Strawbale in the City

As the first permitted strawbale building to be constructed in center city San Diego, the Friends Center project was developed and designed as a showcase “green” building, a demonstration site for state-of-the-art environmentally sustainable building techniques, including strawbale construction, solar power, passive solar design, rainwater capture, and other energy-efficient components.

Visually, the design for this church and commercial office space was inspired by Spanish courtyard homes and Midwestern grain silos.

In addition to design skills and knowledge of environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient materials and processes, Hubbell & Hubbell was instrumental in educating the City Building Department on alternative building materials and obtaining building permits, making this the first multipurpose strawbale project in the City.  When completed, the structure is expected to receive a minimum of LEED “silver” certification by the US Green Building Council, and was used by the San Diego chapter of the USGBC as an early case-study of sustainable design and implementation.

The Friends Center is a result of collaboration among four groups: The Friends of San Diego, The Peace Resource Center, The American Friends Service Committee, and The Church of the Brethren.The Friends Center project is a demonstration model of earth-friendly values for now and for our future, and it also demonstrates how advocates of peace and justice can collaborate to share resources and space.

The process of creating this special building includes plenty of room for volunteers of all sorts to contribute to a permanent center for San Diego that will promote peace, social justice, spiritual growth and a sustainable environment.

Learn more on their website www.sandiegofriendscenter.org, and in this pdf summary of the Friends Center: Project Values Partners.

Straw Bale Home Reclaims Site

When the Gonzales family purchased the property in 2009, the pool, driveway, foundation, and some trees remained from the previous house destroyed by the 2007 Witch Creek fires. Building a home designed by Drew Hubbell was something Vince & Paula Gonzales had dreamed about for a long time.

The Gonzales’s see there new 2400 square foot straw bale home as the result of a slew of life experiences and as a tribute to Paula’s parents. Building with straw was important to the Gonzales’s as it is an environmentally friendly, ancient building method with modern application and allot of appeal. Straw bales are a natural product and provide superior fire, noise, and thermal resistance.

The design of their new home salvages what little was left of the previous structure on the property and construction was performed carefully to limit debris. The home sits on the existing slab of the previous home while concrete pieces cut from the slab for plumbing and electrical lines have been re-cycled to build up drainage barriers around existing trees. Even the stairs are made from left over framing materials. Downstairs, the entire floor is a stained, concrete based formula spread over the original slab while the upstairs floors are bamboo, an exceptionally renewable material. The kitchen counter top is made of recycled materials mixed with concrete and a brick wall in the side yard was built from pieces left from the previous home. The house will use gray water for irrigation as well as rain and nightly condensation being collected on the metal roof.

Team:

Hubbell & Hubbell – Architect

Mark Tighe – Builder

Tri-Dimensional Engineering– Civil Engineering

GSSI – Structural Engineering

Artemsia – Landscape Design

Strawbale Hacienda

This energy-efficient, Mexican hacienda-style courtyard home incorporates traditional detailing and materials, and was designed with entertaining in mind.

Mexican clay tile roofs cover porches on the east and west facades providing shade from the hot morning and late afternoon sun. Super-insulated straw bale walls maintain comfortable interiors, reducing need for expensive heating and cooling in extreme desert temperatures.

The owners (former sailboat captains), took an active role in construction, and designed the large water feature and landscaping. Local stone was used to create terraced site walls containing native desert landscaping. A collection of palm trees creates a desert oasis in the rear yard.

Daoust Kennedy Project Team

Courtyard-Style Straw-Bale Residence & Guest House

Residence: The structural system is composed of wood, steel posts and reclaimed timber beams with straw bale infill. A passive solar energy system creates hot water for the pool, while the subterranean garage provides passive cooling. Although underground, the garage takes advantage of the desert sunshine and uses daylighting as part of the lighting scheme; light flows into the garage through light wells in the curved walls and through the glass bottom of the circular fountain. Other features include: rooftop viewing deck, custom stained glass doors and light features, custom mosaic tile, custom railings and gates.

Casita: The building incorporates passive solar design and clerestory windows to facilitate natural cooling. A radiused blue metal trellis softens the building visually while shading the outdoor patio.

Team: Architects – Hubbell & Hubbell Architects; Structural Engineer – Orion Engineering; Contractor – Lang Contracting; Art Elements – James T. Hubbell

Designed for the Earth Discovery Institute, the structure is a showcase for recycled content materials.  The Institute uses it as a place to teach, receive guests and distribute trail literature.  Volunteers and members of the Urban Corps constructed the kiosk under the direction of Bob Bolles.

The Crestridge Ecological Preserve is a 2600 acre parcel of land east of San Diego.  The land is largely coastal sage scrub habitat and home to more than fifty sensitive and protected species of plants and animals.  Planning is under way for a field station and “Bridge to Nature” designed by Hubbell & Hubbell.