There are many reasons why straw bales are chosen as a building medium, but our main constraint was energy. Since we are on solar power, electric air conditioning or large fans are not a viable option. Therefore we looked to design and build with material which was as as energy efficient as possible. Straw bales were the logical choice, built on a large concrete slab for added thermal mass and consequent temperature control.

The roof is a “plywood sandwich” with ply on the bottom and top, and 4” of insulation in between. This helps to make the roof as thermally efficient as the bale walls, while providing the accoustic isolation necessary from rain and wind.

The frame, made from large poles obtained on our property, was built first, and then the bale walls were built in. The windows are double glazed using ¼” laminated glass, and the frames for the glass are not connected to each other. This approach provides excellent thermal and accoustic isolation. Bottle windows were also constructed for added variety, using clear beer bottles filled with water. This provides extra thermal mass in the windows, which is the main place heat flows in and out of the building. The double door cavities are solid core, again providing thermal and accoustic isolation. Double door cavities and double glazed windows, are standard design features in recording studio construction.

Click on the images below to view pictures from these four stages of construction

Unusual for straw buildings is the untreated state of the bales inside the studio. The accoustic properties of straw bale walls are wonderfully good, and to render them inside would have lost an essential property of theconstruction method. This has raised some eyebrows in conventional strawbaling circles, but it appears that there is no real essential reason to render the inside. (just don't bring horses in here!) Air flow in the building is regulated by air ducts under the slab, which draw in cold air by thermosyphon via a vent in the ceiling.

Happily, this all works really well. The outside temperature in our climate zone, varies about 45 degrees (celsius) over the year. The temperature inside the studio only varies about a 10 degrees over the year, with no extra heating or cooling needed. It's nice to come out here on a mid-winter's morning when it's zero degrees outside, and still 17 in the studio! Even on a hot midsummer's day when it's 40 degrees (or more) outside, it's still 26 degrees inside! [Zero degrees Celsius is 32 Farenheight, and 40 degrees Celsius is 104 Farenheight]