Straw-bale Meditation Room--Sustainable Design and Building by Skillful Means

Coastal Chapel

Skillful Means was asked to design this room addition in Ft. Bragg because of our experience in both sacred architecture and straw-bale construction. The owner wanted a sizable addition which would blend with the existing house and fit into the neighborhood yet have the special character of a meditation room and a thick-walled cottage. Energy efficiency and a bright, airy relief to the drab coastal climate were additional goals.

Our design carefully placed the building in the landscape in order to find balance with the existing house, and used accents of wood siding to echo the coastal vernacular and control massing. When painted with a lime plaster, the building will blend well with the existing house. On the inside, the meditation room has quite a different feeling, reminiscent of several spiritual traditions....European and Mexican chapels, zen monasteries, Tibetan and Asian temples.

A roof composed of scissor trusses and pine boards milled from the property evoke the coastal vernacular and provide dramatic detail. Thick, textured walls create a cozy and timeless feel.

The solid mass of the walls is broken by a large window seat which brings diffused southern light into the room. Skylights above every other truss provide further gentle light and make artificial lighting unnecessary during the day. Obscured by the truss limber, these skylights lighten the roof trusses without calling attention to themselves.

Hidden lights at the top of the wall wash the wood roof with a honey glow. Large paper lanterns suspended between each truss and round windows at gable ends define the truss bays and provide good lighting below.

Skillful Means was responsible for construction, which began with a blessing by a Tibetan lama and two Buddhist monks from the Thai Forest tradition.

Bales went up during a weekend baleraising attended by many of the owner's friends. Work was completed just before Christmas 1997.On the last day, we put together a simple entry porch sitting area using lumber left over from construction


	Coastal Chapel Skillful Means was asked to design this room addition in Ft. Bragg because of our experience in both sacred architecture and straw-bale construction. The owner wanted a sizable addition which would blend with the existing house and fit into the neighborhood yet have the special character of a meditation room and a thick-walled cottage. Energy efficiency and a bright, airy relief to the drab coastal climate were additional goals. Our design carefully placed the building in the landscape in order to find balance with the existing house, and used accents of wood siding to echo the coastal vernacular and control massing. When painted with a lime plaster, the building will blend well with the existing house. On the inside, the meditation room has quite a different feeling, reminiscent of several spiritual traditions....European and Mexican chapels, zen monasteries, Tibetan and Asian temples. A roof composed of scissor trusses and pine boards milled from the property evoke the coastal vernacular and provide dramatic detail. Thick, textured walls create a cozy and timeless feel.
		The solid mass of the walls is broken by a large window seat which brings diffused southern light into the room. Skylights above every other truss provide further gentle light and make artificial lighting unnecessary during the day. Obscured by the truss limber, these skylights lighten the roof trusses without calling attention to themselves. Hidden lights at the top of the wall wash the wood roof with a honey glow. Large paper lanterns suspended between each truss and round windows at gable ends define the truss bays and provide good lighting below. Skillful Means was responsible for construction, which began with a blessing by a Tibetan lama and two Buddhist monks from the Thai Forest tradition. Bales went up during a weekend baleraising attended by many of the owner's friends. Work was completed just before Christmas 1997.On the last day, we put together a simple entry porch sitting area using lumber left over from construction
		Thanks to the many who helped!