Warm in the Winter
December 20, 2019
Warm in the Winter
Have you ever relied on fire alone to keep your home warm? Possibly just tried it out on a trip someplace?
It could take about a bundle of wood—a dozen or so 12 inch x 4 in x 4 in pieces—to heat a 12 x 12 ft space for your active hours in a day spent at home. This was one of the only options for home heating a couple of generations back.
What if it only took a single log to heat the place? One log to keep it comfortable over the course of an evening, or in the daytime boosting the sunlight’s heat, as it streams in the windows? High-performance insulation makes this possible.
Design/Built by Mark L. (Ron) Hixson 2010
Imagine this home being constructed of materials that have been
sourced within 5 miles. The insulation being grown, harvested and
transported from a local farm in Meridian.
Straw bale walls are naturally thick. Once coated with Earthen plaster mixed with lime, they provide prolific comfort. These walls hold the free abundant heat of the sun, guarding everyone within from the wind, weather and cold. Additionally it is quiet, noises from the city, the nearby airport, even the passing train… all blocked out.
That is the case with this home located on the bench, design/built by EarthCraft in 2010.
The design includes an interior recycled concrete wall that can serve as a heating/cooling bank, also dividing the rooms of the house neatly, providing comfort to all spaces. Light from the south-facing windows is shared over the top of this wall. The wall itself holds the sunlight and radiates gentle warmth. It is a beautiful self-sustained home, now available to the public to visit and stay the night in via Air BnB. Just search for “Boise ECO House, I Acre Food Forest.”
Features
Drastically reduced electric bill
Peace and quiet
Self sustaining design, perfectly accommodates the lot it sits on
Originally designed with a green roof
Locally sourced building materials
Recycled concrete - bound for the landfill, but repurposed here
NO VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
VOCs are normally found in new construction and mass-produced building materials. It is a cozy 1100 sq ft come on the Bench, situated on 1 acre, converted to a permaculture garden, which began as a fruit orchard. The original owner (who commissioned the project) only reported needing 1 log of wood per day in the coldest winter months. Electric baseboard heaters were included—part of the permit-requirement for heat— but only used to burn off the factory oil on the heating element. He never used additional cooling in the summer, and the internal temperature never got higher than 75, even during our heat-record breaking summers.
Lasting Reduced Energy-Use Performance
80% Passive solar
R40 Straw bale curtain walls
R52 Roof insulation
Insulated Slab-on-Grade Concrete Flooring
