The presentation was sponsored by the James River Green Building CouncilOn Tuesday close to 50 people attended a Charlottesville seminar which focused on straw bale homes. There are two of these homes currently in Albemarle County.
The presentation was sponsored by the James River Green Building Council. Directors say straw bale homes have become increasingly popular, mainly because the homes are sustainable and energy-efficient. However, they acknowledge that straw homes aren't for everyone.
Ned Ormsby, of the James River Green Building Council said, "It takes a very unique homeowner to be interested in it. We would love to see more straw bale homes, but it really has to be a very special person who's interested in doing it. It's a big leap of faith to live in a house of straw."
Contrary to popular belief, straw bale homes are actually quite durable. The bales of hay are lined with stucco on both the inside and outside of the home.
Although straw bale homes are becoming more and more mainstream, they've been around for quite some time. They were especially popular in the Midwest about 100 years ago, when straw was the only building material that was available.
