Strawbale Home Austin, TX: April 2013

Since the last post we have made a lot of progress. It has not been without its challenges, however here are some pictures to walk you through the progress. The first 6 pictures are all taken from the same relative location. We have also set a date for the straw bale workshop. June 8-9, 2013. Please email StrawBaleAustin@gmail.com for further details if you are interested in coming out and helping us raise our walls. Thanks again for taking a look!

The forms are completed and the fill has been brought in.

The plumbing almost near completion

Plumbing is complete! Ready to pour!

Concrete has been poured! Here some of the workers are smoothing out the concrete after its been poured.

Here it is after the forms have been removed. You can see the rebar sticking up around the edge in preparation to hold the straw bales in place.

Some of the framing has begun, you can see the interior rooms framed up with typical stick frame construction. You may also notice our beams going up for the actual structure. These are pre-civil war era hand hewn oak beams. They may look like junk but have yet to be cleaned up.

Here is a close up of what I mean by hand hewn. You can see all of the ax marks from the person who took this from an oak tree he cut down, to an actual beam...By Hand! blows my mind that the wood is still solid as a rock, 180 years later. They do not make stuff like this anymore.

Here is a picture of the beam that will span our kitchen.

You can see in this picture the beams that will go up to the second story. Lots of people have been walking up and driving by asking questions. Im sure its going to be even more crazy when we start the straw bales!