Because a post and beam home has no load-bearing interior walls, the possibilities for creating large open spaces are nearly limitless. And for the most part, with the exception of the frame, post and beam homes are built with conventional construction methods. The Methow Valley's first straw bale home to be permitted by Okanogan County was completed and occupied in 1996. Relatively new to this area, modern straw bale construction has its origins mostly in the Southwest. A typical design involves posts and beams with the bales placed between the timbers and held by rebar.
Bales provide excellent insulation value and allow for surprising design flexibility.
In fact, few visitors to the Methow Valley's first permitted straw bale home would guess at its structural origins except for the obvious thickness of the stuccoed walls. Manufactured housing includes modular, panelized and mobile homes. With all of the different methods available, it would be time very well spent for potential home builders to contact several companies for each of the different construction systems and gain as much knowledge as possible before adding your style to the Valley's.