Owner(s): Steve Jenkinson
Region: Greater Ottawa Area
Municipality: Killaloe

Number of bedrooms: 2 - 3
Usable floor area, square feet (interior): 1800
Number of stories: one storey on two levels
Occupancy date: 2005

Main contractor name: Owner
Main contractor company: owner and Living Sol ~Consultation, Design and Building
Straw bale wall system subcontractor company: Camel's Back Construction
Designer's name: Frank Tettemer
Length of time to build (start to occupancy): one and one half years
Volunteer participation: large number of volunteers were present for bale raising weekend / organized by owner

Other roof system info: gable

Other roofing material info: steel roofing on inch thick strapping over engineered trusses, supported by post and beam structure

Other insulation materials used: ICF's used to form grade beam over a layer of polystyrene 'blue' SM under the foundation. The floor is insulated with 2 inches of blue SM. In the attic is a 24 inch layer of blown cellulose (recycled shredded newspaper) . Foamed baking soda and cornstarch used as well as 'DAP' latex foam around all rough window bucks, (pumped between the straw bales and the wood as an extra sealant) 'DAP' latex acrylic foam used for all window installations.

Other bale wall style info: Post and beam using round beams from the bush. no pinning was used, Tenax mesh was used inside and out, expanded metal 'diamond lathe' was used to shape window and door reveals

Other plasters used: finish is intended to be two layers of lime wash with colourant
Other plaster colourants: terra cotta dust, iron oxide, iron sulfate

Other information about windows: wood windows with aluminum exterior cladding for long life
Mechanical systems info: Heat source: HSTarm wood gasifier boiler with 650 gallon storage capacity. Copper heat exchange loops for radiant floor heating and to supply to domestic hot water fixtures. Fuel used: wood with propane back-up for lengthy trips away. Conventional septic tank and filter bed system.
Electrical systems info: 1400 watts of photovoltaic panels with gasoline fired generator as back up. Storage is eight 6 volt Surrette 'Big Red' deepcycle batteries. service is 100 amp panel for 120 volt AC delivery, with four additional circuits of DC electricity for back-up lighting, hot water circulation, and refrigeration.
Other green features: Drilled well, with Danfoss 'soft start' 120 volt deep well pump.
Anything else you'd like to share?: Foyer (mud room) is an oval room with strawbale interior walls as well as exterior walls. Round beams exposed on the interior, with round rafter poles supporting a herringbone patterned pine v-groove ceiling. Two level design with varying ceiling heights from seven and a half foot cozy areas in the living room and bedrooms flowing to twelve feet at the higher areas in the hall, diningroom and foyer. All windows have carved and shaped reveals and lintels, shaped to diffuse daylight and avoid sharply defined high contrast day lighting. Hydronic heating is supplied from a 650 gallon hot water tank. Heat source is an EPA certified HSTarm wood fired hot water boiler system, providing heat for house heating and all domestic hot water. This home is off-grid, using photovoltaic panels with Surrette battery storage for electrical supply. All construction energy for this home has been produced by solar and wind production at the builder's home, and transferred to mobile battery storage and taken fresh to the jobsite daily.