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YESTERDAY - TODAY - TOMORROW
Excerpts from a report on the International Strawbale Conference 2000 by Frank Thomas, Australia About 140 people from Canada, Mongolia, Germany, Australia and 15 states in the U.S. with a colorful variety of backgrounds got together in the very place where building with straw bales originated in the United States to exchange experiences, information, new developments, research results and resources. Many spirited discussions about what's happening with bale building worldwide were held during the conference sponsored by The Straw Bale Association of Nebraska (SBAN). We (Frank, Tim Bartholomaus and Daniela Greulich, two traditional journeymen from Germany volunteering currently at a straw bale building in New South Wales) took the less expensive but more exhausting travel route - flying into Los Angeles and driving to Nebraska and back by rental car, and stopping in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore and Sidney, Nebraska (to see how it compares to Sydney, Australia) along the way. The three days of the conference were packed with lectures, slide shows and many interesting contributions on different aspects of sustainable building. While the main topic was straw bale, the importance of building with renewable and recycled materials was highlighted, also. These are some highlights from just a few of the presentations: The presentation "Nebraska Research & Journeys", by Matts Mhyrman and Judy Knox, often referred to as the pioneers of modern-day straw bale construction revival, featured historic bale buildings in Nebraska. David Eisenberg, another pioneer of today's bale building and Director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology in Tucson, Arizona, shared information on his work in revising building codes and regulations to include sustainable design concepts and construction methods. His two-part presentation showed the devastating effects of deforestation and other practices on our resources, and then focused on commonly-made mistakes in bale building, such as moisture problems caused by lack of eaves, plastic sheeting placed between or on the bales, and poor construction techniques around windows and doors. A California architect, Darrel DeBoer, presented innovative techniques joining straw and bamboo together in structures. Information about many different types of recycled and sustainable products for building was also shared. Scott and Patty Angel, builders and owners of the Straw Bale Saloon in Spencer, Nebraska, gave a heartfelt presentation from the perspective of owner/builders, sharing problems they encountered during the planning and building processes. Many of the people in this Open Forum discussion found they had also experienced these common phenomena - conflicting or false advice from trades people and lay people alike, setting unrealistic timeframes for project completion, running out of money, difficulties in finding the right materials and getting them on site by the time they are needed. Organizing work, studying methods and techniques, juggling family responsibilities and relationships, too much work and little social life were some of the aspects of ownerbuilding too often encountered by all who undertake construction of their own home or building project. My own unplanned but well-received contribution at the conference introduced straw panel products from Australia such as Solomite and Ortech-Easyboard, a cleverly-designed double bale needle, and the new Earthgarden publication on bales, Strawbale Homebuilding. We had a wonderful time. IS THIS THE END? IS THERE CONTACT INFO? |