1st day

Our first workshop day started with a 3 hour lecture given by Gernot Minke. Subject: Earthen, strawbale buildings and green roofs.

Minke at his lecture

From Strawbale Dome Minke

and all the spectators:

From Strawbale Dome Minke

Great to have a covered area for cutting the bales - right side: straw bales, left side: ready cut "building blocks"

From Strawbale Dome Minke

Straw bale logistics are not so easy! Exact angle of cut and amount and length of bale is important

From Strawbale Dome Minke

Straw bales marked with tape

From Strawbale Dome Minke

The custom made cutting machine. Cutting produces a lot of cut straw that needs to be taken care of. Straw bales do not burn easily when baled, but loose straw can be dangerous.

From Strawbale Dome Minke

Edges and ends of the straw bale are trimmed with an "Alligator" - very handy machine...

From Strawbale Dome Minke

Moving the loose straw in big bags to the building site

From Strawbale Dome Minke

to make a path trough the mud after another strong rainfall:

From Strawbale Dome Minke

Sharpening wooden nails that will fix the bales to the OSB bottom plate:

From Strawbale Dome Minke

The rotational guide needs foundations. Because of the height of the existing guide, the floor had to be dug up to place the guide in the right height. Bad feeling digging up what we had just finished... :-)

From Strawbale Dome Minke

Ready installed rotational guide waiting for the concrete to cure.

From Strawbale Dome Minke

After the first half day of work a well earned break!

From Strawbale Dome Minke