A 100 Mile Home: First Straw/Clay home permitted in Eugene
- SquareOne Villages
- Jul 10, 2017
- 3 min read
A 100 Mile Home is Eugene’s first permitted residence with a natural light straw/clay wall system, and it's being built at Emerald Village Eugene!
This innovative dwelling demonstrates a natural building process that uses minimal industrial materials and incorporates local labor, skills, knowledge, and the rich resources of the Willamette Valley.
It will showcase aesthetic elements of a naturally insulated, plastered, and finished home and set a public example, within the village model, of how natural building, affordable housing, and community involvement work symbiotically to provide a solution to today's critical housing crisis. DirtChiQ’s goal is to make natural building, now embraced by much of the Eugene community accessible to renters and low-income residents.
Committed to the concept of sourcing non-toxic, regional materials, this home will be a working example of how urban micro-homes can be built affordably with natural, reused, and local materials. In addition to meeting code and incorporating a wall system comprised of loose straw coated in clay slip, this design is easily relatable to conventional builders, incorporates natural plasters, live-edge sills and trim, an earthen floor, natural wool ceiling insulation, non-toxic seals and finishes, and recycled materials.
To provide easy access and replicability the design, process, and permitting documents for this home will be available as a model for other architects and tradespeople committed to building affordable homes.
Connor Anderson, Alicia Ginsberg (SquareOne project coordinator), and Sara Tamler are local design/builders who share a passion for making natural and sustainable building accessible to all. They are bringing together a building team comprised of volunteer natural builders, future EVE residents, and tradespeople.
They’ve been working with Kentrel, the first resident of the home, to incorporate his ideas and vision of his future 200 sq ft home to be shared with O’Malley, his cat. Kentrel and the team are excited to see this natural tiny house concept move from paper to earthen reality.
The team has received generous monetary and material donations from individuals, organizations, and supporters locally and nationally. Local contributors include clay from Dominion Landscape, insulated wood chip-cement wall forms from Faswall, natural wool from Oregon Shepard, as well as the guidance and support of Aprovecho. In addition they are grateful for the professional services from Mortier Ang Engineers, John the Plumber, Contractors Electric and the support from local experienced architects, builders, and tradespeople contributing to Emerald Village.
As revealed by each of the homes at Emerald Village, we appreciate that it truly does take a community to raise a village!
More about Light Straw / Clay Construction and Natural Building
Light straw/clay (LSC) is a healthy, simple and translatable insulated infill wall system comprised of loose agricultural straw coated in a light clay slip. LSC is packed into a 12” wide double-stud frame between temporary form boards, which are removed to reveal a flat, easily plastered wall.
What is natural building?
“Natural Building includes a variety of building techniques that focus on creating sustainable buildings which minimize their negative ecological impact. Natural Buildings often rely on non-industrial, minimally processed, locally available, and renewable materials and can also utilize recycled or salvaged materials….Natural Building ideally incorporates sustainable design practices to integrate the building into its environment. It may also integrate electricity production, water catchment, passive heating and cooling, and alternative waste-treatment.” - Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage
Learn more about this design!
Website: https://www.100milehome.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100milehome
Crowdsourcing: www.youcaring.com/hmheve
Contact DirtChiQ to learn how you can help support this project: hmheve@gmail.com
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This article about the first straw and clay home permitted in Eugene is truly inspiring. It’s amazing to see sustainable building methods gaining recognition and changing the way we think about eco-friendly living. Speaking of innovation, I recently came across Montana digital marketing strategies that also focus on sustainability and supporting local businesses. It’s encouraging to see communities embracing both green construction and responsible marketing practices. Stories like these give hope for a more environmentally conscious future while encouraging creativity and progress in different industries. Thanks for sharing such a valuable insight!
This is such an inspiring example of sustainable, community-driven building! The use of local materials and collaboration sets a powerful precedent. It’s great to see natural homes becoming more accessible. For anyone seeking a peaceful escape rooted in eco-conscious values, my retreat house for rent offers a similar natural setting ideal for relaxation and reconnection with nature.
This was such an inspiring read. It’s amazing to see sustainable building practices like straw and clay homes becoming more accepted and even permitted in places like Eugene. The effort to create something eco-friendly yet livable really sets a great example for future developments. I’ve been researching alternative housing methods for a while, and it’s refreshing to see real-life projects taking shape. If anyone’s interested in learning more or following similar ideas, you can access here for further insights and inspiration. Truly, this home is a milestone in environmentally conscious living. Thanks for sharing this wonderful story.
Eugene'de izin verilen ilk saman/kil ev olan "A 100 Mile Home" projesini büyük bir ilgiyle okudum. Bir Bak projenin doğa dostu ve sürdürülebilir malzemelerle inşa edilmesi gerçekten ilham verici. Doğaya zarar vermeden yaşam alanı oluşturmak isteyen biri olarak, bu tarz projelerin çoğalmasını diliyorum. Yerel kaynakların kullanılması hem çevresel etkiyi azaltıyor hem de yerel ekonomiye katkı sağlıyor. Umarım Türkiye'de de benzer örnekleri görürüz. Bu ev, modern yaşamla doğayla uyumlu mimarinin nasıl birleşebileceğini çok güzel gösteriyor. Doğal yapılarla ilgilenen herkesin bu evi incelemesi gerektiğini düşünüyorum.