This is a solar powered strawbale recording studio, completely off the grid. Because of its unique construction and location in the middle of the forest, there is a very special atmosphere there. The studio s located in Fortine, northwestern Montana, very close to the border with Canada. Greg built the studio about 12 years ago, all alone, except for a friend who helped him raise the main supports. It took about 5 months of 40 hour weeks. He used only a chain saw, everything else was done by hand, including the foundation.

Greg was able to use trees from the site that he peeled, so the cost of materials was minimal. He used earth from the site, digging down 3 feet for the basement floor, mixed with lime and portland cement for the plaster. The ratio was 9 shovelfulls of earth, 1 shovel portland cement, 1/2 shovel of lime. The plaster was mixed in a wheelbarrow with a shovel and applied it to the bales by hand with rubber gloves on. The final coat was a bagged white stucco, portland cement based (the brand was La Habra). Greg used about 250 straw bales for the structure, staked them to each other using two stakes per bale with wooden stakes as well as rebar stakes 3 foot in length.

The whole structure cost about 2,500 US dollars to build in 1994. He has recently added on an additional room and replastered inside and put on new siding on the outside, so the total cost in 2006 is about 4,900 USD. It is very cool in the summer and warm in the winter, a very comfortable place. People are welcome to visit, but should contact Greg first. A full account of Greg's strawbale studio can be found on his website at Altered State Records