ovens can easily be intergrated to the furnaces. The core pieces can be purchase in a kit form and installed by a mason.

Heat Kit

Windows

Our first choice for new and replacement windows is metal clad wood windows. Pella Windows produces one of the best for the price. The metal clad exterior is durable and the wood interior is warm and inviting. Many other windows are vinyl or vinyl coated - we avoid all vinyl products.

Pella