When appropriate for your project, straw bale construction has many benefits. In a world of prefab, disposable housing there are limited amounts of good literature for those of us who prefer to be ownerbuilders. In his new book, building your straw bale home published by csiro publishing dad has taken all that experience and boiled it down to give you. The culmination of a twelveyear effort by over fifty casba members, this book is available as of april of 2019 new society publishers. Then, if you have any questions beyond what is presented in the text, then yes, please do write and ask away. Thats why building the majority of our house out of strawbales makes sense.
Click on numbers 1 to 9 above the picture to see the building stages of the house. Unlike many other straw bale construction books on the market, this one looks at building design issues from the perspective of the straw bale builders. Covers the entire process of building a straw bale structure. Stone masonry fireplaces for heat was a subject that i wanted to explore and the book has some information on it. Building a home using straw bale construction mother. How much a house costs, how it looks, how comfortable it is, how energyefficient it isall these things occur on paper before you pick up even one tool. The opening section of the book outlines his rules, ethics, and opinions as related to the construction industry and within those elements lies a list of details which i have long believed to be essential attributes of a quality builder.
The moment i started reading the elements of building, i knew that the author, mark q. While the author is a knowledgeable on the subject, if you are looking for a book that covers the topic in greater detail then check out tomm stanleys book stone house. Recommendation in deciding on the best book living homes. The authors of this short, refreshing book present the basics of strawbale building for an ownerbuilder audience. This book is part of the online work of the wikimedia foundation. Abrazo house is a cobstrawbale hybrid tucked away in the sweeping cantabrian hills. Strawbale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both. This book provides the metaphorical nuts and bolts of straw bale construction for homes and other buildings. Living in a straw house protects you from all that. There are a couple of dated pieces of advice in there. It is a classic nebraska style, or loadbearing strawbale house, in that the bale walls carry the roof and lateral loads.
Setting fire to a completed strawbale wall is like burning a telephone book, it is not until the wall is torn apart and air is available to feed the fire does it burn freely. It is spreading fast like a wildfire to every corner of the earth. For many, they are locally available and affordable. Stone masonry, log, and strawbale construction, by thomas j. We also offer a consultancy service and can give you advice about your own designs just ask. Charlie a little over a year to build his home with a reciprocal roof and lime plastered straw bale walls. May 11, 2020 building a straw bale and plaster house is a lowcost and environmentally friendly way to create a home. Building a vaulted straw bale wall if you have always been curious on how straw bale construction works or for those who want to build a small project but dont want to pay more than the cost of the building for an instruction manual.
Some thoughts and illustrations about strawbale building by architect darrel deboer. A list of all the tools and supplies you need to build your masterpiece is included. To find out about the howto dvds that they sell go to the top of this page. The last straw has made a pdf download of the book available for free online click here to view. Disregard the part about putting bales under the floor. Strawbale house ideas strawbale house ideas source by nail house plan, its in spanish but you can figure it out even if you cant translate. Following are some pros and cons of building a straw bale house. Expains the buildig and design processes for beginners, with a chapter on lowcost, sustainable building with strawbale by john glassford. Build it with bales, along with the straw bale house and the last straw journal, launched the modern straw bale building movement.
If you intend to design or build with straw bales, just get this book to your design team, and theyll have everything they need. Architecture books free building a straw bale house. By robert rich and keith smith, new updated edition, penguinviking, 2005. Green building offers a wide range of options in achieving energy efficiency. A modern look at straw bale construction walks you step by step through the process of building a straw bale house with the techniques used by master builder andrew morrison of professional quality, toscale. Plan for casa caracol 7 modern house plans samples modern home ideja tokia, kuo salciau, tuo maziau erdves sildyt, vis giliau i kiauta. And with only a few cob walls to build, we still get to have all the fun and beauty of cob without taking too long. Strawbale houses on the other hand can be much faster.
The straw bale house a real goods independent living book. This easytoread, lighthearted booklet contains stepbystep instructions on how to plan and build the wall portion of a small vaulted straw bale structure. Whether you build an entire house or something more modesta home office or studio, a retreat cabin or guest cottageplastered straw bale construction imagine building a house with superior seismic stability, fire resistance, and thermal insulation, using an annually renewable resource, for half the cost of a. Straw has been used as a building material for centuries for thatch roofing and also mixed with earth in cob and wattle and daub walls. The strawbale studio was the first natural building structure on this land and was the beginning of what now is the strawbale studio natural building program. Of interest to the home owner is the huge reduction in. Its gorgeous, like all the projects the steens involve themselves with and, as usual, it opens doors beyond strawbale. Questions policy to avoid rewriting my book living homes for every person that comes along, please read the book before you write to me. Their selection of photos also demonstrates how far bale building has come in a very short period of time. The strawbale house was first seen simply as a makeshift structure, to provide temporary lodging, until enough funds were available to pay for the shipping in of timbers, to build a real house. The house of your dreams does not have to be expensive. Strawbale buildings are costeffective, easy to build and are highly energy efficient, enabling you to design and build. Straw bales were first used for building over a century ago by settlers in nebraska, usa, shortly after the invention of baling machines. It is a natural,breathable material that has no harmful effects.
Between them, they have encyclopedic knowledge of their subject. It covers the construction process from site preparation through to foundations, concrete slabs, strip footings and stumps. Strawbale construction questions related to the book. A practical guide to building a cob cottage the real goods solar living book. Straw bale construction is a relatively sustainable construction method, with straw being a renewable material that is readily available. Straw bale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw commonly wheat, rice, rye and oats straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both. If you want a chance to get a free copy, be sure to read this whole post or skip to the end if you prefer. Building your straw bale home by hodge, brian ebook. The book deals with every facet of building a straw bale house, from council approval. After the edible part of grains have been harvested, their stalks are disposed of by farmers and in many areas, they are burned. Though the book is a bit older now, it still has plenty of good information. Once again, as with cob, there are specific parameters around strawbale building that make it work well nobody wants moldy walls, so a well informed, uptodate book or 2 is recommended. Living homes definitely falls under the category of good literature.
Andrew has a passion for straw bale construction that is matched only by his desire to teach his knowledge to others. This practical guide is written especially for the ownerbuilder and provides stepbystep instructions supported by diagrams and photographs. The popularity of straw bale construction is on the rise and it is easy to see why. Pdf the straw bale house download full pdf book download. Building a house completely out of cob would require either a lot of time or a lot of help.
While there are many lovely picture books on straw bale houses, this is the book. Elpel guides you through the nuts and bolts of construction for slipform stone masonry, tiltup stone walls, log home construction, building with strawbales, making your own terra tile floors, concrete countertops, windows and doors, solar water heaters, masonry heaters, framing, plumbing. Started in the fall of 1996 with the excavation of the foundation, this structure was envisioned by fran lee, its original owner, deanne bednar who had just returned from a 3. Natural building helps us connect again to our local natural environment, to our own intuitive and innate creativity, and to each other. Building your straw bale home is a howto book for people interested in straw bale building. A strawbale house may cost the same if not more than the conventional house. This book is truly essential for anyone building a strawbale or rammed earth house in places where building codes are enforced. Straw bale construction building code 20 irc approval. This book explains in straightforward terms the principles of straw bale building for selfbuilders, architects and construction industry professionals. There are lots of simple drawings that show every step.
Straw bale buildings are costeffective, easy to build and are highly energy efficient, enabling you to design and build beautiful, environmentally friendly buildings. To many people, the thoughts of a lovely home in a good neighborhood with a swimming pool and celebrity neighbors is the only way to live. Clerestory windows allow natural light to flood the interior, and tall bookshelves line the walls separating the living spaces from the bedrooms. Hi, i am in the process of building a strawbale house in spain. Straw bale construction download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. My brand new straw bale book, a modern look at straw bale construction is complete. Straw bale construction can be used in almost any climate to create a comfortable home. December29,20 onthe28thofapril2012thecontentsoftheenglishaswellasgermanwikibooksandwikipedia projectswerelicensedundercreativecommonsattributionsharealike3. Like any building material, it is always best to evaluate your needs and your goals before committing to a particular material. There isnt a lot of text in the book, just highquality drawings detailing how all the parts fit together in a straw bale house. Macdonald out on bale 1997 a stepbystep guide to straw bale construction. This book is a timely and important tool for the empowerment of communities facing housing deficits. Straw bale building has seen a renaissance in recent years.
The plan was to build a timber frame and use the bales as an infill. It helps us to shift from an industrial, and often toxic building process to one that is affordable, empowering, community building and lifeaffirming. Originally published in 1998, this is the sixth edition. House of bales, questions about strawbale construction. Its a perfect example of a wellbuilt natural ecohome, with a green roof that flourishes in the wet climate, earth plaster created from clay on site, and a lime wash finish to protect it. He has a wealth of experience in designing and building conventional, tiny, and straw bale homes. Although parts of the book will require an engineering background to understand it, most of the content is accessable to the lay person, and king makes even the mundane engineering interesting, and at times, humorous. Using an online wiki makes it possible for people connected to the internet to collaborate on writing a text, or as this text is called, a wikibook. If you are looking to build a straw bale house in fact if you are looking to build any sort of house. Hay fever sufferers are not affected by straw,as it does not contain pollens. In climates that benefit by some insulation, cobs sister, strawbale construction, can be an excellent choice. One of the primary concerns of ownerbuilders is their capacity to deal with the structural issues associated with building a straw bale house.
Straw bale constructionintroduction wikibooks, open. Heres a page about straw bale house construction made by my wife. A printable version of straw bale construction is available. Elpel to read this day can be gained by reading this resource.
However, the published knowledge of straw bale building, including the material in this book, is insufficient to construct comprehensive building. Carroll uses inexpensive tools that he modifies slightly to be much more valuable to the solo builder or the small building crew. Now there are thousands of strawbale houses around the world, and strawbale building is now in the building codes. Special techniques for straw bale construction and the integration of these techniques with those of conventional house building. However, these homes quickly proved to be comfortable, durable, and affordable, and so. Where the book really shines is showing low cost, doityourself building methods. Straw bale building has been incorporated into building codes, particularly in some states of the usa, often including some lessthanideal methods. It is a practical book reflecting the authors personal experience, with tips and wisdom learned from his own pitfalls and mistakes. Building a straw bale and plaster house is a lowcost and environmentally friendly way to create a home. Straw bale construction wikibooks, open books for an open world. A philosophical and practical guide to building a cob cottage. Straw bales are a highly insulative, lowembodiedenergy, natural building material made from an agricultural waste product. The scott house was built outside of gordon, nebraska, in 1936.
After learning about the r values of scoria and volcanic it has made me think. Nov 04, 20 the approval marks the latest advance of straw bale construction in the building codes and permitting process. The rock group pearl jam has brought awareness of the group to the music community. Building in bush fire areas strawbale construction can adequately satisfy the australian standard as 3959 building in bush fire prone areas, up to and including.
Build it with bales is a straw bale building classic, published in 1997. An intelligent look at how a home is supposed to function and a variety of different building approaches and solutions including choosing a site, selecting materials, building. Straw is easy to work with for people new to construction as they are flexible and can be very forgiving. A collaboration of many experts, the book provides multiple options for building a high quality, long lasting straw bale structure with enough flexibility in design practice to allow for differing approaches to that same end. Strawbale construction curriculum by katia lemone and dr. Recommended reading casba california straw building. Although there is only one chapter on strawbale construction in living homes, it is packed with the essential details of strawbale construction and tied together throughout the book with all other aspects of building, from innovative foundation solutions to creative roofing ideas, solar design, heating. Straw bale house construction why build a straw bale house. I am planning on building a new house and this book gave me a lot of information to think about. Chris magwood and peter mack are professional straw bale house builders and consultants who have constructed over 40 straw bale structures and have taught.
This isnt the first book to read, but its invaluable for the soontobe wise ownerbuilder. Building a vaulted straw bale wall blue rock station. It covers the improvement course of from site preparation by means of to foundations, concrete slabs, strip footings and stumps. Straw bale construction wikibooks, open books for an. The book holds a wealth of useful information, and it is a mustread for anybody laymen and professionals alike who are interested in building a home of unconventional materials. A commonsense guide to alternative homebuilding solar, straw bale, cob, adobe, earth plaster and more. This book explains in straightforward terms the principles of strawbale building for selfbuilders, architects and construction industry professionals. After years of building, he has moved his practice entirely to consulting and teaching. The builders without borders bwb strawbale construction guide was created to meet the growing demand for easytounderstand instructions on building strawbale homes. Dad has been in the building game for nearly 40 years. We are cocreating learning to dance in balance with nature. The ebook rings in at 214 pages, contains 1 photographs to outline various points and steps, and has 22 professionally drawn architectural details created by chris keefe of organicforms design. Asthmatics too find a straw bale house a healthier environment to live in.
Houseplan2420sfpdfblueprint round house plans, house. From foundations to the roof by brian hodge of straw bale houses published 2006. The book includes instructions that everyone can follow to build their own house. Strawbale construction is a building method that uses bales of straw commonly wheat, rice, rye and oats straw as structural elements, building insulation, or both. This book was our reference of choice during the entire building process, and its instruction and tips made the project run smoothly. Building your highefficiency dream home on a shoestring budget, by thomas j. This book is rather old and strawbale construction has advanced since then.
The different types of grain straw have varying chemical compositions and inherent strengths, rice straw being perhaps. Athena and bill steen, coauthors of the original straw bale house book published by chelsea green in 1994, have now created a book that celebrates in gorgeous color photographs the tactile, sensuous beauty of straw bale dwellings. Downto earth and complete, more straw bale building makes the remarkable benefits of straw bale building available in the most comprehensive and practical book on the subject to date. Village building convergence straw bale building details is a musthave for anyone interested in building with bales. Straw is derived from grasses and is regarded as a renewable building. David bainbridge is a california restoration ecologist. Straw bale house construction dancing rabbit ecovillage. Straw bale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both.
Featured in books and magazines, and the recipient of a prestigious award, this is a truly extraordinary house. However, the published knowledge of straw bale building, including the material in this book, is insufficient to construct comprehensive building codes. Natural building books, booklets and articles the last. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or brown construction projects. This smart info is written notably for the proprietorbuilder and provides stepbystep instructions supported by diagrams and footage. There are many variables that go into building a house such as. Strawbale essentials australasian straw bale building. Tom, first and foremost, i want to thank you for your work. The low afternoon sun cast a warm, rich light on the straw. Research has shown that strawbale construction is a sustainable method for building, from the standpoint of both materials and energy.
Then, from the footings on up to the roof, author thomas j. This unique straw bale home manages to provide four bedrooms in 1,860 sf of living space. And if your building inspector needs information, this book provides answers. It is the highest approval to be granted for the construction method and will be adopted by thousands of jurisdictions around the united states in and after 2015. The red feather group publish a biannual colour magazine. Authors athena swentzell steen and bill steen founded the canelo project, which promotes innovative building.
Then, there are others who are friends of the earth, and make every effort to both fit in with nature and build a sustainable home that is energy efficient and lowcost. If used to replace the more traditional wallbuilding system of brick and block,it can present savings of around. Straw as a building material excels in the areas of costeffectiveness and energy efficiency. This guide covers the materials and methods you might use to build a straw bale house, a house that can last hundreds of years, is energy efficient and is cheap to maintain. The material is covered in greater detail and in a well thought out manner. Brian hodge from foundations to the roof building your straw bale home straw housedd iiistraw housedd iii 18706 8. Chapter 1 answers questions about the building science of how this natural wall system works, and how building with straw and natural plasters benefits both building occupants and the planet.
148 1540 796 1349 1286 843 656 427 880 988 978 1465 221 1084 587 714 794 99 206 1396 801 711 485 1129 1507 1133 40 1073 645 279 1381 1354 926 69 1097 22 1189 973 72 1064 455 1496 517 340 74 696 187