A note on the hybrid structural system: Recycled natural gas well sucker rods, in plentiful supply in this part of the state, were stabbed into the stem wall at four foot centers. The straw bales were lifted to ten feet, impaled by the sucker rods, and dropped into position. We accomplished this with a homemade tripod and a block-and-tackle. Once the bales were in place, we formed and poured a concrete bond beam on top of the wall, allowing the sucker rods to "float" in a pipe sleeve within the bond beam. When we finished the roof system and were satisfied that the bales were compressed as far as they would go, we welded the sucker rods to the pipe sleeves, arresting further compression. The result is an interior post and beam system in conjunction with load-bearing straw bale walls. Door and window frames on the first floor also added structural support to the system.

In addition to using recycled sucker rods in the walls, we used as much salvaged and recycled materials as we were able: rolled glass instead of sand (for plaster and concrete) from the city recycling center, porch timbers salvaged from the infamous Missionary Ridge forest fire of 2002, hardwood maple flooring salvaged from an old warehouse and even aluminum cans and wine bottles in some of the interior walls.  

We used engineered lumber and oriented strand board sheet material because we knew it is made from fast-growing farmable trees. Though chemical outgassing was a concern, we built so slowly (three and a half years) that we felt confident that 95% of the outgassing had occurred before we drywalled it in. We used manufactured decking material instead of redwood for our small deck, and flagstone set in adobe under our porches. Of course, the adobe clay came right from the land.