Campo Stawbale Residence

This project consisted of a new 4,500 sf straw bale house in Campo, California, in rural inland San Diego County. The property is a 300 acre working cattle ranch and the clients were exploring the possibility of developing a “farm stay” program, which is similar to a bed and breakfast on a working farm or ranch. The floor plan’s large size was due to the guest rooms and public areas necessitated by the farm stay operation. The house feature’s a monumental feel in the living room with a stone fireplace, open beam ceiling and clerestory windows. The house has large shady verandas where guests can hang out and read. The client’s wanted to use straw bale construction due to its excellent insulating characteristics and for environmental reasons. I have performed the structural engineering on a number of straw bale buildings and this was my first opportunity to design one. The clients are evaluating their budget and needs, and it remains to be determined whether this project will be built or not. These plans are more or less conceptual so that preliminary costs could be determined. If the project were to proceed, the floor plan would be massaged and probably value-engineered.