Related Pages:

STRAW BALE CONSTRUCTION - Learn about the advantages and challenges associated with straw bale building   IMAGE GALLERIES - Construction projects using straw bales

Green Building

I sometimes compare Paja Construction's building philosophy to the experience of driving a well-tuned Honda Civic:

The housing industry is going through a necessary and rather amazing period of adjustment. Super-insulative spray foams are being developed that are able to seal a house with a fraction of the materials previously needed. Geothermal tubes driven deep underground can now cut heating and cooling costs to a tiny fraction of what was once thought the limit of economy. Solar panels that produce huge amounts of electricity are being perfected. Alternative foundations, innovative roofing systems, better windows, highly-efficient water heaters, the list goes on! are all racing onto the market - but at steep prices.

I am excited by the appearance of all such items: they are part of what I believe the Construction Industries need, namely: a comprehensive, top-to-bottom reworking of how we build houses. However, we at Paja are not wedded to using such late-breaking technology exclusively. We take great care to advise and encourage you to use those items that best fit your needs and budget. Returning to the Honda Civic v. Toyota Prius analogy, what we are accomplishing is the equivalent of taking extra care with that old ‘80's Civic to give it a similar gas mileage rating as the Prius.

An example …

Building a ‘green' house begins on the drawing board - in the breadth of our imagination. There are countless features which can create a deliciously-livable ‘green' space:

• Clerestory windows (not skylights) for ventilation and light and heat-transpiration
• Windows and doors placed in line with prevailing winds to allow natural cross-breeze intake
• Porches to shade or trellises with vines that protect from the sun in summers but allow solar gain in winters
• Loft spaces or cathedral ceilings to open up small living areas
• And so on and so on.

Planning and designing a house plays a big part in the joy of building - and it really can be fun!

When constructing a home or retrofitting an existing house, we dig the house several feet into the ground wherever possible to take full advantage of the earth's ability to stabilize temperatures and pay careful attention to insulating the foundation. Of course, we super-insulate the walls by using straw bales, thus doubling - or even tripling - the R-value range of insulation typical to conventional building. All ceiling spaces are packed with up to R-90. We pay special attention to the all-important top-of-wall-to-bottom-of roof junction; ensuring areas that are normally poorly-insulated receive extra attention. In fact, we modify the design of our trusses to allow for better ability to protect such areas.

Keeping in mind the famous architect Mies Vanderow's wonderful statement that God lives in the details!, we take special care as we install windows and exterior doors to make sure straw insulation is completely packed tightly around all vulnerable openings. When installing plumbing we usually pipe so-called gray water (anything that is not the toilet or kitchen sink effluent) separately so that it can be used for landscaping, and when installing the electric system we ensure it will be compatible with future alternative energy sources we know will soon be on the market. And we're constantly on the prowl to develop better methods of ‘green' construction. The standard joke around Paja goes something like this: “So you built that wall (or foundation, or roof, etc)? Cool! Now figure out how to do it differently and even better …”