The Last Straw
Sample articles do not include photos, charts, graphics, or other images from the publication
Sample articles do not include photos, charts, graphics, or other images from the publication
Knowledge In The Making
Issue #15, 1996
by Judy Knox - Tucson, Arizona
A Resource Directory for Straw-Bale Construction; it's certainly grown into a necessity, and promises to be one of the most useful issues of TLS ever produced. As with any directory, however, it's functional when you need to access specific information, but can be pretty boring fare in the eyes of some beholders.
My eyes may be a bit more "straw-crossed" than most, but when I behold this compilation of people, tools, materials, information systems, and collaborative support networks, I see a brilliant kaleidoscope of people's creativity, curiosity, mistakes, risks, changed choices, cooperation, courage and commitment... weaving and connecting into designs that we may never fully understand or replicate, but which have, from the beginning of this modern-day straw renaissance, inspired our growing community to stretch and to reach toward new visions of what is possible.
Seven years ago, as Matts Myhrman's article "Ruminations of a Hunter-Gatherer" [see page 32] reveals, the information base for straw-bale construction was as sparse as the numbers of people who even knew it was an option. Those few people, as well as the straw-bale houses they built, were widely scattered around the United States and Canada, with little or no awareness of each other.
Their predecessors—the early 1900's Nebraska straw-bale homes, and those surviving pioneers who built them, lived in them and remembered them—were scattered in isolated pockets of the Sandhills. Roger Welsch's valuable research about them, reprinted in Shelter (1973), connected readers of that book to historic straw-bale structures, and kindled the mostly private imaginations of others to discover more. Welsch's article guided Matts and I on our first research trip to the Sandhills in August of 1989, where we documented the homes, memories and stories of these straw-bale pioneers. They were generally unaware that anyone else beyond their ken had built with straw bales, and surprised that others would be interested in their experiences.
I see the most far-reaching effect of our Nebraska roots in the way we have thus far perceived the technology and its fast-growing information base as public domain. Here's the formula for our community-based revival: gather the existing information, use it—with your own innovations—to build with bales, record what did and didn't work, and pass that information on to others. Today, this culture of inclusiveness and grassroots participation at every level of both growing and using our collection of resources is the beating heart of the straw-bale construction revival.
In 1989 the sum total of compiled and distributable information consisted of the Shelter article; a Fine HomeBuilding article about an architect's straw-bale studio in Winters, California; two articles in Mother Earth News; David Bainbridge's working paper on straw-bale construction; and some local newspaper or newsletter reports. That was just about it, other than the scattered buildings themselves and the knowledge and images stored in the minds and photo albums of the people connected to them.
From 1989 through 1991, information was gathered and distributed in very word-of-mouth, hands-on ways. People like Bill and Athena Steen, Steve Kemble and Carol Escott, Virginia Carabelli, Tony Perry, Matts and I, and others, began building and experimenting with straw-bale construction in New Mexico and Arizona. Matts and I would often show our historic slides, adding current ones as more buildings were built. Growing groups of people showed up for wall-raisings, and, as word spread, we began showing our "straw and piggy show" to more and more groups and organizations. Simultaneously, Matts injected his enthusiasm and knowledge through phone lines, letters, visits—connecting people and information with tireless zeal. He pursued every lead on other straw-bale structures and/or people who might know anything about them. Our file cabinets began to bulge with straw-bale information. He wrote articles about what we had learned so far and published them. A short bibliography, and then a "cobbed together" information packet were developed to meet the growing requests for information. Soon, some of us began teaching workshops as a way of distributing the growing information-base, which required us to develop some teaching materials. Matts and I produced the brief Straw Bales for Shelter video, while Steve and Carol began planning their introductory video, The Elegant Solution. David Bainbridge (who had been loving and researching straw-bale buildings longer than any of us), along with Bill and Athena, planned to produce the first simple information booklet, while Steve MacDonald and his son Orien began work on the first Straw-Bale Primer.
As Matts and I headed for the Sandhills of Nebraska for our second research trip in the summer of 1991, there was a small but growing straw-bale community, excited about participating in this grassroots revival. Straw-bale construction was not the primary involvement for any of us (though Matts was fast approaching his full-time bliss!), and none of us could have predicted the tidal wave headed our way which would threaten to engulf our lives, and would change them forever. In a few short months, interest in straw-bale construction would be kindled into wildfires nationwide, fueled by a media coverage blitz. Our principal challenge would become how to compile and transfer the rapidly-growing information base into adequate information resources, and develop distribution systems quickly enough to meet the explosive public demand without being totally overwhelmed in the process.
The Gospel According to Judy
Five years later, as TLS approaches the completion of its fourth year of uninterrupted quarterly publication, including this 15th, resource-packed issue, I have a few thoughts and ruminations about the straw-bale revival and growing our wisdom and knowledge as straw-bale resource providers and users:
My eyes may be a bit more "straw-crossed" than most, but when I behold this compilation of people, tools, materials, information systems, and collaborative support networks, I see a brilliant kaleidoscope of people's creativity, curiosity, mistakes, risks, changed choices, cooperation, courage and commitment... weaving and connecting into designs that we may never fully understand or replicate, but which have, from the beginning of this modern-day straw renaissance, inspired our growing community to stretch and to reach toward new visions of what is possible.
Seven years ago, as Matts Myhrman's article "Ruminations of a Hunter-Gatherer" [see page 32] reveals, the information base for straw-bale construction was as sparse as the numbers of people who even knew it was an option. Those few people, as well as the straw-bale houses they built, were widely scattered around the United States and Canada, with little or no awareness of each other.
Their predecessors—the early 1900's Nebraska straw-bale homes, and those surviving pioneers who built them, lived in them and remembered them—were scattered in isolated pockets of the Sandhills. Roger Welsch's valuable research about them, reprinted in Shelter (1973), connected readers of that book to historic straw-bale structures, and kindled the mostly private imaginations of others to discover more. Welsch's article guided Matts and I on our first research trip to the Sandhills in August of 1989, where we documented the homes, memories and stories of these straw-bale pioneers. They were generally unaware that anyone else beyond their ken had built with straw bales, and surprised that others would be interested in their experiences.
I see the most far-reaching effect of our Nebraska roots in the way we have thus far perceived the technology and its fast-growing information base as public domain. Here's the formula for our community-based revival: gather the existing information, use it—with your own innovations—to build with bales, record what did and didn't work, and pass that information on to others. Today, this culture of inclusiveness and grassroots participation at every level of both growing and using our collection of resources is the beating heart of the straw-bale construction revival.
In 1989 the sum total of compiled and distributable information consisted of the Shelter article; a Fine HomeBuilding article about an architect's straw-bale studio in Winters, California; two articles in Mother Earth News; David Bainbridge's working paper on straw-bale construction; and some local newspaper or newsletter reports. That was just about it, other than the scattered buildings themselves and the knowledge and images stored in the minds and photo albums of the people connected to them.
From 1989 through 1991, information was gathered and distributed in very word-of-mouth, hands-on ways. People like Bill and Athena Steen, Steve Kemble and Carol Escott, Virginia Carabelli, Tony Perry, Matts and I, and others, began building and experimenting with straw-bale construction in New Mexico and Arizona. Matts and I would often show our historic slides, adding current ones as more buildings were built. Growing groups of people showed up for wall-raisings, and, as word spread, we began showing our "straw and piggy show" to more and more groups and organizations. Simultaneously, Matts injected his enthusiasm and knowledge through phone lines, letters, visits—connecting people and information with tireless zeal. He pursued every lead on other straw-bale structures and/or people who might know anything about them. Our file cabinets began to bulge with straw-bale information. He wrote articles about what we had learned so far and published them. A short bibliography, and then a "cobbed together" information packet were developed to meet the growing requests for information. Soon, some of us began teaching workshops as a way of distributing the growing information-base, which required us to develop some teaching materials. Matts and I produced the brief Straw Bales for Shelter video, while Steve and Carol began planning their introductory video, The Elegant Solution. David Bainbridge (who had been loving and researching straw-bale buildings longer than any of us), along with Bill and Athena, planned to produce the first simple information booklet, while Steve MacDonald and his son Orien began work on the first Straw-Bale Primer.
As Matts and I headed for the Sandhills of Nebraska for our second research trip in the summer of 1991, there was a small but growing straw-bale community, excited about participating in this grassroots revival. Straw-bale construction was not the primary involvement for any of us (though Matts was fast approaching his full-time bliss!), and none of us could have predicted the tidal wave headed our way which would threaten to engulf our lives, and would change them forever. In a few short months, interest in straw-bale construction would be kindled into wildfires nationwide, fueled by a media coverage blitz. Our principal challenge would become how to compile and transfer the rapidly-growing information base into adequate information resources, and develop distribution systems quickly enough to meet the explosive public demand without being totally overwhelmed in the process.
The Gospel According to Judy
Five years later, as TLS approaches the completion of its fourth year of uninterrupted quarterly publication, including this 15th, resource-packed issue, I have a few thoughts and ruminations about the straw-bale revival and growing our wisdom and knowledge as straw-bale resource providers and users:
* Straw-bale construction carries its own power to excite people's interest and to transform the lives of people who use it. There is something about straw-bale construction that touches our deepest yearnings and reconnects us to our personal source of power. Straw-bale resource providers are not the message, only the messengers.
* Straw-bale construction is a dynamic, fast-changing technology. Its grassroots-grown information and resources are only a composite of many people's experience, including some research and testing, of what works and doesn't in differing situations and environments. Just as straw-bale construction is one choice among appropriate construction methods, its resources are choices or options for how to build with straw bales, rather than "the way" to do things.
* Our work as resource providers is most powerful when inspiring resource users to fully and responsibly participate as straw-bale innovators and community members.
* Good resource providers have a primary responsibility to remain actively informed and engaged in the fast-changing information and resource network. That includes doing the work of "the commons", i.e. that work that benefits the whole straw-bale community, present and future, but that does not necessarily bring immediate personal gain.
* Resource users have a primary responsibility to be accountable for their own choices, thoroughly checking on the reliability and competency of resource providers, and choosing appropriate information and human resources as a tool to guide their own problem-solving process.
* Resource providers and users are most empowered by straw-bale construction when choices about which resources to use and which people to work with are clearly connected to essential values. For a straw-bale designer/builder who left conventional building behind because of its destructive environmental consequences, a 7000sf straw-bale home with a four-car garage that your potential client wants may be equally inappropriate and harmful. For an owner/builder who is just rediscovering the "I Can", a straw-bale "expert" who is telling you "the way" to do things as though you have little of value to contribute may shatter your fragile confidence with a shrug or raised brow. You deserve an advocate, so find one.
* Both straw-bale resource providers and users must be realistic and honest with each other about what to expect, what is offered, and what is doable according to the circumstances. Taking the time to come to absolute clarity with each other is time well spent in the long run.
* Straw-bale construction is a dynamic, fast-changing technology. Its grassroots-grown information and resources are only a composite of many people's experience, including some research and testing, of what works and doesn't in differing situations and environments. Just as straw-bale construction is one choice among appropriate construction methods, its resources are choices or options for how to build with straw bales, rather than "the way" to do things.
* Our work as resource providers is most powerful when inspiring resource users to fully and responsibly participate as straw-bale innovators and community members.
* Good resource providers have a primary responsibility to remain actively informed and engaged in the fast-changing information and resource network. That includes doing the work of "the commons", i.e. that work that benefits the whole straw-bale community, present and future, but that does not necessarily bring immediate personal gain.
* Resource users have a primary responsibility to be accountable for their own choices, thoroughly checking on the reliability and competency of resource providers, and choosing appropriate information and human resources as a tool to guide their own problem-solving process.
* Resource providers and users are most empowered by straw-bale construction when choices about which resources to use and which people to work with are clearly connected to essential values. For a straw-bale designer/builder who left conventional building behind because of its destructive environmental consequences, a 7000sf straw-bale home with a four-car garage that your potential client wants may be equally inappropriate and harmful. For an owner/builder who is just rediscovering the "I Can", a straw-bale "expert" who is telling you "the way" to do things as though you have little of value to contribute may shatter your fragile confidence with a shrug or raised brow. You deserve an advocate, so find one.
* Both straw-bale resource providers and users must be realistic and honest with each other about what to expect, what is offered, and what is doable according to the circumstances. Taking the time to come to absolute clarity with each other is time well spent in the long run.
Now, in the summer of 1996, the information and resource base for straw-bale construction continues to grow rapidly, but even more dramatic are the changing needs and opportunities that continually challenge the usefulness, dependability and availability of these resources. There's lots of new information pouring in, with people climbing on board to teach, build, design and innovate. The moment of choice nears, whether this powerful straw-bale alternative can include this new rush of people and energy, while holding firmly to its deep, nourishing grassroots.
Crucially, I see the inclusive and transformative power of this revival dependent on the degree to which each and every participant becomes both a learner and a teacher, both a resource user and a resource provider.
Crucially, I see the inclusive and transformative power of this revival dependent on the degree to which each and every participant becomes both a learner and a teacher, both a resource user and a resource provider.
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| Articles: - Index |
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| Rate Schedule |
| Submission Guidelines |
| More Goodies |
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