The Sisters of the Holy Names have created several retreats for spiritual rejuvenation, and they wanted a structure that left a very small footprint on the built environment. With the assistance of Miyamoto International, the Sisters decided to use straw bale construction to meet this need. Using this type of material in a high seismic zone is just one example of the types of challenges that we thrive on. As a sustainable solution, solar panels were used to provide heating for the radiant floor system. Site-harvested lumber was also used for the framing.