How to Design Windows for a Straw Bale House
The most important thing to consider in designing windows for a straw bale house is how those windows relate to the structural integrity of your house. When considering this, it is important to note the two main types of straw bale houses: in-fill and load-bearing. An in-fill straw bale house has a frame first, and the spaces in the frame are filled with straw bale. In a load-bearing, or Nebraska-style, straw bale house, the roof and other aspects of the house rest directly on the straw bales themselves. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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In-Fill Method
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Decide where the windows will be in your house. Sketch out a plan on paper. Structural integrity is less of a concern here than with the load-bearing approach, though if your windows and doors will account for more than 60 percent of the total wall surface, greater care must be taken with the frame of the house.
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2
Construct your window buck in accordance with the frame of the house itself. Consider the straw bale that will be surrounding it as well as the desired shape of the window.
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Stabilize your buck. This can be done with dowels that can be connected to straw bales surrounding the buck. If more stability is required, consider attaching longer beams to the buck, extending to other parts of the frame.
Load-Bearing Method
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4
Decide where your windows will be. Sketch out a plan on paper. In a load-bearing house, do not place your windows at the corners of your house or close to the doors. This will compromise the structural integrity of your house.
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Construct the buck. It is important to consider the distribution of the load relative to the eventual roof location, as well as the window itself. You may need to provide extra stability to the buck in the form of bracing or dowels.
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Stabilize your buck. In a load-bearing house, the stability of the structure is always changing in the construction process. Be prepared to place shims between the buck and surrounding bales in order to achieve the desired load distribution.
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Tips & Warnings
Many straw bale houses have a "truth window," which is a small opening on the inside of the house that allows people to glimpse the straw bale interior. This is not a proper window but rather an opening in the plaster.
It is advisable not to have windows account for more than 30 percent of any given side if your house is a load-bearing house.
