Building a Vaulted Straw Bale "Chicken Chalet"

We have built (and continue to build) a number of straw bale buildings at Blue Rock Station.  First amongst these is the vaulted “Chicken Chalet.”  T

This cute little building (8’x12’) houses our flock  rare breed chickens.  The structure keeps them safe and warm at night.  One of the advantages of straw bale in an application like this is that the insulating value keeps water from freezing during the winter months - and keeps the little critters cool during the heat of the summer.

The Chalet incorporates a pounded tire foundation, vaulted straw bale side walls, bottle/can front and back walls, all coated in a nice earth plaster.

The roof is supported by wooden beams (so the straw is non-load bearing) and is covered in recycled slate.  We will explain some of our reasons for taking this route in the roofing details below.

The structure is (at its base) 12 feet wide and 8 feet deep.  At its peak it stands about 11 feet high.  In keeping with as much use of reclaimed materials as possible - and being basically cheap in nature - we have tracked the costs associated with this project.  Apart from labor we figure the entire cost to be about $500 (US 2005 dollars)

This was our prototype build - so we plan to be a bit more adventurous on future structures, making them a bit deeper (not wider) and finishing the interior to suit humans rather than chickens.

The construction process...

• The Tire Foundation
• Waterproofing (keeping its feet dry)
• Framing the Structure
• Building the Vaulted Straw Bale Walls
• The Can/Bottle Walls
• Earth Plasters
• The Roof
• The Finish Work

Check out our book on Building a Vaulted Straw Bale Wall

Check out our book on Building a Tire Foundation