This is a Power Point Presentation I created as an assignment for the Special Topics class I took last semester. It features a tiny house constructed with straw bales and finished with adobe and cob. It is meant to be fully sustainable using only earth-friendly materials.

1. EDSN 282 SPECIAL TOPICS
JO ANN BURNS

2. Project: Tiny House Design - Strawbale, Earth Bag, or Earthship construction?
Objectives
1. Research which Tiny House construction, Strawbale, Earth Bag, or Earthship, would be most appropriate or practical for
Indiana climate and building codes.
2. Choose the most appropriate construction method based on the research.
3. Design a Tiny House according to project management outline
Movers and Shakers
1. StrawbaleStudio.Org, Oxford, MI – builds Strawbale homes and conducts workshops
2. StrawBale.com – Several locations, the closest is in Ann Arbor, MI - workshops, videos, books
3. Earthship Biotecture, Inc, Tao, New Mexico - builds earthship homes and conducts workshops
4. UnitedEarthBuilders.com, Joshua Tree, CA – builds earth bag homes (pricing info at
https://www.unitedearthbuilders.com/pricing) supplier of building materials and machinery, workshops.
Industry Trends
1. A new euphemism that has been coined is “rightsizing” instead of “downsizing.” Tiny house villages are popping up all over
the US.
2. The trend toward building more eco-friendly, sustainable homes is also growing. (www.greentechnology.org)
3. Two out of every five tiny homes are owned by people over age 50, according to AARP writer Carol Kaufmann in her
article, “Tiny Houses Are Becoming a Big Deal.” (www.aarp.org)
4. Appeal specially to empty-nesters, seniors, and veterans, and people who want to decrease their carbon footprint on the
environment.
5. Tiny houses are also growing in popularity among people with physical disabilities because they can be easily customized
to their individual needs.

3. Scope of Project
1. Design one tiny home that will be virtually off-grid using sustainable criteria.
2. Target market will include environmentally aware people who are seeking a simpler lifestyle and
affordable, eco-friendly housing, such as senior citizens, empty-nesters, veterans, and those with physical
disabilities.
3. This tiny house will have one floor with a loft. Rooms in this tiny home will include 1 bedroom, study,
kitchen, dining room, bathroom, living room, laundry room, and a interior courtyard where live plants will
grow to provide air and water purification, as well as fresh veggies and fruits.
4. Thin film PV (photovoltaic) solar panels on the roof for electricity.
5. Passive heating and cooling from solar evacuated tubes on the roof and radiant heat tubes that will run
under the polystyrene insulated earth floors; south facing windows.
6. Roof rain water collection system; grey water/black water recycle system based on the one used in the
Earthship homes.
7. Insulated by straw bales incorporated into wall and ceilings.
8. Ageing in place features such as
a. Bedroom, bathroom, kitchen on main floor
b. Walk-in shower, handrails, no-slip floors
c. Open floor plan
d. Kitchen with ADA compliant appliances and counters (adjustable cooktops and oven drawers)
e. Low maintenance indoor garden.

4. Timeline
1. Project Phase 1 – Research construction materials to be used and building codes involved. Develop three conceptual floor plans.
2. Project Phase 2 – Determine budget, select and choose and adjust floor plan. AutoCAD or Revit
3. Project Phase 3 - Select materials, appliances, etc. to be installed. Prepare specifications.
4. Project Phase 4 – Prepare elevations, details, and renderings
5. Project Phase 5 – Refine and redo
6. Project Phase 6 - Finalize Power Point presentation

5. Project Phase 1 – Research construction materials to be used and
building codes involved. Develop three conceptual floor plans.
After researching what construction materials would be most appropriate to an earth-built tiny home in Indiana’s
cold, mixed climate, I’ve decided to use straw bale and adobe for the envelope. The straw bales act as sustainable
insulation with a value of R2 to R3 per inch. They can be used as load-bearing walls with or without wood
framing. The interior and exterior of the walls are given 2 to 3-inch coats of adobe, which is a combination of 3
parts sand, 2 parts cement and 1 part lime.
The interior walls will be constructed of cob, a mixture of
clay, straw, and water and plastered when dry. Recycled
items such as glass bottles and broken pieces of pottery
will be added as decoration in the walls.
Photo of a cob house built in Germany.
www.Pinterest.com.
Return to Timeline

6. TINY STRAWBALE HOUSE FLOOR PLANS
PLAN #1 PLAN #2 PLAN #3

7. After consultation with Professor
King, Floor Plan #2 was chosen and
some adjustments were made.
The budget for this project is set at
$150 per square foot.
895 square feet x 150 = $134,250
Project Phase 2 – Determine budget, chose and
adjust floor plan.
Laundry
Return to Timeline

8. Project Phase 3 – Select materials and finishes,
appliances and furniture.
Prepare specifications.
Return to Timeline

9. Bedroom Floor Plan

10. Bedroom Materials and Finishes
Dutch Door leads
to Sunken Garden
Terra Cotta
Floor Tiles
Hand Painted
Tiles Broken
Ceiling and walls:
Cob/lime paint finish
(hydrated lime
powder and water)
Soft-Tex Bed
Manufacturer
Double-sided
Fireplace between
Great Room and
Bedroom

11. Kitchen Floor Plan

12. Kitchen Appliances Finishes
and Furnishings
Terra Cotta
Floor Tiles

13. Bathroom Floor Plan

14. Bathroom Fixtures Walls: Blue Tadalakt Finish
ADA Compliant Fixtures

15. Great Room Floor Plan

16. Great Room Furniture

17. Laundry Room Floor Plan
Built-in shelves
Terracotta
Floor Tiles
Cob Walls with
Tadalakt Finish

18. Elevations & Detail

19.  Furniture Plan with legend
 Room, Window, and Door Schedules

20. Main Entrance
Domed Atrium
Bathroom

21. Roof Garden
Domed Atrium
Straw Bale
Exterior Walls
Exterior View

22. The Hobbit Shed is where all the
mechanical equipment for the passive
heating and cooling system are kept.
A winding stone path leads to the koi
pond and covered grilling area where
you can sit, enjoy the sounds of nature…
and eat!
Tiny Strawbale House Landscape
Hobbit Shed Koi Pond

23. A healthy mix of herbs,
veggies and fruits will
fill this area set aside for a
roof garden accessed via a
caged ladder.
A sunken garden in the
domed atrium featuring
flowers and herbs is
just a step away from
the kitchen.
Roof Garden and Sunken Garden

24. Dogwood
Redbud
Black Cherry
Landscape Plantings
Flowering trees to
attract bees and birds…

25. Native flowers and herbs planted
in the gardens will provide a
home for wildlife…
OBEDIENT PLANT
butterflies, hummingbirds
PRAIRIE CLOVER
bees, butterflies
COREOPSIS
bees, butterflies
JOE PYE WEED
butterflies
COLUMBINE bees
butterflies, hummingbirds

27. Tiny Strawbale House at Night