By Tina Therrien of Camel's Back Construction:

    Owning two out of the three plaster pumps dedicated to straw bale buildings in this province

means that we get the opportunity to travel far and wide with our pump, plastering a great variety of

owner-built projects and homes built by other professional builders. These are exciting times, and

we are thrilled to still be involved with this whole crazy thing called bale building.

(Frank Tettemer/Cheryl Keetch). We worked on a Living Sol house last year as well, which was a

beautifully designed and crafted home. As professional bale builders (yes, we still do bale work, in

and around the many plastering commitments we take on!) we have high expectations for deeming

when a building is 'ready' to be plastered. We even have a list of what clients/general contractors

need to do before we arrive for plastering, to try to get things to a state of readiness for all, and to

allow for a smoother, more professional plastering job. Sometimes we send someone to a house

ahead of time for an inspection before we bring the entire crew in to plaster, just to make sure that

all of the 'details' are taken care of. When we get a call from Living Sol, we don't bother sending

'the list', nor do we bother sending out a scout ahead of time to inspect the building. We just know

it will be ready. They do an exceptional job, not only in the very fine craftsmanship of their

construction, but in the very fine attention they pay to detail in everything they do. The prep work

that they do before we arrive is extensive and thorough (mesh is stitched tightly everywhere,

flashing neatly installed, finished floors completely masked, scaffolding erected all around

building).

    So, since we do get to see such a variety of buildings, we feel that we are somewhat in a position to

offer awards of excellence to other builders out there, professional and amateur. Camel's Back

offers this year's award to Living Sol, with a close second going to Albert & Martha Attema, who

built their own home near North Bay. We extend an invitation to each and every one of you to

prepare your buildings as well as Living Sol. It's a tall order: their commitment to detail, to fine

work, to caring, to treading lightly, to planning creatively, is immense. We look forward to working

with other builders and homeowners in the years to come, and hope that you, too, may someday be

in line for an award for your building. The OSBBC has helped open the doors for professionals to

discuss building techniques, ask questions of one another, solve problems together. I look forward

to many more such experiences.

strawbus@auracom.com

www.strawhomes.ca

705-652-3626