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| I loved this little vaulted structure at the Pt Reyes (California) Permaculture Center. I've got a photo of the roof somewhere (somewhere); it's a simple gable roof, steeply pitched. Trust me. If you don't, you can see it at the Daniel Smith & Associates Architects website. For a photo essay of the construction of a big honkin' vault, see Mikal Jakubal's Straw-Bale Vault section. |
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| A simple roof on a simple place. Don't underestimate the intelligence of simple. Rene comments: "It's close to Phoenix on the way to the earthship in Rimrock. This is the note I have in my co-conspirators' database of the tour: 'They have a nice open plan hybrid SB house. Are strongly involved in nature conservation. John has been awarded important praise for his efforts.'" |
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| A beautiful little hermitage at the Santa Sabina center in San Rafael, something by Bob Theis and Dan Smith of Daniel Smith & Associates Architects. The builder was Skillful Means. |
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| While this is a beautiful window, think about its execution with regard to whatever climate you're in. If you get a lot of rain, the detailing has to be impeccable to make sure that none of the rainwater that runs off the glazing has a pathway (which may not be visible to the naked eye) into the bales... which would be near the middle of the bales, the worst possible place that you could want moisture in a thick-walled superinsulated system. And if you get a lot of snow, be prepared for it to pile up on the sill unless you have huge overhangs or a wraparound porch - and when it melts, you're back to the detailing concerns. In most cases, I think owner-builders (and most professionals) are better off placing the windows to the outer edge of the wall with minimal "ledge" and a proper drip edge. |
