2011-08-23

水硬性石灰 カナダの土壁 大津 Hydraulic Lime and Otsu Earthen-Lime Plasters at Harvest Haven Health, Lethbridge, Canada

August 1-23, traveled to Lethbridge, Canada to help plaster several buildings at Harvest Haven Health, an eighty-acre, organic, mixed market farm with an on-farm store. The farm is a synergistic diversification of beef cattle, sheep, layer and broiler chickens, turkeys, pasture, hay, grain fields, vegetable and herb gardens, strawberries, raspberries, bee hives for honey, and an orchard of apples, plums and cherries.

Mark and I translate for Ishibadate Online School of Japanese Timber Framing and Natural Building. In 2010, Mark invited Mr. Yoshitomo Takahashi to Harvest Haven Health to teach a course on Japanese timber framing and lead the construction of a 4000 square foot traditional Japanese timber frame.

Japanese Timber Frame

Many of the timbers were milled with a chainsaw

In addition to the Japanese timber frame "store", a home, guest house and boiler house are also being built. The store, home and guest house feature a durisol foundation and light straw clay walls.

Durisol Block

Light Straw Clay Walls

Durisol Blocks are a combination of wood fiber-cement and rock wool insulation. In light straw clay construction, a mixture of mainly straw and some clay slip are packed into permanent or removable forms. In this case, the forms are removed, leaving a surface similar to straw bale walls.

Light Straw Clay Mixer

Larson trusts are constructed onto the timber frame to accommodate the straw clay walls. The interiors are finished with American Clay and the exteriors with hydraulic lime (水硬性石灰).

Truth Window

American Clay Interior

Ben Scott of The Lime Plaster Company, lead the exterior plastering.

Ben and Mark mixing hydraulic lime


Hydraulic Lime Scratch Coat on Guest House

Hydraulic Lime Brown Coat on Guest House

Texture