An astute reader, and probably my only reader astute or otherwise, has inquired, "What is a truth window?" Truth windows are, as far as I know, unique to straw bale buildings, although not all of them have one while some have more than one. I haven't the foggiest idea where this straw bale construction tradition started, but I think it's pretty cool.
You really can't tell that a straw bale building is a straw bale building. If you look closely, and the architecture has highlighted this, you might notice that the walls are thicker than normal, but, frankly, you can get thick walls with any number of construction techniques. You can also choose to finish the walls to highlight the undulating qualities of the bale stacks, but most people don't. So, many owners incorporate truth windows to prove that the walls are, indeed, actually made of straw.
A truth window is on an inside wall and shows the actual straw beneath the finished wall. Frequently a truth window is in the form of a frame around a piece of glass behind which, you guessed it, is the straw bale wall. Another oft used approach is to have a little door in the wall that opens to reveal the straw which may or may not be covered with glass. (Some folks want to feel as well as see their straw.)
We will have (at least) 2 truth windows. One is the little door approach, the small antique Mexican framed pantry door. (Turns out that small ones are rare; who knew.) That one will be in the library. In the laundry room we'll have an oval brass porthole. This is an actual porthole that would normally be installed in a yacht. And if my warped imagination comes across anything else too cool to pass up we may have another one somewhere.
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