Tina Therrien is a partner in Camel’s Back Construction, a
Canadian straw bale pioneer with over 60 straw bale residences, studios and
other assorted buildings to its credit. The company is committed to constructing
sustainable buildings and to reducing the negative impact of its building
practices.
NL: What was your life like before you became a straw bale builder?
Tina: I consider that I grew up at my family cottage on the Burnt River, just
north of Fenelon Falls, Ontario, where I had my first introduction to building,
with my parents building two different homes on the river. I spent my summers
romping through the woods making tree forts with my brothers, swimming and
playing outdoors. Later, I briefly attended University of Toronto. I only lasted
one month; after having spent most of my schooling in buildings where I knew
everyone, I couldn’t adjust to becoming just a number, as I was at U of
T....besides which, I kept getting lost in Toronto. So my love of smaller
communities took me to Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, where I
studied French and Psychology. I chose to study abroad for my third year, and my
last year of Teacher’s Ed was at Queen’s University. I taught French Immersion
for 10 years, mostly in the early primary grades.
NL: How did you get interested in straw bale building?
Tina: My very good friends, Chris Magwood and Julie Bowen, decided to build
their straw bale home back in 1996. Although I was teaching at the time, I went
out on every available weekend that I had, and assisted with their project, from
helping take down a barn on-site (no easy feat!) to the timber raising, to
plastering. The sheer physicality of this work differs tremendously from
teaching. Both are satisfying and both are tiring, but in different ways.
Teaching is more tiring mentally, whereas building is more tiring physically. At
around the time that Chris and Julie were building their home, I was looking for
change in my life, and building sure did fit that bill. I really enjoyed
learning to use power tools!
NL: So is it the physical work that attracts you to straw bale construction?
Tina: I love physical work and I quite enjoy working outdoors. I have always had
an attraction to environmental issues, which were forefront in my teaching, so
straw bale fits in quite well with my personal goals. From my first experience
in straw bale building to my most recent, I have enjoyed the challenges of
...
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