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http://Scene-RLS.net
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On Great Escapes, we're going
to travel the wilderness on the hunt
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for unique architectural design.
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I'm Colin McAllister.
And I'm Justin Ryan.
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We're designers that have travelled
the globe renovating houses
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and adding our own unique flair
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to other people's homes.
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Now, we love the great outdoors
and the idea of embracing
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the wilderness into your home.
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And in fact, just how far people
will go to achieve precisely that.
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Building an escape in the woods
presents magnificent opportunities
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for individual design, but also
unique challenges to work in harmony
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with the surroundings.
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Add to that an extreme North
American climate, from blistering
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hot summers to
teeth-chattering winters,
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and these escapes must combine
splendour with functionality.
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We're going to explore properties
that take that challenge head on
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as we investigate homes
that celebrate the landscape
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and work with the environment
in interesting and distinctive ways.
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We will be visiting dramatically
different properties...
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..whose homeowners are seeking
design purity,
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employing one dominant
building material.
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We'll then be exploiting
the challenges therein
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of using that one material.
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One owner would only contemplate
building his entire dwelling
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out of glass.
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But is there method to his madness?
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Oh, my goodness.
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Another proud homeowner dreamed of
building a timber-framed property,
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meticulously pieced together
with lumber from across the nation.
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Wow.
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And we'll be finding out how
straw bales are useful for
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much more than just horse bedding.
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This is completely and utterly,
totally, wildly different
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to virtually everything
that we've ever seen in our lives.
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So, we've heard that the first place
that we're going to see is
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a real sight to behold, especially
given that in this area most cabins
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are A-frame and built out of wood.
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Ah, but the homeowner, Larry, wasn't
interested in anything traditional.
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Oh, no.
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He decided to build his cabin...
..entirely out of glass.
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After buying a piece of property
with a main cottage structure
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and a boathouse, professional
photographer Larry Williams
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decided to completely reimagine
the waterfront.
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Top of his list, constructing a new
work-live building over the water.
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First and foremost, it's a dwelling
for Larry and his wife.
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But it also serves as a studio
for both him and other photographers
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who can rent out the space.
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Hey, Larry. How you doing?
Great. Great. Good to see you, sir.
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Well, talk about first impressions.
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This is awesome.
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Well, glad you like it.
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Location clearly is everything.
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And your positioning right beside
the water with this incredible
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array of granite.
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This granite is over
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three billion years old.
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That's even older than Colin. Wow!
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THEY LAUGH
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And to have all of that glass
is a really big statement
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that you clearly decided to make.
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It's just absolutely
simplistic and beautiful.
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So would you like to see the inside?
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I would lo-...
I thought you'd never ask.
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Can we have a snoop around?
Come on. Sure.
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I think the benefit of using glass,
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especially in
the great outdoors, is that
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you're really kind of
dematerialising
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that division between
being indoors and outdoors.
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It allows you to detach from
what your typically urban
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or kind of busy day-to-day life is.
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Oh, my goodness.
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This is truly spectacular.
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No walls, however, no boundaries.
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Completely open-plan.
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How big is this?
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It's just a little over
1,800 square feet.
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Wow. 1,800 square feet of
absolute purity and tranquillity.
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I mean, just listen.
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Just silence.
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You know what this feels like -
it feels like an art gallery.
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It should feel like an art gallery,
because that was one of the criteria
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that we gave to the architect.
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Now, as a professional photographer,
you're using this as somewhere
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to conduct your business
as well as somewhere to retreat
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from the stresses of life.
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How do you combine
those two functions?
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Well, that's true. We actually built
this to be used as a photo studio.
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So the glass is called
ferrous-free glass.
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That means there's no iron in it.
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And it's the iron that gives you
a green tint to the glass.
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It's really worth it because
you have the beautiful experience
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of no colour distortion
as you're in here.
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It's the ultimate daylight studio.
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You know, and you've got an amazing
deck unlike any deck I've ever seen.
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Curved glass - this is almost
invisible to the eye.
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You know, you can
look right through it.
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It's not an obstruction at all.
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A lot of people might be concerned
that when you live in a glass home,
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you could either be
far too hot in the summer
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or far too cold in the winter.
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How do you balance that?
Well, you're absolutely right.
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The biggest challenge is
the summer - cooling in the summer.
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So we have geothermal
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that use the lake water
to help cool the place.
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Geothermal heating in this context
is actually geoexchange.
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We take the heat out of the building
in the summertime and deposit it
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into the ground
or a nearby body of water.
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And then in the wintertime,
we extract that heat
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and use it in the house.
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We can open these sliding doors.
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Each sheet of glass
is basically about ?500.
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Wow.
And you can move it with one hand.
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Right. Watch this.
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?500 door. Two fingers.
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Right.
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Come on!
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You have this absolute
widescreen view of the lake.
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Spectacular. I'm pretty lucky.
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Oh, my word.
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What's most special about using
glass as a primary building material
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is its transparency.
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It allows the connection to nature.
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Shall we look upstairs, yeah? Yeah.
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So it's a one bedroom,
this whole thing, isn't it?
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It is a one bedroom.
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Larry, talk about
a stairway to heaven.
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Wow. Wow.
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It's interesting - downstairs you've
used clear glass to really embrace
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the great outdoors.
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Upstairs, you've got this
translucent glass which gives
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you that degree of privacy.
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Yes, we have privacy up here. OK.
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It also is a ferrous-free glass,
so there's no green tinge to it.
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So you maintain that beautiful
white feeling throughout the place.
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Wow. Oh, hello. Retract that glass.
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Oh, wow.
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I mean, it really is
truly spectacular.
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We wanted it to feel clean.
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We wanted it to have
beautiful light.
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And we wanted to have as little
obstruction of the view as possible.
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And, wow, did we get that. You did.
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You don't have to go to a window.
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You just have to be in here.
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It seems like the use of glass,
the position on the water,
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it's all about the connection
to the great outdoors.
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You said it perfectly.
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It's not about the building itself.
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When you're here, after a while,
the building disappears. Yeah.
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Do you know, Larry,
clearly, you're an art lover.
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You've got some beautiful pieces
in here.
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But with this amount of glass,
you are in the art.
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Absolutely.
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Glass is a really important
part of this structure.
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And it's one that makes
it all the better.
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And where else can you actually
have a bath and wave
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at passing boaters?
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That's kind of unique.
It is unique.
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And it's absolutely breathtaking.
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Well, thank you.
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What an amazing space.
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Brilliant location, fantastic
design, and great, great atmosphere.
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I think you can be modern,
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I think you can have loads of glass,
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and the idea that you actually can
have glass to give you exposure
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and privacy is
a major takeaway for me.
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Everything about this spot
is magnificent.
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Timber-frame homes are not unusual
in this part of the world.
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Yeah, it would be hard to throw
a stick without hitting
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a would-built home around here.
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But this next home, well, it's
taken the traditional timber frame
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and given it a modern
and contemporary spin.
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Timber framing or post and beam
construction is an ancient building
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method, using large wooden beams,
carefully fitted and bound
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with the joints secured
by wooden pegs.
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The techniques used in timber
framing date as far back
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as the Neolithic age.
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Traditionally, the timbers
would have been worked using axes.
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Present day timbers, however,
are mostly squared with band saws.
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Hey, Bryan. Hey, Bryan.
How are you doing?
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Good morning.
Welcome to Stoney Lake.
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Isn't it great?
Oh, it's just incredible.
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This is unbelievable.
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You ask yourself, where do you want
to wake up? Right here.
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Right here at five o'clock
in the morning or at eight o'clock
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in the morning - it's a great site.
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This is, what - six years old?
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It is. What was there?
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You know, what was the original
building like?
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The building that was here before
was a 100-year-old typical home.
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I decided to take it down.
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And I have to tell you, when I got
here and those pilings were up,
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I thought I'd built Stonehenge.
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Oh, my word.
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"What have I done?"
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"I've made a huge mistake."
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But by the time
the building was there,
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it all came to scale.
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The timber frame ties in
so effectively with the standing
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pine trees that are here.
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It fits without standing out.
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Obviously, when you're building
a home, there are loads of different
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types of wood that you can choose.
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And as I look up there,
I'm seeing what I think is maybe
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western red cedar, which is one
of my own favourite lumber types.
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Yeah. A tiny bit of it.
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There's white pine, there is
some fur in the cross members
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at the front of the cottage.
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It just made some sense to mix
it up a little bit.
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By the time it's stained out,
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you really wouldn't know
one from the other.
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The view from the water's terrific.
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The view from 30 feet
higher is even better.
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Fantastic.
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To kind of like go back to timber
structure is very romantic
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because it kind of hearkens
to that era of handmade things.
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Pre-industrial.
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Meaning they would take large
hewn trees
219
00:09:08,008 --> 00:09:10,072
they would cut them down,
kind of shape them roughly
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00:09:10,072 --> 00:09:12,044
into usable pieces.
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So, essentially, it was kind
of like a tent structure
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built like that.
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Wow.
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Look at the height in here.
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This is incredible.
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The wood, the exposure, there's so
much heritage and tradition there.
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Allowing the light
to penetrate from the back
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right to the front of the building.
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It just makes it seem so, so large.
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Frankly, the square footage
is small.
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00:09:33,076 --> 00:09:35,044
1,100 square feet, or thereabouts.
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00:09:35,044 --> 00:09:41,016
What makes it so big, or feeling
big, is 18-foot-high ceilings.
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Two bedrooms.
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A really unique
bathroom situation.
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There is that opportunity for some
loft space up above and it was built
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with that thought in mind.
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No need to reinforce
or do anything after the fact.
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00:09:53,048 --> 00:09:56,052
So it's a really welcoming
and lovely contemporary design
239
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that uses lumber, timber, trees
as its natural main component.
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00:10:00,084 --> 00:10:03,044
Everywhere you look,
different variants of timber.
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00:10:03,044 --> 00:10:05,004
And it feels so architectural.
242
00:10:05,004 --> 00:10:08,060
Yet it still feels
really incredibly cosy.
243
00:10:08,060 --> 00:10:10,040
And again, it's the wood
that does that.
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00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:11,068
It's all about the beams.
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00:10:11,068 --> 00:10:15,032
And that's what makes it connect
with the forest on the far side,
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00:10:15,032 --> 00:10:17,080
or the big pine trees
that we have out front as well.
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If this were steel beams,
I mean, that just wouldn't work.
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It just makes all the difference
in the world.
249
00:10:23,016 --> 00:10:26,048
Timber is a very circular process.
250
00:10:26,048 --> 00:10:29,032
The trees are drawing down
carbon from the atmosphere,
251
00:10:29,032 --> 00:10:33,068
and then we shape those trees
into usable lumber.
252
00:10:33,068 --> 00:10:36,020
They sequester that carbon
from the atmosphere
253
00:10:36,020 --> 00:10:38,056
while they are performing
the function of the structure
254
00:10:38,056 --> 00:10:41,072
of our buildings, which they will
perform for hundreds
255
00:10:41,072 --> 00:10:43,024
and hundreds of years.
256
00:10:43,024 --> 00:10:48,056
And then nature will then take back
that lumber into the ground,
257
00:10:48,056 --> 00:10:52,008
decompose and start the process
all over again.
258
00:10:52,008 --> 00:10:55,048
A contemporary building
and traditional build qualities.
259
00:10:55,048 --> 00:10:58,052
And you can see that so clearly
when you look up there and you see
260
00:10:58,052 --> 00:11:00,088
the pegs and the way the timbers
have been cut.
261
00:11:00,088 --> 00:11:02,092
It's just such a good connection.
262
00:11:02,092 --> 00:11:07,012
I was at the plant when all
of these pieces were cut.
263
00:11:07,012 --> 00:11:10,064
Three cranes swinging and moving
all this stuff in, just like putting
264
00:11:10,064 --> 00:11:12,068
a big jigsaw puzzle together.
265
00:11:12,068 --> 00:11:15,048
There's a lot of very technical
techniques in this home.
266
00:11:15,048 --> 00:11:18,020
The design was to cover
up the pieces that joined
267
00:11:18,020 --> 00:11:19,048
the beams together.
268
00:11:19,048 --> 00:11:21,020
And I said, I want to see that.
269
00:11:21,020 --> 00:11:24,028
It's another story to show,
or another story to tell.
270
00:11:24,028 --> 00:11:26,084
Timber-framed houses are renowned
for their longevity.
271
00:11:26,084 --> 00:11:30,028
The inherent strength of large
timber posts and beams tied together
272
00:11:30,028 --> 00:11:33,012
using mortise and tenon joinery
takes advantage of
273
00:11:33,012 --> 00:11:34,024
the strength of the wood.
274
00:11:34,024 --> 00:11:37,032
The logs naturally crack as the wood
in a timber frame dries.
275
00:11:37,032 --> 00:11:39,068
This does not compromise the
strength, but it does have
276
00:11:39,068 --> 00:11:43,036
the benefit of further tightening
the joinery as the wood shrinks.
277
00:11:43,036 --> 00:11:45,044
What do visitors think
when they come and visit you?
278
00:11:45,044 --> 00:11:46,068
What's their response?
279
00:11:46,068 --> 00:11:49,016
Well, if there's a word, it's wow.
280
00:11:50,028 --> 00:11:51,088
Clearly, you did your homework.
I did.
281
00:11:51,088 --> 00:11:54,036
You knew exactly what you wanted,
what you didn't want. Mm-hm.
282
00:11:54,036 --> 00:11:55,068
Which is really important.
283
00:11:55,068 --> 00:11:57,024
No disappointments. Yeah.
284
00:11:57,024 --> 00:12:00,056
75 years, 100 years from now, this
place is still going to be here.
285
00:12:00,056 --> 00:12:01,072
Timber frame is timber frame.
286
00:12:01,072 --> 00:12:02,080
It's going to be here.
287
00:12:09,016 --> 00:12:12,012
We talked about a lot of
what's going on inside.
288
00:12:12,012 --> 00:12:14,072
Let's go outside because
that is just such an extension
289
00:12:14,072 --> 00:12:16,072
of this property. Follow me.
Yeah, lead the way.
290
00:12:18,092 --> 00:12:21,056
If I were to try and put into
a nutshell, what I like most
291
00:12:21,056 --> 00:12:24,060
about this particular part
of your home is just the fact that
292
00:12:24,060 --> 00:12:26,008
I don't know where I am.
293
00:12:26,008 --> 00:12:27,072
Am I hanging over the water?
294
00:12:27,072 --> 00:12:29,056
Am I in the branches of a tree?
295
00:12:29,056 --> 00:12:31,048
Am I on the bow of a boat?
296
00:12:31,048 --> 00:12:34,028
It's just that lovely
sense of elevation.
297
00:12:34,028 --> 00:12:37,028
So let's call it
an infinity lake house.
298
00:12:37,028 --> 00:12:39,092
Cos it has that feel. It does.
It's well above the water.
299
00:12:39,092 --> 00:12:41,084
Like an infinity swimming pool,
almost. Exactly.
300
00:12:41,084 --> 00:12:44,040
It just goes on and on... Exactly.
..and on.
301
00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:46,056
Talking in terms of the relationship
to the water,
302
00:12:46,056 --> 00:12:49,008
were there any guidelines
to which you had to adhere
303
00:12:49,008 --> 00:12:52,036
when building your home in relation
to the distance to the water?
304
00:12:52,036 --> 00:12:55,060
Well, the fact of the matter is
we took down an old building,
305
00:12:55,060 --> 00:12:58,028
so grandfathering allowed me
to build on that same footprint.
306
00:12:58,028 --> 00:13:01,056
OK, so grandfathering being
the fact that there was a building
here already. Correct.
307
00:13:01,056 --> 00:13:02,076
Which afforded you the luxury
308
00:13:02,076 --> 00:13:04,044
of being able to use
that same footprint.
309
00:13:04,044 --> 00:13:08,044
So having said that,
we are actually 17 feet from shore.
310
00:13:08,044 --> 00:13:12,072
The code today for a new building,
we would have to be back 30 metres.
311
00:13:12,072 --> 00:13:13,096
Oh, wow.
312
00:13:13,096 --> 00:13:16,068
Which makes a whole lot
of what we've got here disappear.
313
00:13:16,068 --> 00:13:19,024
I mean, were you worried about
not using, like, steel beams,
314
00:13:19,024 --> 00:13:20,064
which would obviously be stronger?
315
00:13:20,064 --> 00:13:22,040
You know, you've got
timber downstairs.
316
00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:25,096
You know, I never, ever thought
about the idea of doing steel beams.
317
00:13:25,096 --> 00:13:29,088
Using timber ties into the aesthetic
of the trees that are already here.
318
00:13:29,088 --> 00:13:33,080
And that was a design component that
just, I think, adds to the whole
319
00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,068
feel and vibe, especially
from the lake. For sure.
320
00:13:36,068 --> 00:13:39,092
So, no, never, ever, ever thought
about steel beams.
321
00:13:39,092 --> 00:13:42,076
This house, from the rock up,
is just perfect.
322
00:13:42,076 --> 00:13:44,052
You know, the relationship
with the lake,
323
00:13:44,052 --> 00:13:46,024
the harmony with the surroundings.
324
00:13:46,024 --> 00:13:48,020
This is a successful home.
325
00:13:48,020 --> 00:13:50,020
That's a nice way to describe it.
I appreciate that.
326
00:13:52,020 --> 00:13:53,024
Perfect proof.
327
00:13:53,024 --> 00:13:55,036
You know, if you want a modern
structure to be friendly
328
00:13:55,036 --> 00:13:57,024
and inviting,
you've got to use timber.
329
00:13:57,024 --> 00:13:58,084
You know, using that natural medium,
330
00:13:58,084 --> 00:14:02,040
especially in this environment,
really pays big dividends.
331
00:14:02,040 --> 00:14:06,016
Timber historically has done so well
throughout architectural builds
332
00:14:06,016 --> 00:14:08,064
and there's no reason not
to continue using it.
333
00:14:08,064 --> 00:14:12,028
The embracement of this beautiful
rock, you know, the sympathetic way
334
00:14:12,028 --> 00:14:13,036
that it just sits there,
335
00:14:13,036 --> 00:14:16,048
a perfect crowning glory
on something already beautiful.
336
00:14:16,048 --> 00:14:18,064
It truly is a home to look up to.
337
00:14:18,064 --> 00:14:21,056
I actually think this will
still be here in 100 years.
338
00:14:21,056 --> 00:14:24,060
It really is the kind of design
that will stand the test of time.
339
00:14:27,068 --> 00:14:29,048
So, I want to be surprised
by this next house.
340
00:14:29,048 --> 00:14:31,096
Well, I think it's fair to say
you're not going to be disappointed
341
00:14:31,096 --> 00:14:34,088
cos this particular place
has got the most unusual building
342
00:14:34,088 --> 00:14:36,020
materials of them all.
343
00:14:36,020 --> 00:14:38,020
I know, right? It's straw!
344
00:14:38,020 --> 00:14:41,012
Maybe the three little pigs,
well, they weren't wrong after all.
345
00:14:41,012 --> 00:14:42,068
All we have to do is find it now.
346
00:14:42,068 --> 00:14:44,020
Is it turn left at the big trunk?
347
00:14:45,064 --> 00:14:49,016
Straw bale house construction uses
bales of straw as both structural
348
00:14:49,016 --> 00:14:51,028
elements and building insulation.
349
00:14:51,028 --> 00:14:54,044
It's natural, nontoxic,
and very affordable.
350
00:14:54,044 --> 00:14:58,008
Contractor Chris Magwood has built
over 40 straw bale homes, including
351
00:14:58,008 --> 00:15:00,036
one of his first for his mother,
Sandy.
352
00:15:00,036 --> 00:15:03,032
He's a leading expert on straw bale
construction and has written seven
353
00:15:03,032 --> 00:15:04,064
books on the process.
354
00:15:04,064 --> 00:15:07,032
He also teaches the trade
to a new generation interested
355
00:15:07,032 --> 00:15:08,088
in sustainable new construction.
356
00:15:10,008 --> 00:15:11,016
Aha.
357
00:15:11,016 --> 00:15:13,016
Nice to see you both.
Nice to see you.
358
00:15:13,016 --> 00:15:15,096
This must just be like
a dream to live in every day.
359
00:15:15,096 --> 00:15:17,040
This is a dream to live in.
360
00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:18,060
When I go to bed at night...
361
00:15:18,060 --> 00:15:19,076
BIRDS CHIRP
362
00:15:19,076 --> 00:15:20,088
..this is what you hear.
363
00:15:20,088 --> 00:15:23,004
Peace and tranquillity.
364
00:15:23,004 --> 00:15:25,088
Now, you're a licensed contractor
and this isn't automatically
365
00:15:25,088 --> 00:15:28,076
the kind of place that we'd think of
when we think of building a home.
366
00:15:28,076 --> 00:15:30,072
Can you give us a little bit
of background about
367
00:15:30,072 --> 00:15:31,076
this straw built home?
368
00:15:31,076 --> 00:15:35,000
This is what I specialise in doing,
is this kind of construction.
369
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:38,064
And the idea behind it was trying to
make the building as local
370
00:15:38,064 --> 00:15:42,060
as possible, as healthy as possible,
as close to nature as possible.
371
00:15:42,060 --> 00:15:44,036
How do people react
when you say to them,
372
00:15:44,036 --> 00:15:46,068
"OK, you know what,
straw bale construction?"
373
00:15:46,068 --> 00:15:49,020
Right off the bat, people are
surprised that it's not
374
00:15:49,020 --> 00:15:52,012
more obviously somehow
looking like straw.
375
00:15:52,012 --> 00:15:54,092
They don't realise that the straw
is just encapsulated in the wall.
376
00:16:02,056 --> 00:16:04,088
This is truly spectacular.
377
00:16:04,088 --> 00:16:06,020
Wow.
378
00:16:06,020 --> 00:16:08,024
There's a lot of space in here.
379
00:16:08,024 --> 00:16:10,044
In total, what's your
square footage here?
380
00:16:10,044 --> 00:16:11,048
1,300 ish.
381
00:16:11,048 --> 00:16:12,060
It's very hard to measure
382
00:16:12,060 --> 00:16:14,060
a house that doesn't have
any straight lines.
383
00:16:14,060 --> 00:16:16,004
Exactly! Ish!
384
00:16:16,004 --> 00:16:20,044
There are a few basic ground rules,
lots of windows, lots of curves
385
00:16:20,044 --> 00:16:22,068
and bathtub in the bedroom.
386
00:16:22,068 --> 00:16:25,092
This is a real breath of fresh air
because we see lots of architectural
387
00:16:25,092 --> 00:16:27,088
styles and lots of different
design styles.
388
00:16:27,088 --> 00:16:29,056
And there's often a bit
of a homogeny.
389
00:16:29,056 --> 00:16:32,092
But this is completely and utterly,
totally, wildly different
390
00:16:32,092 --> 00:16:36,024
to virtually everything
that we've ever seen in our lives.
391
00:16:36,024 --> 00:16:42,028
Straw bale, I think, architecturally
is interesting because it uses
392
00:16:42,028 --> 00:16:47,020
a fairly light material
in a massive way to achieve
393
00:16:47,020 --> 00:16:49,064
an insulating quality.
394
00:16:49,064 --> 00:16:53,096
And we seldom get the opportunity
to use massive elements
395
00:16:53,096 --> 00:16:55,028
nowadays in building.
396
00:16:55,028 --> 00:16:59,020
So I think that opportunity
is something extremely massive
397
00:16:59,020 --> 00:17:03,044
as your building envelope
is very enticing, for me anyways.
398
00:17:03,044 --> 00:17:10,016
And the fact that it's essentially,
in its most basic form,
399
00:17:10,016 --> 00:17:12,080
a very, very cheap material.
400
00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,020
I'm obsessed with practicalities,
401
00:17:14,020 --> 00:17:16,060
and I'd love to know, for example,
where the power lines are.
402
00:17:16,060 --> 00:17:18,008
How do you bring the electricity in?
403
00:17:18,008 --> 00:17:20,080
This house is off grid, so the
power's actually coming from
404
00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:24,020
the solar panels on the roof into
batteries that are in the house.
405
00:17:24,020 --> 00:17:27,052
The electrician places the wire
back far enough in the bales
to meet code.
406
00:17:27,052 --> 00:17:30,052
We carve a little hole in the straw
for the box to mount into.
407
00:17:30,052 --> 00:17:33,004
It's actually a pretty simple
process to do. Yeah, OK.
408
00:17:33,004 --> 00:17:36,004
The one thing that's slightly scary
is the fact that there's a log
409
00:17:36,004 --> 00:17:39,024
burning stove in a hay bale home.
Should I be worried?
410
00:17:39,024 --> 00:17:42,092
The fire rating is, like, double
what building codes would require...
411
00:17:42,092 --> 00:17:45,060
Oh, really? ..because the bale
itself is so densely packed
412
00:17:45,060 --> 00:17:48,072
and then you seal it behind an inch
of clay plaster, which also
413
00:17:48,072 --> 00:17:49,076
doesn't combust.
414
00:17:49,076 --> 00:17:52,072
Much more fire retardant than
a conventional house would be.
415
00:17:52,072 --> 00:17:54,084
So this house has been a labour
of love, and I can't help
416
00:17:54,084 --> 00:17:58,044
but draw my eye down to some of the
photographs that you've got here,
417
00:17:58,044 --> 00:18:00,084
which catalogue the work
that you have done.
418
00:18:00,084 --> 00:18:03,068
The big surprise,
they actually are bales of straw.
419
00:18:03,068 --> 00:18:05,004
They really are.
THEY LAUGH
420
00:18:05,004 --> 00:18:07,016
People think they're somehow
processed differently.
421
00:18:07,016 --> 00:18:10,016
But really, the way a farmer bales a
bale is what we want to build with.
422
00:18:10,016 --> 00:18:13,032
Wow. Amazing.
Everybody can come and help. Yeah.
423
00:18:13,032 --> 00:18:15,028
Because we're going
to use a clay plaster,
424
00:18:15,028 --> 00:18:19,020
we actually dipped the surface
of the bale into clay, which meant
425
00:18:19,020 --> 00:18:21,068
that when we went to put on the
actual coat, there was already
426
00:18:21,068 --> 00:18:23,036
clay for it to stick to.
427
00:18:23,036 --> 00:18:26,012
With the invention of
the hay baler in 1850,
428
00:18:26,012 --> 00:18:29,000
the use of straw to build housing
originally gained popularity
429
00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:32,036
in Nebraska due to the region's
scarcity of wood.
430
00:18:32,036 --> 00:18:34,072
It has proved to be
a durable building material.
431
00:18:34,072 --> 00:18:38,008
Straw bale homes can last
for over 100 years.
432
00:18:38,008 --> 00:18:39,068
You know what,
this is a modern structure.
433
00:18:39,068 --> 00:18:41,036
It's 13 years old.
That's it.
434
00:18:41,036 --> 00:18:42,072
So that's challenging for people.
435
00:18:42,072 --> 00:18:44,080
They like, "Oh, modern houses,
what do they look like?"
436
00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:46,080
You know, they're all glass.
They're all boxy.
437
00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:49,024
This is as modern as they are. Yeah.
438
00:18:49,024 --> 00:18:53,064
And, you know, for its time 13 years
ago was way far ahead of the curve
439
00:18:53,064 --> 00:18:54,084
in terms of energy efficiency.
440
00:18:54,084 --> 00:18:56,072
Ahead of the curve. Yeah.
I see what you did there.
441
00:18:56,072 --> 00:18:59,088
We were we seeing levels of energy
efficiency that the code didn't even
442
00:18:59,088 --> 00:19:01,000
dream of at that time.
443
00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:04,032
So, I mean, it's very modern
in its performance.
444
00:19:04,032 --> 00:19:07,084
You and Chris have built yourself
a world which for most
445
00:19:07,084 --> 00:19:09,036
people would be utter fantasy.
446
00:19:09,036 --> 00:19:11,096
From the very start to completion,
how long did that take?
447
00:19:11,096 --> 00:19:14,068
It was about a year from start
to move in. About a year. Yeah.
448
00:19:14,068 --> 00:19:18,032
How did the construction technique
of straw bales inform the design
449
00:19:18,032 --> 00:19:19,080
of the overall vision?
450
00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,072
The design process
was sort of fluid.
451
00:19:21,072 --> 00:19:24,028
And then we even let the materials
kind of speak a little bit...
452
00:19:24,028 --> 00:19:27,064
Oh, yeah, we did. ..in terms
of how things turned out, too.
453
00:19:27,064 --> 00:19:31,032
So, you'll notice sometimes
there's little ledges in the house.
454
00:19:31,032 --> 00:19:33,052
Those ledges, they weren't planned.
Whoops!
455
00:19:33,052 --> 00:19:36,000
It's just the bales landed that way.
456
00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,048
and we were like, "That would make
a nice ledge. Let's leave that."
457
00:19:38,048 --> 00:19:41,000
The bale walls are actually very
easy to make the curves with.
458
00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:43,064
They're a medium that works
for making shapes other than
459
00:19:43,064 --> 00:19:45,008
straight rectangles.
460
00:19:45,008 --> 00:19:47,048
If you want curves,
it's the material to use.
461
00:19:47,048 --> 00:19:50,024
These walls are just crying out
to be touched aren't they?
462
00:19:50,024 --> 00:19:52,028
And they're cold to the touch.
Yeah.
463
00:19:52,028 --> 00:19:53,092
Yeah, they stay nice and cool
in the summer.
464
00:19:53,092 --> 00:19:55,064
The clay plaster is really nice
for that.
465
00:19:55,064 --> 00:19:57,036
At times of high humidity
in the house,
466
00:19:57,036 --> 00:19:59,028
the walls take that humidity on.
467
00:19:59,028 --> 00:20:01,088
But if it gets really dry,
they sort of let it back.
468
00:20:01,088 --> 00:20:05,024
So it's got really gentle swings
in terms of temperature change
469
00:20:05,024 --> 00:20:06,032
and moisture change.
470
00:20:06,032 --> 00:20:09,000
So naturally air conditioned
as it were? That's right.
471
00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:14,068
What stops the transfer of heat best
is still air - air that is captured.
472
00:20:14,068 --> 00:20:18,064
And straw bales, they're like little
tubes, and they are filled
473
00:20:18,064 --> 00:20:19,076
with captured air.
474
00:20:19,076 --> 00:20:23,084
It is precisely that mechanism
that makes the straw bale
475
00:20:23,084 --> 00:20:25,068
such a good insulator.
476
00:20:25,068 --> 00:20:27,056
They're also about 14 inches thick.
477
00:20:27,056 --> 00:20:31,052
So when you get that much
of any insulating material,
478
00:20:31,052 --> 00:20:33,040
it works very effectively.
479
00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:37,044
It's lovely to think that this is
such an ancient build type.
480
00:20:37,044 --> 00:20:40,084
Yet in this day and age,
it can work incredibly well.
481
00:20:40,084 --> 00:20:45,004
And we concern ourselves with modern
techniques and sharp contrasts
482
00:20:45,004 --> 00:20:46,016
and right angles.
483
00:20:46,016 --> 00:20:50,036
Yet, you've gone for the opposite of
that and you've created this home
484
00:20:50,036 --> 00:20:54,044
with these soft lines
that just travel and comfort.
485
00:20:54,044 --> 00:20:56,060
There's something about this room
that makes me
486
00:20:56,060 --> 00:20:58,068
feel instantly relaxed and unwound.
487
00:20:58,068 --> 00:21:01,072
Do you know, you're right. There is
a tangible feel-good factor in here.
488
00:21:01,072 --> 00:21:02,076
There is.
489
00:21:02,076 --> 00:21:07,020
Quite often people will comment,
"It sounds really different in here.
Like, it sounds calm in here."
490
00:21:07,020 --> 00:21:11,024
And what they're hearing is not all
kinds of flat reflective surfaces
491
00:21:11,024 --> 00:21:13,064
that give you weird echoes
and stuff like that.
492
00:21:13,064 --> 00:21:15,024
It's like a big architectural hug.
493
00:21:15,024 --> 00:21:16,040
THEY LAUGH
494
00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:19,092
It's actually like being hugged
walking in here. It's true.
495
00:21:19,092 --> 00:21:22,060
And so, Chris, as the designer
of this incredible home,
496
00:21:22,060 --> 00:21:25,068
what would you say to other people
who might be thinking about building
497
00:21:25,068 --> 00:21:26,084
a home from straw?
498
00:21:26,084 --> 00:21:29,020
I would say
there's no reason not to.
499
00:21:29,020 --> 00:21:31,080
It can do everything a conventional
building does, and then it can do
500
00:21:31,080 --> 00:21:33,020
all the things that you've noticed -
501
00:21:33,020 --> 00:21:36,016
tempers the indoor environment
really nicely, it's nontoxic,
502
00:21:36,016 --> 00:21:38,032
you can play with the shapes
and the curves.
503
00:21:38,032 --> 00:21:41,016
So you get all these benefits, and
there aren't really any drawbacks,
504
00:21:41,016 --> 00:21:43,080
other than your own... Anxiety.
505
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:46,072
..anxieties about that you're
doing something that everybody else
506
00:21:46,072 --> 00:21:47,092
considers not normal.
507
00:21:47,092 --> 00:21:51,012
You've taken so many old,
traditional build qualities,
508
00:21:51,012 --> 00:21:53,044
but traditional build qualities
that were good for a reason.
509
00:21:53,044 --> 00:21:54,064
That's right. Yeah. Yeah.
510
00:21:57,004 --> 00:22:01,060
Do you know what, if architecture
is a feast, I just feel like
511
00:22:01,060 --> 00:22:04,084
I've had an organic
three-course meal.
512
00:22:04,084 --> 00:22:06,092
It's been a real
environmental banquet.
513
00:22:06,092 --> 00:22:08,016
You're absolutely right.
514
00:22:08,016 --> 00:22:11,052
Chris had these incredible ideas
he picked up from 18th-century
515
00:22:11,052 --> 00:22:14,004
architecture and decided
to employ all these techniques
516
00:22:14,004 --> 00:22:16,060
in his mother's home,
and it totally worked.
517
00:22:16,060 --> 00:22:18,052
It's so respectful
of the environment.
518
00:22:18,052 --> 00:22:21,028
It's been so well planned
and so well thought out.
519
00:22:21,028 --> 00:22:24,052
Straw bale architecture certainly
has its roots firmly in the past.
520
00:22:24,052 --> 00:22:27,096
But there's definitely a place
for it in 21st century architecture.
521
00:22:33,036 --> 00:22:37,028
So, three very different escapes,
but three fantastic properties.
522
00:22:37,028 --> 00:22:40,020
The one thing that they have in
common, however, is the use of one
523
00:22:40,020 --> 00:22:43,012
dominant building material
in the construction.
524
00:22:43,012 --> 00:22:44,084
Glass...
525
00:22:44,084 --> 00:22:46,000
..timber...
526
00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:47,072
..and straw.
527
00:22:47,072 --> 00:22:50,036
Each material not only provides
the key building component
528
00:22:50,036 --> 00:22:53,096
in the home, but that material
also dictates the overall design
529
00:22:53,096 --> 00:22:55,068
of the structure.
530
00:22:55,068 --> 00:22:56,072
In the glass house,
531
00:22:56,072 --> 00:22:59,056
the ferrous-free windows allow
for the ideal unfiltered light
532
00:22:59,056 --> 00:23:02,004
required in a photography studio.
533
00:23:02,004 --> 00:23:05,012
The timber-framed house uses
traditional methods and natural
534
00:23:05,012 --> 00:23:08,024
materials to construct a home that
blends in with its surroundings.
535
00:23:09,036 --> 00:23:12,040
The straw bale house takes advantage
of the natural malleability
536
00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:15,008
of the straw and the dense
nature of the bales.
537
00:23:15,008 --> 00:23:18,028
This creates a house that is both
a celebration of soft curves
538
00:23:18,028 --> 00:23:22,016
and a well-insulated home, perfectly
protected from the elements.
539
00:23:22,016 --> 00:23:25,000
The use of these very different
building materials has produced
540
00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:26,088
three very different homes.
541
00:23:26,088 --> 00:23:29,076
But with one thing in common,
they're all Great Escapes.
542
00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:37,100
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