This tiny cob and straw bale cabin was built by local artisans as a vacation rental at the Terra Perma eco-resort and village in Harrington, Quebec, Canada.
The thick walls are insulated with straw bales and covered with cob (a mixture of clay, sand, straw, and water) and a natural limestone plaster.
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Tiny Straw Bale Cabin with Passive Solar Green Roof
Image © Exploring Alternatives
The passive solar roof has a generous overhang on all sides to keep the tiny home cool in summer, warm in winter, and to protect the cob walls from the elements. The flat roof was lined with a rubber pool liner and covered with mulch to create a space for plants to colonize a green roof which will further insulate the green building.
Simple design with an upstairs sleeping loft!
Image © Exploring Alternatives
Tiny Straw Bale & Cob Cabin
The cabin measures just over 200 square feet, not including the generous loft running the length of the cabin with space for two full-sized mattresses, and two separate ladders. It is heated with a wood stove.
Image © Exploring Alternatives
Video: Micro Straw Bale Cabin with Passive Solar Green Roof
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Straw bale houses are a great way to build, I personally don’t care for them, but they are a great insulating building material, and have shown in the past to be a long lasting.. As a building material that has been around for a long time now, it is also not expensive, and a recyclable material, that doesn’t make a great impact on our ecosystem, which is always a big plus in my book…! I could only wish that more of our building materials were as the same in both aspects…
Totally agree, Zachary!
A great idea too of using straw for insulation. The video didn’t show very much, so I am guessing this is just a weekend get away cabin.
I love straw bales! Some folks do live year-round in them.
I have one right behind my home. My Aunt and her sisters built it about 20 years ago. It is 3 bedroom, 1 bath and is very energy efficient.
I heard that it is wise to sprinkle banking soda and rat poisoning in the straw or along the edges but I am not sure if this would cause a meldew?
I’m not familiar enough with straw bale houses to give you advice, but you could check out this site: https://www.strawbale.com/
grass roofs have been known to bed insects, worms, birds, mice but if one had a cat they have to come down eventually. I was thinking that if I was to build a small house that I mite build a small shed, dirt the top, and grow tomatoes and beans so that deer won’t eat them up. Or, plant them below and shoot the deer for meat…corn growing and hunting time the lazy way.
Haha very creative solutions!
Iris, years ago my grandparents moved into a thatched cottage (it was the oldest forge in England, still there). Not long after they moved in someone left the hatch into the loft open and their cat, Puddy, got into the attic. Puddy was a great hunter who would hunt anything and everything including large dogs (don’t ask) and once up he wouldn’t come down. He finally reappeared 6 weeks later, when Pop went up to look there were lots of bones but no rodents or birds, and the cat was several pounds heavier. Always used as a reason NOT to have a thatched roof. This would have happened back in the late 1950s.
This is cool. I wouldn’t live in one. That don’t matter. It is very nice. Wasn’t sure what to expect. Is real cool. If I wasn’t so old maybe I would live in one. To old to bend. LOL!