Fox Creek Strawbale

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Fox Creek Residence

800 sf. house near Victor ID

Completed 2005 by Meg Hanson & Aaron Powers

This house is largely a mix of many past houses. It started with a trip to the dump one day that resulted in our returning with more than we left with. We became aware of a few houses slated for the dump that had not yet been demolished. This was even better. The house is about 85% salvaged materials- including lumber, doors, chimney pipe, finish materials, and even a Sub-Zero 4’-0″ refrigerator. It is a post and beam structure with a strawbale infill. The walls are earthen plaster on the interior and lime plaster exterior. It features a passive solar design with a dark earthen floor that lets us leave the radiant heat off even during the winter. 

The footprint is made even smaller by 2’-0″ thick straw bale walls. With two people and two large dogs, we needed to plan some space-saving ideas for the home. The dining room table is sunk into the floor, with a removable floor over it. Part of the redwood barrel shower is a focal point in the living room & the interior rooms have low ceilings, allowing the main ceiling to be visible above, giving the house a more open feel.

Featured in:

-‘ Reduce, reuse, recycle. A TV commercial 2006, Jackson, Wy.

-‘ Strawbale Home Plans,’ Wayne Bingham & Colleen Smith. Gibbs Smith 2007.

-Natural Homes Magazine, Nov/ Dec 2008.