RESEARCH Straw Bale Design In the spring of 1998, two architecture students from the North Carolina State University School of Design, did an independent study on straw bale construction. Professor Patrick Rand of NCSU and Lisa Wilson of Design Collaboration teamed to guide the project. The main focus of the independent study was to give both both students hands-on experience in the techniques associated with straw bale construction. The long-term goal of this project is to construct straw bale walls and test them for temperature, moisture and overall performance over the course of time. Design Collaboration developed the methodology for the testing. Since North Carolina is composed of three climatic regions (coastal, piedmont and mountains), the design team is hoping to have walls constructed and evaluated in all three regions undergoing the same testing methodology. To date the project is at a standstill due to financing for testing equipment and technical support. Design Collaboration fully supports this project and would like to one day bring straw bale building technology to the forefront of affordable housing construction in North Carolina. If you have any comments, ideas or would like to participate in this research endeavor please contact Design Collaboration. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING Sustainable Design Report for the Minnesota Department of Human Services The Minnesota Department of Human Service's (DHS) Sustainable Report is one chapter of a newly developed master plan for a one million square foot government complex. The DHS Sustainable Report, is structured to serve as an overview of sustainable design principles and as construction guideline. Participatory workshops and interviews were conducted with employees to fully understand the needs and expectations of DHS in creating a healthy and productive work environment. It is important sustainable philosophies are defined as project goals at the beginning of the design process to ensure these goals are incorporated into the overall project. With this guideline and overview of sustainable principles, DHS has the option in the pre-design phase to further define how to integrate environmentalism into their new building. Considerations are given to site design; transportation; construction systems; interior materials; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); indoor air quality; alternative power and energy efficiency; life cycle costs; and the natural context of the site. These are only some of the issues addressed in the DHS Sustainable Report. The project is currently being reviewed by the Minnesota Legislature to determine the future course of action. You may download an excerpt from the DHS Sustainable Report in PDF format. In order to read the downloaded report, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader on your computer system. If you don't have Acrobat Reader, click here to go to Adobe's website to download it free of charge. Download DHS Sustainable Report Excerpt Report By: Design Collaboration, LLC Note: the PDF file available for download contains the report's introduction, not the report in its entirety. To obtain additional information on the Minnesota DHS Sustainable Report, contact Design Collaboration at lisa@designcollaboration.com.