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1500 sq ft exterior, plus 500 sq ft garage
2 story, 2 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths
We've built into a south-facing hillside (out of the flood plain), with as little damage done to the natural surroundings as possible. This is a passive solar design, with plans to add solar panels tied to the grid in 2006. We've incorporated 60% or higher use of recycled materials (lumber, windows, ceilings, doors, concrete roofing tiles, appliances and fixtures, much from Resource in Boulder ). The land has been generous with supplying our beetle kill Ponderosa pine for most of the timber frame, and stone for three retaining walls. Other materials were obtained from local sources such as Boulder Lumber for new lumber, Pioneer for raw plaster materials and bales from a farmer in Berthoud. We highly suggest using local sources for materials vs. going to large corporate businesses for "price breaks" – the quality of materials does make a difference (you get what you pay for), and supporting your local businesses is an important part of being connected with your community. We have an adobe floor with radiant floor heating and domestic hot water using 98% efficient propane boiler. Then there are lots of creative features like handmade doors and stained glass windows, carvings and plaster sculpture.
Because straw bale building lends itself to layman labor, we encouraged community involvement with frequent work parties. We couldn't have done it without the ninety or so people who have come to help us so far, with many a repeat volunteer, making it much less time consuming, less wear and tear on our bodies (we are both over 40) and more fun to do the labor-intensive work of stacking bales and plastering.
So far, we've been able to do this all out of pocket, working for over four years (beginning with drawing our own plans, site plan review and getting approved for the building permit, doing our foundation and building the rock retaining walls, which took 2 out of the 4) to build as we could afford it, staying out of debt and not tied to the pressure of a construction loan. For those who may be daunted by the amount of time it took us, the straw bale aspect of building did not necessarily make it take that much longer. We consider being debt-free a small miracle in itself, and encourage others to build small, green and within their means.
email: madduxworks@earthlink.net
website: www.MadduxWorksglass.com