Straw Bale House
Built between 1997 and 1999, this house was one of the first straw bale houses in Mendocino County. Constructed with rice straw bales for the walls, covered inside and out with stucco, it was originally built for our gardener, Louisa Lenz and her husband Paul Porter and their expanding family, (Wolf and Cody Rose). Max Zbitnoff, Tam’s brother, and Clive Adams, Tam’s husband, collaborated on the design and construction… ably assisted by a number of folks, including Paul, who made the front door and various other finishing touches. It is exceptional at keeping the heat in, in the winter, and the heat out, in the summer. Amazing insulation!
Situated across the field from the Schoolhouse, and down river from the farmhouse, it has sweeping views of Mt. Sanhedrin, the night-time skies, and the western sunset. A covered front porch, an open kitchen/dining room/living room, bathroom, two downstairs bedrooms (queens), an open upstairs with another queen bed, and plenty of room. Outside, it has a propane grill, tables and an outdoor sink. A fire circle for appropriate times of the year.
