Straw Bale, Natural Building and Permaculture Design

About Us

Ecoville ArchiTechs is comprised of architect, Howard Switzer and permaculture designer, Katey Culver. Howard has been designing passive solar, ecologically-minded homes for over 30 years. Katey provides design, consultation and training in natural building techniques from a permaculture perspective.

What We Do

Ecoville ArchiTechs was formed in 1994 to offer architectural design services using ecological materials and methods, and to educate people about ecological practices.

Courses, Workshops & Events

Ecoville ArchiTechs hosts workshops in Tennessee and teaches Natural Building and Permaculture courses around the world. If you want to stay updated, please subscribe to our RSS feed or sign up for our newsletter.

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Homes of earth and straw

Our Services

Design

Passive solar, straw bale and earthen building methods with low-impact, ecological design and space planning from a Permaculture perspective. Whole site integration, rainwater collection, grey water reuse

House Plans/Construction Documents

Detailed plans tailored to your project offering the level of detail you need/desire.

Consultation Services

We offer consultation services on siting, design and construction details and methods. We also offer analysis of existing or developing designs. Consultation provided by phone, in writing &/or on-site appropriate to project/budget.

On-Site Training

On-site training of professionals and/or owner builders in various low-impact and natural building techniques using earth, straw bales and lime based plasters

Workshop Instruction

Available for teaching at your facility or site on topics ranging from understanding siting and the nature of materials & how buildings go together to cellular learning of earthen building methods, straw bale and plaster.

Seminars/Lectures

Available for presentations from 1 hour to full day. Topics: History of Natural Building; Straw Bale, Earthen and Other Low-Impact Buildings, Intro to Permaculture, Community and Social Architecture; The Paradox of Green Building and more.

Courses, Workshops & Events

We are working on our 2012 event schedule. We have a few straw bale wall raisings scheduled this summer and are hoping to schedule natural building and permaculture workshops on our property in Tennessee. If you want to stay updated, please subscribe to our RSS feed or sign up for our newsletter.

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Benefits of Straw Bale Construction

Benefits of Straw

Excellent insulation— plastered straw bale walls have an insulation rating of R30-35

Plastered straw bales have a Class A fire rating—straw bale walls offer a 2 hour fire wall. This is the level of protection required by codes for stairwells in high-rise buildings.

Easy to install— large “building blocks” stack easily

Beautiful deep window sills— good for window seats and growing plants

Uses a “waste” product— most straw in the United States is burned creating a high particulate pollutant. Enough straw is burned in the US every year to build 2-3 million homes.

Sequesters carbon— the carbon absorbed throughout the straw’s growing cycle is sequestered in the wall rather than released into the air through burning.

How do you cover a straw wall? Straw bale buildings, like other natural buildings, need to breathe. Apply a lime and clay plaster to both interior and exterior walls for a beautiful, healthy finish.

Benefits of Lime Plaster

Offers a water resistant coat that allows the wall to breathe.

Resists insect and rodent infiltration.

A softer plaster than cement stucco making it a nicer surface to the touch.

Acts as a carbon sink for the life of the house as the lime absorbs carbon from the air turning to limestone.