| Building plans
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Roof plan with modular grid (red). Top left is the original 130 x130 cm square module; the side-roof frames are 52 cm apart. |
Modular system | |
| The design of the extension is based on a grid
that was also used for the main house as a starting point. This
3-dimensional grid proved very useful as a system of measurement and harmonizing
its proportions. Like working with attuned instruments. In this case
another interpretation was found for the measurements of the straw bales:
The main house was build around a 3-D grid of the module of 130
centimeter. The larges spaces measure 4 modules in a quadrant making 5 m
20 cm. Within such a square the walls of the extension were placed
departing from the South point of the house. This measurement of 520
centimeters divided by ten forms the reduced module of 52 cm being the
width of the bales and the thickness of the wall. Two width or modules
make the length of the bale.
This measuring instrument guaranteed the seamless connection between the different building parts and allowed for the addition of two different building styles. |
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 Southeast elevation. |
The main surfaces of the 3 largest outside walls with straw bales make up squares 260 x 260 cm. The measurement of 260 cm is 2 basic modules and 5 reduced modules of 52 cm. The center distance between the side-roof frames is 52 cm; there are 7 such distances in the width of the side-roofs. |
|
 Southwest elevation. |
In the drawing to the left of the Southwest
elevation we can see how the extension forms the South point of the house.
The in-between element in the facade is made up of the space between the
9th and 10th column of the Southwest elevation. This section, as it was
outdoors at first, now had to be insulated as an outside wall. The existing
wall then was covered with an insulation of pressed wood fibers and
finished with Western red cedar rebate planking.
The extending roof of the main house, now becoming the roof of the bedroom, was insulated with shredded paper waste (Isofloc). The rest of this in-between space received a roof light like the last section of the N-E side-roof. |
Ground floor plan |
Plan of roof |
 Cross-section. |
In the cross-section to the left we
may notice how a thick skin of insulation material surrounds the indoor
space. Surrounded by the cavity wall of the foundation there is a layer of
expanded clay corns (Argex) on top of the bottom layer of pebbles that
drain the underlying earth. The tiled floor with floor heating has an
extra layer of insulation to isolate from the thin concrete floor slab.
The straw bale walls have a thickness of 52 cm including plaster and the
bales of the roof have a thickness of 35 cm. On top of this layer of straw
insulation an extra insulation layer is placed under the roofing to avoid
condensation. Additionally good cross ventilation is provided for through
the openness to the sides under the side-roof. |
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 Wood frame with pressed wood fiber insulation sheet. |
Within the large wall parts the straw bales form the under layer for the plaster, but at the corners the straw is covered by a sheet material of pressed wood fibers (see left). This pressed wood fiber sheets are also applied at places where cabinets are located in the thickness of the wall. An additional insulation is then placed on the inside. |
| Lime plaster on the Southwest
facade. The first layer is sprayed deep into the bales. The sheets of pressed wood fiber have a special primer. On top of this foundation a layer is placed with the trowel (see right). The top layer is adjusted with sand and earth pigments to the sand color of the bricks of the main house. |
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