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Greetings!
Welcome to the May 2003 newsletter for Design Forward.
Please take some time to enjoy this month's features.
Quote of the Month: "When one has finished building
one's house, one suddenly realizes that in the process
one has learned something that one really needed to
know in the worst way - before one began." - Friedrich
Nietzsche
| Earthen
Floors |
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After living with earthen floors for twenty-five
years, Athena Steen has grown accustomed to skeptics.
Merely mention the material, and even progressively
minded souls raise a brow. "Then they see it, and
the first thing they do is bend down to touch it,"
Athena says. "They're shocked that it's hard, that
you can sweep it, that you can mop it, that it's
not dusty. They're astonished that it has none of
the bad qualities they thought it would have." No
less amazing is that the floors are comfortable
underfoot, durable, and beautiful. And that may
explain why, centuries after earthen floors were
last considered standard home decor, the most natural
of natural floors is suddenly surfacing in eco-friendly
homes everywhere.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMICAL. Earthen floors
are hardly new, of course. From the earliest times,
people have used earth to form home floors. In
the American Southwest, ox blood was mixed with
the dirt for a stronger, more durable surface.
For similar reasons, rural Japanese poured bath
water, which contained oil from the bather's skin,
onto the unsealed floors. While fans sing the
praises of durability, beauty, and comfort, earthen
floors would barely warrant a second glance if
it weren't for one additional attribute: They
are just about as eco-friendly as building material
gets. Robert Bolman, a Eugene, Oregon, builder,
recently made local newspaper headlines when word
of the earthen floors in his urban home and rental
properties spread. Bolman, who learned to make
the floors under the Steens, says they exemplify
the natural building ideal. "One of the central
intentions of natural building is that when your
house reaches the end of its lifespan, the lumber
and hardware get recycled, and the majority of
the building material simply decompose," he explains.
"Rain and microorganisms will break down an earth
floor in a relatively short time- probably within
a few years. It's a truly cyclical process." Earthen
floors are also economical if you do them yourself.
The soil, if taken from the home site, costs nothing,
and sand is inexpensive. The biggest costs comes
from the natural linseed oil, which is about twelve
dollars a gallon off the shelf and much less in
bulk.
THE DRAWBACKS. Though functional and sustainably
viable, earthen floors have a few disadvantages,
including odor from the sealant and problems with
scratching and cracking. Fortunately, the Steens
say, these difficulties can be overcome. Like
most conventional floors, earthen types must be
sealed, and some linseed oil can leave a lingering
odor. To combat this odor, the Steens use raw
linseed oil; while it takes longer to dry, it
has only the odor of flaxseed oil. Unfortunately,
earthen floors are not indestructible. Dropping
a brick from chest height, Bolman says, would
likely dent an earthen floor, but the same could
be said of a wood one. "It's more comparable to
a slab of leather than concrete," he explains.
Which means, says Bill Steen, that earthen floors
are sensitive to scratching. "It doesn't mean
they aren't durable, but people can't have unrealistic
expectations."
No matter how you look at it, laying an earthen
floor is one labor-intensive home project. "It's
hard work extracting dirt, sifting it through
the screens, running it through the machinery
to mix it, pouring it, and then smoothing it with
a trowel," Bolman admits. "You can put even more
labor into it by burnishing it to try to make
it really smooth." Bolman did, however, come up
with a time-tested and true solution for the amount
of required labor. "I hosted a work party. You
make a big pot of chili and invite a whole bunch
of friends. It's very helpful." Article by Lori
Tobias ©2002 Natural Home Magazine. All Rights
Reserved. Image © Bill Steen
For
the Complete story... »
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| Thanks! |
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Workshop Participants,
I wanted to personally thank everyone who participated
in Straw Bale Workshops last month at the Hayes
Residence. As this is my parent's house, this
project is very special to me. Thanks again. Please
take some time to review the pictures and progress
of Hayes Residence. For those not burned out yet
or those who could not attend the previous events
look for more information about a free event in
May to continue the project.
Sincerely,
Lisa Van Veen
Workshop
Pictures... »
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| Feedback |
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Design Forward works toward promoting Sustainable
Design. If you know of a project that should be
featured, please contact us. Let us know why you
think it should be featured and give us a basic
intro to the project, the sustainable elements and
any websites or contact information.
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it in! If it at all possible, include the author.
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| Jackson
Residence |
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Nestled in the mountains above Palm Desert, the
Jackson Residence has a beautiful location set into
a large collection of rocks. At the Pinyon Crest
site, preservation of the natural landscape is important
to the owner. The owner specifically chose the site
because the homeowners association was dedicated
to protecting the natural setting of the land. All
of the homes in the Pinyon Crest area blend into
the landscape until they barely become noticeable.
The statement of the association reads, "The architecture
shall be subordinate to the landscape." Fostering
sustainability from the ground up made this the
ideal location for a highly efficient natural home.
Designed by Lisa Van Veen of Design Forward,
the Jackson Residence is a relatively small straw
bale home with minimal impact to the land and
many natural features. The owner was very concerned
about the foundation bearing to much on the ground.
That concern lead to a small built-up retaining
wall and then filling the area with local dirt
to become an earthen floor. The floor plan was
split to step up the hill, again lessen the contact
to the soil. "Grading of big, flat pads (big ugly
scars on the hillside) is discouraged," explains
the owner.
With hot summers up to 100°F and the possibility
of snow in the winter, this location became very
ideal for straw bale construction and it high
insulation properties. It has many interesting
passive solar and passive cooling elements. The
nature of the split level floor plan gave way
to a natural thermal chimney with a set of operable
clerestory windows at the top level and operable
window at the opposite end of the house. The effect
of the wind will create a nice cooling effect
in the hot summer months. On the heating side,
the relatively large south facing windows plus
the straw bales walls and an earthen floor will
soak up the winter sun and become a thermal mass
for heating in the winter months. The owner hopes
that the design of the floor plan will be the
only heating and cooling requirements that the
house needs. The use of mechanically heating and
cooling is being discouraged by the owner.
This project has not yet been built, however
is in the final planning stages and should have
permits within by early summer. For more information
on please visits Design Forward's website. Article
in full © Design Forward. Picture by Greg Jackson.
Jackson
Residence.... |
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