Introduction: As part of our mandate of "practical public education", Jorg Ostrowski, together with his colleagues, have given many professional workshops since 1976 on various topics in the Green Buildings field, including but not limited to: solar greenhouses, trombe walls, double log construction, passive solar home design, and strawbale construction (both residential and commercial).

- useful strawbale workshop link: http://www.duxtonwindows.com/Pages/newframe_airdrie.html
- for resume of Jorg Ostrowski, please click here © Jorg Ostrowski 2003

Jorg Ostrowski started to participate as a resource person in various workshops at Helios Habitat in 1976. He then led several "hands-on" solar greenhouse workshops in Alberta (i.e. Rosebud) and Saskatchewan (i.e. Gravelbourg) in the late 1970s and early 1980s adding solar greenhouse additions on the south sides of buildings. Together with Helen Ostrowski, he led several participatory "Cut and Paste" passive solar home design workshops in the early1980s. Together they have also organized tours of past projects. Jorg Ostrowski has also given many "hands-on" strawbale construction workshops in BC, Alberta and PEI during the 1990s. Such workshops are now locally provided by SAIT.

He was responsible for the construction management of several well known design/build demonstration projects, such as;
1) Stampede SunSeed, in 1979 for the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Board
2) Alberta Sustainable Home/Office, in 1993 for ASH-Inc.
3) Airdrie Environmental Education Centre, 2001, for the City of Airdrie

About 120 people participated during 4 strawbale workshops during the construction of our EcoOffice project (the Airdrie Environmental Education Centre) in 2001, as part of its educational mandate. We worked on the construction of the strawbale walls and the application of stucco. Professional specialists were brought in as resource people to enhance the learning value for participants. The strawbale workshop announcement used at that time is shown below.

Certain client projects have also benefited from "hands-on" strawbale workshops, including but not limited to:
4) a small non-permit backyard [toolshed/greenhouse] combining strawbale: walls, roof and floor; with rammed earth construction and reused materials
5) a small non-permit autonomous [backyard retreat], complete with a solar collector for radiant floor heating, PV for electricity and rain barrels for
water supply
6) a large commercial strawbale project in the City of Calgary using strawbale infill walls between reused timbers, and many other reused materials
including solar hot water collectors for hot water and space heating, SIPs (structural insulated panels), windows, shipping/receiving doors, etc.
7) a [remote off-grid home] south of Calgary, complete with reused PV modules and reused wind electric generator
8) 2 homes for a remote [First Nations band] in BC for a major environmental group. These homes had concrete basements. The idea of using strawbales came from someone else. Jorg Ostrowski was brought in to complete the job. It became obvious very quickly, that strawbale construction was not sustainable in this context and that straw bales were not the appropriate wall construction material since a far more abundant and readily available building material was available in great supply all around the community. Deadfall,- dry fallen timbers were a renewable resource with which the local people were already very familiar and skilled, but that for some reason had been totally ignored and bypassed. Instead, straw bales had been imported from another province at a high monetary and environmental cost. Any professional with actual experience in various construction methods quickly learns that strawbale construction is not the saviour of the world, nor is it appropriate in many applications as imagined by strawbale zealots. [Note: We have had several clients who decided to forsake strawbale construction for more appropriate construction methods in their context, to achieve superior performance, higher R-Values, greater construction simplicity and versatility, fewer liabilities, and more assured resale value. However, this firm continues to design/build strawbale projects in western Canada, where and when appropriate.]

Contractors, architects, designers, prospective owner-builders, students, and government officials have attended these workshops from various Canadian provinces and the US. These workshops have been fertile grounds for innovative ideas, new solutions to old problems and refinements for details and methods.

For information on our next "hands-on strawbale workshop" scheduled for Calgary please, please watch this site or contact Jorg Ostrowski.

If you want to sponsor a strawbale workshop that needs a professional to help organize, promote and lead a strawbale workshop, please contact this office.

all information on this page is is protected by Copyright. © Jorg Ostrowski 2003

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Typical Strawbale Workshop Announcement:

Please note that all information is specific to each workshop, and details are subject to change without notice.

re: small Municipal Strawbale Office Building
1) two "Hands-On One-Day Stucco Workshops", Saturday Oct. 6 & 13, 2001, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
2) job opportunity: building contractors, construction workers, electricians, plumbers, subtrades, company reps

For those in the Calgary area who would like to gain some practical experience applying stucco on an innovative strawbale project, this one-day workshop may be useful for planning your future strawbale home, commercial building or other structure. Several resource people will be on-site.

Future home owners, industry and government officials, professionals and lay people will get an opportunity to ask questions on stucco applications, strawbale buildings, healthy housing, sustainable homes, green products, construction challenges, building code issues, past test results (structural testing, blower door tests) from those who have been in the field for a long time, and open-minded builders widening their scope of work.

Cost for the workshop is $50.00 + GST/person, except for employees of participating companies, or by special arrangement. All funds raised will go back into the project. If interested in participating in this "hands-on" workshop, please send an e-mail request for the "Workshop Details" and directions. A light lunch will be served. [Note: costs have varied between $50 to $300/weekend/person]

Please bring: work gloves, warm clothes, coveralls, hawk and trowel (if you have them), camera, wheel barrow, safety glasses, hat, weed wacker, rake, broom, and a happy constitution.

This "Municipal Environmental Education Centre" is meant to promote and demonstrate the use of sustainable design and construction through healthy materials, environmental stewardship, green products, appropriate technology, the many "R"s, resource conservation, and renewable energy for government, industry and the general public. It is our fourth ecohome demonstration project for the public since 1976.

This project is believed to be the first municipal project of its type in Canada. Some of the unique features of this small but integrated self-sufficient office building include: airtight straw bale wall construction, shallow foundation (rubble trench), "Solarwall" solar preheat panels, partial seasonal solar storage, a high efficiency "Lifebreath" HRV, passive solar heating, solar hot water collectors, solar heated Wirsbo radiant floor heating system, high performance (i.e. R-17) fiberglass Duxton windows, rainwater harvesting, a photovoltaic (solar electric) grid-intertie system, and reused materials. A future alternative treatment system for all greywater and blackwater ("Watson Wick") is being planned.

Other partners of this project include: Home Depot, LaFarge Canada, ZyTeck Building Systems, Plasti-Fab, Pedersen Engineering, Conserval Engineering, NuTech Energy Systems, Soleno, Tim's ReUsables, National Concrete, Xpex Chemical Corporation, Wirsbo Canada, and Can-Cell Industries.

Since the mandate of this project is environmental education, there are opportunities for individual learning, career changes and skill acquisition. If any professional building contractors, construction workers, subtrades, company employees, product suppliers or representatives, wish to gain more experience on, or contribute to, this innovative strawbale commercial project and wish to join others in the construction of this project on a one-week volunteer basis + 4 week paid basis, please contact me by e-mail by the end of the week and we will try to integrate your goals, experience and contribution. We are especially interested in enlightened electricians and prompt plumbers. Further details and updates are available for qualified and serious workers.

Jorg Ostrowski, for
ASH-Autonomous & Sustainable Housing Inc., ph: 239-1882
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Strawbale Stucco Workshop Information:
Saturday October 13, 2001, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Confirmations are due by Friday October 12, 12:00 noon (by e-mail please)
You may forward this message to other interested parties
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Project: small municipal office building (Airdrie Environmental Education Centre) with passive and active solar radiant heating, photovoltaics, rainwater harvesting, recycled content, healthy materials, green products, all based on sustainable development.
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Purpose: learn about sustainable buildings, through practical experience, hard work, having fun and team effort.

Resource People: Jorg Ostrowski, Orian Low, Jake Quintal, and perhaps others

Agenda: in order to stucco the main walls (inside and outside), we will focus on:
1) application of structural stucco (Nebraska style)

There may also be some:
2) wall cleanup using weed wackers (to prepare for good bond with stucco)
3) sewing of stucco wire onto bale walls (no internal or external pinning)
Other aspects of strawbale construction may be gleaned during the course of your day at work, and may be elaborated on at future workshops or courses.

Forecast: Sunny, high of 20 dC, windy

What to bring: hard hat, safety glasses, work boots, work gloves, warm clothes, coveralls, hawk and trowel (if you have them), camera, wheel barrow, weed wacker, rake, broom, and a happy constitution, pliers, hammer, a positive and happy constitution

Handouts: will be available for paying participants

Cost: $50/person + GST, payable by Friday noon, or by individual arrangements. Last weekends' participants are free.

Notes: This is a non-academic "hands-on" workshop, learning from action. Due to the busy work schedule, there will be no time for general inquiries or spectators. Consulting on individual projects can be accommodated elsewhere at another time. A light lunch will be provided. All participants will be covered by WCB. For any other questions, please call Helen at (403) 239-1882.

Meeting Place & Time: South East Airdrie (Industrial area), 15 East Lake Hill (follow signs to "Recycle Depot"),
Workshop starts sharp at 8:00 AM, until 4:30 PM

Directions: North on #2 towards Edmonton. 2nd turnoff, after "Big Springs" into Airdrie, called: East Airdrie (Industrial Area). Right at "Stop" sign, past "Home Building Centre" on left to traffic light. Turn right and follow brown signs to "Recycle Depot" (next 2 right hand turns).

THANK YOU for your interest, participation and being more part of the solution rather than the problem.

© Jorg Ostrowski 2003. All rights reserved.

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