Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
local knowledge is passed on, not only spreading tacit skills but also extend-
ing the community.There are now straw-bale buildings in every American
state, in Canada, in Mexico, in Europe, and elsewhere.
Qualitative methods were particularly suitable for this study because par-
ticipant observation provided the necessary rich base of data to track the
passing of tacit or unarticulated knowledge between individuals against a
background of relevant context. In-depth interviews helped add the indi-
vidual dimension, revealing members' meanings and narrative accounts of
experiences not observed by the researcher.A snowball technique in which
each informant provided further informants was used not only for contacts
but also to trace human networks.Written materials, including newsletters,
workshop announcements, and printouts of electronic communications,
were collected to trace communication patterns and networks. Photogra-
phy was used to document work practices during construction.
Pseudonyms are used here for individual home builders and for some
activists and architects. Those who are highly visible and are quoted for
their expertise are identified by their true names, as are individuals who did
not request pseudonyms.
A PRACTICE-BASED PHILOSOPHY
In today's world of rising building costs and concerns over deforestation
and pollution, the technique of building with straw bales is enjoying a
renaissance.Advocates maintain that the technique produces excellent ther-
mal mass in walls, puts waste-product straw to use, and produces aesthet-
ically pleasing and sustainable buildings. (Sustainable systems are those that
could continue interminably without harm to the environment). At the
same time, the technique of stacking large bales can utilize a large number
of unskilled laborers, facilitating the community camaraderie that many feel
is missing in our individualist late-capitalist society. Unlike timber, straw
grows to usable size in less than a year and can be rotated annually or grown
with other crops to maintain healthy soil. Straw can be grown in low-
quality soil, certain strains being highly productive in soils with high salinity
and alkalinity.The production costs of straw and straw bales also contribute
to minimal energy consumption, avoiding much of the energy and waste
usual to the production of common industrial building materials.
8
This
energy efficiency is measured in terms of “
R
values,” which designate the
insulation value of the walls; the higher the number, the more efficient the
