Infinity Barn

Like most of the small buildings here at Blue Rock Station, the Infinity Barn began its life as a project to be constructed during a straw bale workshop.

The students first leveled the area, then place tires for the foundation. The tires were then filled and rammed solid with earth. After two layers were in place, a wooden sill plate was installed and secured with rebar pins.

The support framing was put in place, including trusses we made on site from 2x4s. This is a non load-bearing design, so the wooden framing supports the structure. The straw bales are merely fill.

Once framing was completed, the bales of straw are put in place and the walls corseted together using straw bale needles and twine. The entire surface is then covered in an earth plaster mixture.

In this particular project it was decided to build a beer bottle wall in the front, and intern Michel Anderson designed an “infinity wall” that incorporates they symbols for earth, water, wind and fire.

The building was designed to utilize passive heat (faces south). The higher middle section allows the hot air to rise up and is then vented out the side. The lower side areas keep heat trapped close to the goats in the winter.