A Truth Window (or truth wall) is an opening in a wall surface, created to reveal the layers or components within the wall. In an eco built strawbale house, a truth window is often used to show that the walls are actually made from straw bales. A small section of a wall is left unplastered on the interior, and a frame is used to create a window which shows only straw, which makes up the inside of the wall.

Many designs exist for truth windows, they have become quite a novelty for sustainably built homes. Glass may be placed over the window, or an openable wooden panel, or it may be a simple framed opening.

More Truth Windows at this Flickr search.

Photo via Intscher

Fuentes Design in Boulder Colorado, is an ecologically minded design build architecture firm focusing on building science, performance and energy (efficiency).

Straw bale architecture is the firms’ focus as opposed to conventional wood-framed walls topped with plywood or oriented strand board and fixed with synthetic glues.  Straw bales are the most natural way to build a wall system using wheat and barley straw baled in to provide more insulation than a conventionally built home.

Since straw bales are so tightly packed that they allow for little oxygen circulation thus energy bills are typically very low using this material type. Many of Brian Fuentes’ designs also incorporate passive solar design, radiant concrete floors and an overall cradle-to-cradle construction philosophy.