Mike is a sawyer, but also an environmental activist; he sought to build his house using straw bales not just to support the roof, but to be the roof structure as well.

Dan Smith and I definitely "pushed the envelope" at Mike's urging, using gabions ( rock-filled heavy wire cages) as the foundation instead of concrete, and bracing his two story space with bale buttresses that are roofed over to create storage and social spaces north and south of the interior.

Heavy wire mesh on both sides of the bale walls and roof transfers the wind and earthquake loads to the foundation.