We live in SE Iowa with hot, humid summers and cold winters. The house is comfortable through all the seasons. The house has views in two direction. A west entry porch offer a view of fields and creek bottom. To the south is a garden, woods and a pond which are viewed through our triptych window. The slight southerly slope allowed for the house to be bermed into the north bank.
-
West, sunlit straw bale wall. South frame wall with locally milled juniper shingles. Garden roof. photo: Werner Elmker
-
The frame of the living room was created of shagbark hickory trees from the woods seen through the south windows. photo: Werner Elmker
-
Kitchen cabinets are faced with honey locust boards, harvested on the farm an milled down the road. The pulls are debarked hickory twigs. The cast iron sink was a Craigslist find. photo: Werner Elmker
-
Wall on the left is straw bale with earthen plaster. Cherry board over window. The bottle windows provide a wash of light across the ceiling. The head of bed wall boards are salvaged from a chicken coop. photo: Werner Elmker
-
This partition wall in the bathroom is built with the ancient technique of wattle & daub. The mat of hickory and will twigs is packed with earthen plaster -- clay subsoil, sand and chopped straw. The red finish is a lime wash. and the upper finish is made of flax seed and cattail fiber. photo: Werner Elmker
