ROGERS — It hasn't been finished for long. In fact, there's still a small punch list of touch-ups and finishing details members of theStanley family are working on. But in the short period of time since they moved furniture into their new home, quite a few curious guests have toured it. And the first word out of almost every one of their mouthshas been, "Whoa."
For the better part of two years, the Stanley home in the 13000 block of Dream Valley Road, near Beaver Lake, has been turning heads. With its hobbit-like, circular, wooden door staring out of the earth, it's no wonder. On a tour through the project more than a year ago, The Daily Record learned the entrance is hardly the only unique feature of the home.
There were very few studs and joists. Instead, the skeleton of the home consisted of hundreds of tightly compacted bales of rubber tires. Each bale weighs more than a ton. Owners Mark and Kristine Stanley, who poured their sweat and energy into the home, lost count of the individual tires at around 15,000.
The floors inside were still dirt and gravel; a plumbing system was being installed that routed water from the shower and sink drains into a pair of indoor fruit and vegetable growing areas.Recycled denim and rice hulls were being used as additional insulation. There were even plans to install a system that turns sunlight into electricity.
It was to be the only home of its kind in Arkansas. And now, it is.
After two years of work - and plenty of trial and error - the Stanleys have moved in. And with that, the visitors, group tours and even unexpected knocks on the door from passersby started.
"People do - they just show up at the door and want to see," said Mark Stanley, a physical therapist by day. "We never know who's going to show up, but we enjoy it. We want to show people what we've done. We realize not everyone could do this, but there are a lot of ideas people can take to live better and take care of the Earth."
The mass of tire bales is now concealed behind gently rolling concrete walls. The wood planks used on the upper walls, as well as some of the furniture and other parts of the interior, were milled fromfallen trees. The bath tubs, countertops and other flat surfaces were crafted using concrete.
The "whoas" continue from room to room - a yin-yang carved into the center of the floor in the main room, even the outdoor gutter system that routes rainfall into a waterfall-like flow that eventually trickles down into underground water tanks for future use.
"It's warm in the winter and cool in the summer in here," Mark Stanley said. "That's all by design. Everything about this house was done with the environment in mind. How that wall of windows was positioned - it brings the light and warmth of the sun inside.
"We'll never have to run heat, even during the winter," Stanley said. "We have a small wood-burning stove if we need it. And the only reason we'll have to run some air isn't because of the temperature. It's actually because of the humidity around here."
Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that the Stanleys have paid for the entire 2,000-square-foot home out of their own pockets.
"There aren't a lot of places out there willing to give you a loan for something like this," Stanley said. "I think that's a shame because it probably prevents others from doing it. I know it's part of the reason it took so long to get this one done."
Mark Stanley knows his tire-bale home better than anyone because he's been involved every step of the way. Now that it's complete, even he admits he's tired. But he's not about to rest. He's already got plenty of ideas.
After Stanley gets the dwarf bananas, lemons, limes, avocados and other plantsand vegetation growing inside his home, he's tossing around the idea of building his own refrigerator. He's still trying to figure out how to accomplish that task, but after coming this far, a fridge should be a cinch.
"I hope," Stanley said. "It should be fun, anyway."
News, Pages 1, 12 on 09/20/2009