This little straw bale building was designed by intern Nans Thomassey to provide shade for our (then) llamas as well as shelter from the rain.
He designed the building to vaguely resemble the head of a llama. The building incorporates a pounded tire foundation, a vaulted straw bale wall as well as a straight vertical straw bale wall, and side walls made of beer bottles.
The entire unit is coated in earth plastering and then painted with a pigmented lime wash. The back and top of the building is covered in slate – of which we have an abundant supply (this is the blue rock that the blue rock region takes its name).
Over the years we have found that goats love to munch on straw bale walls (even though there is no nutrition). They get bored in the winter, scrape away the mud, and chow down. Repairs in the spring are fairly easy, however.