Straw Bale SIP

Jason Whitfield, Designer South Elevation West Elevation This compact two story plan was designed to employ the straw bale SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) manufactured by the designer's company located in Alberta, Canada. These panels are actually made with bales of straw that have been compressed top to bottom with wood ladders added, then the wall receives 2 coats of stucco before shipping. A final color coat of stucco is applied after the building has been assembled. These panels have been shipped into the United States at reasonable cost. The design could be built using convention straw bales, or other types of SIPs as well (with some slight redesign due to the difference in thickness of the walls.) This is a 1276 square foot house, with 3 bedrooms and 1 1/2 baths. It is a passive solar design that should function well in most cool climates, and should be quite economical to build. The above west elevation shows the house designed for a sloping lot, it would work equally well on sites that are flat or have other slopes. First Floor

Second Floor

Cross Section

This picture shows the straw bale SIPs being off-loaded from the transport to the building site, where they will be assembled into a house.