[Strawbale] corner detail problem

[Denise Ohio]

Hi, Andrew,

Oy vey, 2.5m is deep. That'll cost some.

I was thinking about solving the problem by removing it. Or at least, 
moving it. Three feet, five feet, whatever---the steel can handle the 
structural tasks and the bales can do what they do with the minimum amount 
of fuss at the corners. Why put columns in the corners (whether inside or 
outside the bales) anyway? Steel columns can take a cantilever to the 
corner and the bales don't need that bracing at the corner. You may save on 
the total number of columns, but then again, you may not.

Yepper, in your case, the footing are poured and it would cost some to pour 
some more. And it simply may not be worth it or your clients don't have the 
resources for or desire to do that.

Also, I assumed your method would make the corners more vulnerable to 
wear-and-tear, but it may not. Even if the corners show more cracks, they 
may be cosmetic or so minor that with diligent maintenance are nothing to 
worry about. And your clients may embrace these changes as part of the package.

Which would be great. I completely agree with you about trying to hide a 
design fnck-up. Yes, there are tricks. You could always trim out the corner 
with some salvaged material that would help on general wear and tear. But I 
don't know what your design is or what your clients' goals are.

I can think of other ways of handing the bales. For example, laying the 
bales across the back of the column and revealing those columns to the 
exterior so none of the corner columns are in the wall. Leave enough room 
for the plaster behind the column and let the corners stand as pillars. 
Then I'd come up with a slick name---post-modern Greek Revival or some such 
crap---and make what appears to be a design flaw a design feature.

You could always pitch that short cut-off corner as "private gallery 
space." See how I did that? It's like three-card monte but with words.

Seriously, light it well and the room with the cut-off corner is going to 
have a different feel to it that could be quiet pleasing. But I could be 
full of crap entirely.

No insult or stupidity intended. You'll figure it out.

ohio

P.S. Actually, the pillar thing could look rather striking as long as the 
pillars are presented boldly. Fortune favors the bold, so paint them 
speeding-ticket red. I double-dog dare you. Seriously. I will give you, 
like, seven bucks if you do. You take Paypal?



>Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2006 06:42:58 +1000
>From: Andrew Webb <design at thegreenwebb.com>
>Subject: Re: [Strawbale] corner detail problem
>Cc: Strawbale at listserv.repp.org
>Message-ID: <44AC2452.5080703 at thegreenwebb.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>Hi ohio,
>
>I'm not sure of the advantage of moving the columns 3' back from the
>corners.  Can you explain your rationale?  The substructure column
>positions are already fixed because the footings are poured.  It may be
>an option to pour additional footings in new positions, but that would
>probably cost more than alternatives and be a bit of a waste.  The
>footings are 2.5m deep concrete piers so not cheap.
>
>-AW
>
> > I was wondering if it would make any sense at all to set the columns three
> > feet back from the corner along each wall.