earth-n-straw
technology to build naturally

Emerald Tourist Centre Workshops
Queensland - Australia

20th March - 2nd April 2005

Emerald Workshop
3	The post and beam framing prepared for wall raising. The design included a raised central roof to permit natural daylighting and ventilation. A wide verandah wrapped around the building.
1	Week 1 1. Scott, Chris 2. Choi, Ha, Mr Sun, Peter, Choi, Chris, MrShep, Lynne, Dean, George, Lance, Lee 3. Deanne, Andreas, Mike, Penny, Kathryn (Missing - Jang Go)
The workshops were each 6 days long. The first group worked raising and rendering the east and north walls. This group include Dean and Andi who traveled from Atlanta (USA), they plan to move to Qld soon. Six South Koreans also joined us, they will build the first straw bale building in Korea.
	It did not take long to start raising the walls. 3
3 Mike, George, Soo and Mr Sun	A tropical afternoon shower sent all for the plastic cover sheets.
The clay we used for the inside of the straw wall was found at a local quarry. We had an urgent need to turn the clumps of clay into dust so that is could be mixed into into a smooth plaster. We were put onto Neil McCosker who owned the old abattoir. A hammer mill had been used as a bone crusher; it turned out a perfect tool for pulverizing the clay into dust.
3	We then had this delivered to Dick Slack who mixed the clay with sand and water in the cement truck. That took a lot of the hard work out of preparing the clay for rendering.
	Of course traditional techniques were also taught. 1
We tested the render be sure it would stick. 3 Lance and Deanne
Of course we could still put our best foot forward when we had to.	1 Peter Macguire (Mayor), Rowena Davies(CHDC), Chris Newton(Earth-n-Straw), Penny Bulger (Councilor) & Phil Brumley (ESC Finance Manager)
The first week was most challenging. Although all the roof framing was complete - the sheeting was not on. The days reached 35-38 degrees each day, which was considerably hotter on a slab of concrete out in the sun. We had lots of special visitors checking on how their money was spent. We also had radio interviews, photographers and newspapers... but most of all it was a lot of fun.
We stopped for 2 hours of straw baling theory and building techniques in the middle of each day. 3	Then in the cool of the afternoon Skippy would referee a game of Korean soccer in Morton Park. 3 Andreas
1	Jang Go playing the traditional Korean drum. His clothes have been dyed in the clay we were rendering with.... natural oxides. Thank you Andi for capturing this beautiful moment.
3	Not a bad effort for 6 days. There is a lot to be said for the traditional barn raising. The international community is now very much part of the Emerald Tourist Centre.
There were several students with their own straw bale building plans nearly finished. I'm not sure whether to put money on George or the Koreas in getting their straw bale project finished first. George was straight out to the abattoir to put the last of the clay through the hammer mill for his extension out that 'The Willows'. The Koreans were arriving home on the 1st April with rice bale raising planned on the 2nd April. Look forward to sharing images of both these projects as they progress.
Now it was time to hand the baton over to the participants of the second workshop....
2 1. Peter, Chris, Rai, Steve, Penny, Scott, Lance, Nigel, Grant, Fiona 2. Soloman, Alana, Glenn, Marjie, Charlie, Karen, Diane, Dianna, Peter, 3. Grant, Kevin (missing Margaret and Simone)	So .... a new group of fresh and eager participants. Grant and Charlie represented Emerald; Marjie and Grant represented Canberra. They look so clean and tidy....
3 Charlie	Straw Arrives
2 Glenn	3 The walls seemed to go up quite fast, then we realised that we had lost someone...
3 Peter	Woops.
3 Grant, Steve, Soloman and Simone	It's under wraps at present, but this is the truth window that Lawrie Stanton carved from a piece of Coolabah. I will have some images of that when I go up for the official opening of the tourist centre in June. 3 Internal earth wall (still drying after application)
During construction we could already feel the thermal benefits of the straw bale walls. Emerald Council will monitor the building after construction to show how she behaves in their hot climate.
2	Penny had an idea, so Steve got to make the niche .... 3
Marjie get her photo on the front page of the Central Highland Newspaper. David Salisbury (Crabshack Productions) got his video footage onto 6pm WIN News.
2	Grant working on the Final coat.
3 Lance Kairl, House of Bales, S.A.	Lance keeps and eye on the lime plaster detailing on the outside of the building. 3
Lance Kairl traveled up from South Australia as the straw bale building expert on site. He brought with him a wealth of straw bale experience. I look forward to the opportunity of working with him again.
3	Then it was time, and everyone went home.
2 Peter	Well .... almost everyone went home.
Emerald's new Straw Bale Tourist Centre. Officially opened on 25th September 2005.
Ribbon cut Peter Macguire (Mayor), Chris Newton(Earth-n-Straw), Penny Bulger (Councilor)	Truth Window, and old Coolabah log carved into a truth window shows the straw within the walls.
Timber slab finishes the window sill. A niche in the earth rendered wall.
Move your mouse over this image to see this wall finished.
What a successful 3 weeks we spent in Emerald. Emerald Shire Council is to be congratulated in selecting straw bale as a building material option for construction. This building stands in clear contrast to the new subdivisions where each new house had an evaporative air conditioner, colour matched with the roof at the time of construction. Seems the owners and builders are pretty confident that their buildings would fail before they were built! The Tourist Centre shall send a clear message back to the community about building homes to suited the climate.

Photos:- 1.Andi Hazelwood, 2.Glenn Wilson Studios and 3.Chris Newton.

Top