Our journey began about 15 years ago with a subscription to The Owner Builder magazine.  I was immediately taken with the strawbale houses and as soon as a new magazine came out I would head straight to the strawbale builds.  The thick rendered walls, the earthy/cosy feel and thermal efficiency  of the strawbale ticked all the boxes.

We weren't sure the dream would become a reality until we went along to a Sustainable Open House Day about 6 years ago and met Shamus and toured one of his strawbale builds through SO’R Construction.  We couldn't believe it, a local builder who specialises in strawbale builds!  

The SHD’s each year provided us with many examples and ideas, particularly as in Geelong we are fortunate to have almost yearly examples of strawbale houses.

We were lucky enough to secure a block of land at Inverleigh several years ago and were quick to lock in Shamus to do the build. This is our first build  and we were extremely lucky to have Shamus, Tristan and the team guide us through the process.  Their patience, knowledge and expertise was invaluable and their appreciation for detail and quality meant we have an amazing house.  We were able to utilise their experience and knowledge in so many areas of the design and build, which saved us a lot of time and stress.

Even though we have only been in the house a few months we have certainly appreciated the thermal efficiency, particularly in the mornings and evenings.  Our electricity bill is less than at our previous older house even though everything is electric and so of course we no longer have the additional gas bill. The thick rendered walls and deep windows also look beautiful and contribute to how cosy the home feels.  The large north facing windows take in the solar gain from the north and give great views of the surrounding gardens.     

We keep pinching ourselves that we are now living in a strawbale home that has exceeded all our expectations.  The dream is now real!

Supplier Information: Pickering Joinery, TimberZoo, Barwon Timber & Hardware, Betta Stone Recycled Glass Benchtops