Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S U M M E R 2 0 1 6 112 BARTA BUILT CUSTOM BUILDERS 11825 Hanover Road; Lewistown, MT 59457 www.bartabuilt.com 406-366-8397 ABOUT: Custom builder specializing in eco-friendly home, com- mercial, and recreational construction; builds one-of-a kind crafts- man projects primarily in central Montana, with an emphasis on energy efficiency, sustainability, and use of reclaimed materials BUD BARTA, OWNER: "To be an effective green builder, you have to stay on top of rapidly changing and expanding products, tech- niques, and services. As an example, when I built my first houses in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I used super-insulated, 12-inch- thick double stud walls. en structural insulated panels became available. Now I build almost exclusively with the panels, which consist of a rigid, insulating foam core sandwiched between struc- tural facings. ey go up fast and cut energy use dramatically. "I'm encouraged that awareness of green building is no longer the exception, as it was when I started. is is due in part to improvements in the Montana Energy Code requiring better insulation and blower door tests on all new buildings. Also, energy conservation is now part of mainstream thought. Look at the building industry magazines. Everyone is advertising the greenness of their products and services. "Very few people come to me today wanting the greenest home they can get, but almost everyone expects a certain level of energy efficiency." This Barta Built straw-bale vacation home near Ennis fea- tures carbon-neutral hydraulic lime stucco. All trim, exterior doors, and cabinetry were made from reclaimed wood. Decora- tive exterior and interior logs came from standing dead trees. A fireplace of local stone, graced with a mantle of old dia- mond willow from Bud Barta's organic ranch, is the center- piece of a Barta Built home near Lewistown. The home also features reclaimed wood flooring and trim, reclaimed tin ceilings, countertops made from recycled paper, and fireplace doors made locally from re- claimed wagon wheel tires. PRAIRIE PORTRAITS/ LOUIS SHELDON

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