Straw Bale Construction Project
Department of
Architecture
Ball State University
Fall Semester, 2006
- Present:
Professors Tim Gray, John Motlock and BSU's Department of Architecture
started work on the design and construction of a straw bale test module and environmental
center on the Cooper Skinner Property in Muncie. The project was funded
with an EPA grant awarded to Professors Gray and Motloch and was taught as
an upper level elective.
First phase construction was completed in December,
2006.
Ground-breaking was October 6, 2006.
Trusses Raised!
On Tuesday, November 28, thirty students, staff, faculty and friends acted
together as a human crane to lift and move into place the two sections of roof
trusses. Lots of hands made light work, and the job was completed in only 40
minutes!
See photos below.
See more photos at the
Land Design Institute and more information here:
http://ecocenter.iweb.bsu.edu/
Work continues each semester, as weather permits.
Project Brief:
ARCH 498/598: Straw Bale Education Module BSU Department of
Architecture Fall 06 Professor Gray
tcgray@bsu.edu
This project is the first immersion learning - demonstration - research project
of the Land Design Institute’s Land lab demonstration site. The project
attempts to reconnect people to sustainable relationships among buildings,
sites, people, prosperity and the planet.
The efforts of this class resulted in a constructed classroom / research / demonstration facility located on the Cooper Farm Field Station. The project was researched, designed and built by a group of twelve students led by Professor Timothy Gray of the Architecture Department, and used load bearing straw bales as the wall assembly. The project built on a body of research and a land use plan already in place for the property prepared by Prof. John Motloch of the Land Design Institute. Materials for the project were paid for primarily from an EPA P3 (http://es.epa.gov/ncer/p3/ ) grant awarded to Professors Gray and Motloch with additional support through the College of Architecture and Planning, the office of Research and the Architecture Department. The class was taught as an upper level immersion learning elective through the Department of Architecture. As part of the class the building project has been Permitted through the Delaware County Building Department as well as the Office of the State Architect.
The results of the
class were presented in April '07 at the P3 Award Competition at the National
Mall in Washington to share the results of our research and to attempt to secure
the next level of funding for the project. The facility had three primary
purposes, used for immersion learning, research and outreach / education
programs.
ARCH 498E/598E Students, Fall 2006:
Daniel Bajor, Dan Chase, Geoffrey Desmit, Todd
Ernstberger, Luke Geers, Joshua Higginbotham, John Hudson, Brice List, Martin Merkel, Brian
Pace, Michael Powers, Bradley Singer, and Chelsea Wait.
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 November 2007 - Insulation and windows, south walls |
 Nov. 2007 - Insulation and windows , west walls |
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 Nov. 2007 - Windows and porch, north view |
 Nov. 2007 - northeast view |
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 December 11, 2006 - Wrapped and ready for winter |
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 Nov 28, 2006: On three - everyone LIFT |
 Scaffolding in place |
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 Section #2 |
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 Installation of trusses complete |
 Installation crew (click to enlarge) |
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 November 22, 2006 |
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 click image to enlarge |
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Field Station and Environmental Education Center
c/o Department of Biology
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
(765) 285-2641/ (765) 285-8839
