The Low Down On Green Living
February 1st, 2009
Straw Bale House Construction and Natural Building Internship
Stumble it!
Written by Brian Liloia, courtesy of Green Building Elements.com
Are you interested in a hands-on straw bale building experience? As you know, there is no better way to learn than by doing. Red Earth Farms is an 80 acre, off-the-grid intentional community based in northeastern Missouri, composed of individual homesteads. Members strive to live ecologically - this means, of course, that members use natural building materials in their homes. Mark Mazzioti is one such individual building a straw bale house, featuring a pasive solar design, post-and-beam framing, and a cement-free rubble trench foundation. Mark, an experienced natural builder, is seeking interns for the upcoming 2009 building season. Here’s his strawbale house and natural building internship information:
Interested in straw bale house construction? Want some hands-on experience with natural building? Want to experience community life on an off-grid homestead? If your answer is “yes” to these questions, then this internship opportunity may be for you.
Red Earth Farms is an intentional community of homesteaders located on 76 acres of pastoral rolling hills in northeastern Missouri. We have in common a commitment to developing sustainable lifestyle skills such as local food production, permaculture and natural building. We’re looking to host interns during the 2009 building season (April-September) to help with our straw bale house.
The house you’ll help build
The building is based on current best practices in natural building and passive solar design. It has round pole post-and-beam framing and a cement-free rubble trench foundation. It features an earthbag stem wall, strawbale walls, and a pallet truss gambrel roof. It will be finished with a poured adobe earthen floor and earthen and lime plasters.
How you’ll be living
Camp style. We have great tent sites and a couple of small cabins that may be available. We eat meals together as a community in our outdoor kitchen. Our meals are mainly vegetarian, and you will be included in the cooking rotation as soon as you feel ready. We have two other intentional communities in our neighborhood. Sandhill Farm is a 30-year-old egalitarian community, and Dancing Rabbit is a 10-year-old ecovillage with forty-plus members. We have a tri-community potluck dinner once a week.
Your qualifications and experience
You need to have a good work ethic and be capable of physical labor. It would be great if you have some building experience but it’s not required. We will choose interns with the best overall fit for the program.
What you’ll get in the bargain
You’ll be working directly with an experienced natural building teacher and learning alternative building techniques. You’ll be eating with our food coop and all of your meals will be covered. You’ll get a place to camp or a cabin to stay in. We have a great swimming pond and a solar shower. You can use our wireless Internet, powered by wind and sun. You’ll get exposure to three intentional communities and access to our collective knowledge in the areas of growing food, permaculture, consensus decision making and community living.
What we’ll expect from you
30-35 hours of work per week, a good attitude and enthusiasm for learning. You’ll also need a way to get here and to wherever you’ll be going when you leave. Transportation from a train bus station in the area can be arranged.
The Bottom Line
This is a unique opportunity to get a bunch of natural building experience without paying for it. If you stick around long enough you could learn everything from earthen floors on up to finish plasters. The list of things you will be exposed to is broad: earthbags, strawbales, pallet trusses, passive solar, off-grid power, permaculture, cooking, and great vegetarian meals. You may even have the opportunity to help teach workshops in natural building. Other programs like this cost thousands of dollars.
How to contact us if you’re interested:
Email: markmazziotti@gmail.com
Or call: 660-883-5330
Popularity: 7% [?]
Comments
Natural Building Internship | Off Grid Living Online
February 1st, 2009 at 5:24 pm
[...] Red Earth Farms in Missouri has a fabulous opportunity for someone with an interest in green building. Check it out at Low Impact Living. [...]
Leslie Lovejoy
February 3rd, 2009 at 1:46 pm
We are also in the process of building a strawbale home and trying to connect with other strawbale home builders. Would love your contact info. and I can send photos and advice! We are 3 weeks away from moving in.
I have also pasted some photos on Facebook.
Leslie Lovejoy, Steamboat Springs. CO
rocio
March 31st, 2009 at 2:50 pm
Hello!
My name is Rocio and I’m from Barcelona, Spain. I am very interested in spending a few months with you learning natural building techniques and sustainable lifestyle skills. I see that you are looking for people from April to Septamber, my only problem is that I won’t be available to come until the middle of June. If this isn’t a problem than let me know and I will write you with more information about myself.
Thank you very much,
Rocio Sanchez
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February 2nd, 2010 at 7:19 pm
That is an interesting start to a building, I’m not sure why rafters are going up before the subfloor is down. Shouldn’t the floor joists be tied together? This is looking scary!
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July 26th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Interesting information on a method of building that is not only efficient but cost effective and kind to the earth. I have to wonder, though, how difficult is it to get this type of construction through the local building department(s)? Building officials are notorious for discarding “new” techniques and materials. Is there any direction for the education of those controlling regulation of what can be built?
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July 27th, 2010 at 10:33 pm
This type of construction is absolutely fantastic. A friend of mine in Durango, CO built one. Absolutely the most secure, warm and quiet house I have ever experienced.
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August 12th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
The former stalwart of enviro-building we the traditional log cabin. For hundreds of years. The biggest problem with log cabins is temperature regulation as timber has no insulation properties. I’m wondering if strawbale would be better? and if not, bound with mud?
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August 19th, 2010 at 3:57 am
I’d love to use straw bales on my building but the walls would end up too thick and out of proportion for the size of retreats we do. Also the thinker the walls the more timber framing we’d need to use :o/ . I do think however straw bales are perfect on certain types of buildings. would love to see the final building.
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November 12th, 2010 at 4:35 pm
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November 23rd, 2010 at 12:06 am
I think this is a great idea and I applaud people’s initiative to help build projects that reduce the negative impacts to our environment. With these kinds of initiatives, it won’t be long until sustainable home designs and environment-friendly materials become the norm in the home design and home building industry. Working in the home improvement industry myself, I use sustainable materials in DIY projects when I tinker around my home. plumbing services in houston
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November 29th, 2010 at 11:13 pm
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February 23rd, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Landtech, is it the only provider for the Bay Area.
AAA Construction Bay Area is involved as well.
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February 23rd, 2011 at 12:22 pm
AAA Construction would love to learn more about Straw Bale House Construction.
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