Skillful Means, Inc.

Scope Of Work

This hermitage at Santa Sabina Center is a retreat for one guest. It was designed by DSA. The building was constructed by Skillful Means. With the suggestion of John Swearingen, the architects and builders lead a group of straw bale workshop students in construction of the tiny building. It took the group one week to get eighty percent of the building up, reducing labor costs and sharing in the joy of building with straw, wood, and plaster. This small straw room is well insulated not just in the walls but also in the roof where bales were placed between roof trusses. Despite the small space, the room opens into the natural setting through the window bench seat. The thick straw bale shell makes for a still and quiet place to meditate.