TF Barn wrapped in straw bales...ironic!

It's sort of like what came first, the chicken or the egg?

I have a potential project that would include using an existing 26ft x 48ft, 3 bay TF, bank barn in Southern Wisconsin, and convert it to a residence. The client wants to use staw bales for the insulation and the base material for the exterior walls.

The barn sits on a 24in thick granite fieldstone foundation that is banked on the north side and west end, and is exposed on the bottom side facing the south side and the east end.

So without having to buy 10 different books on straw bale home construction, does anyone have a trick for carrying the load of the exterior straw bale wall?

The best idea that I have is build a wrap-around deck system that is attached to the sill beam and is supported away from the building with concrete support collumns in the bank sides, and posts on columns on the exposed sides. Making the deck system wide enough would also give added exterior space for a lean-to attached wrap-around porch.

I know I have to read up on this "straw bale" thing...but I figured that the uniqueness of this project would make it hard to find exactly what I am looking for.

Thanks to all who contribute to this forum.

Rooster
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Craig, I don't know what the building looks like but I have a straw bale building, 16'x16', a small cabin. The joist system is cantilevered joist running across the sills, they run out far enough to support the straw bales. The long sills running with the plate run long to support the end joist as well. How are the original sills? Will you be replacing them? Do you have head room to place joist on top?

How is the bale wall going to be finished? Clay plaster/render?

Tim

Tim,

I had a meeting with the client today, where we toured the barn and gave it a good inspection. I gave him a crash course in TF load transfer, and pointed out a couple of areas that needed to be added to the to-do-list.

The sill beams will have to be replaced on at least one side wall and one end wall.

He said that he was leaning towards cantilevering the floor joists out of the structure, and resting on the sills and lower tie beams. This means that the sills will be exposed to the cold, and we will have to come up with an idea for insulating and covering that area. And there is plenty of room inside.

I recommended using a built up foam insulation with 2x strapping with a steel roof.

He is not sure what to use as the outer straw bale wall finish.
He wants to know if he can use Stucco.

So I will be learning more about timber-frame/ straw bale combined systems and maybe I will be able to offer that to some of my future customers.

Rooster

Craig, how tall are the walls?

Straw bale needs a dedicated client, who in earnest, really wants this alternative system. If they waffle they need to dig deeper and investigate more.

Would you be doing the bale work?

Stucco is no good from what I have read.

Tim

The walls are 16ft, and the customer wil be doing the bale work, but I might check in to see how he does it.

Rooster