straw bale house

A dwelling whose walls are constructed of bales of straw, compressed and wire-tied or string-tied into large units and built up on a concrete slab as if they were oversized bricks; they are reinforced with vertical poles that pierce the bales. When thoroughly dry, the walls are usually finished with a coat of stucco or adobe plaster to promote sanitation, fire safety, and protection against the weather; the bales provide excellent thermal insulation. Especially found in the farm regions of midwestern United States.

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

Garcia partnered with the author to take on the unfamiliar task of building a straw bale house, beginning when the winter snows were still on the surrounding mountains and having the house under roof when the fall snows arrived.

Journey to a Straw Bale House

"THIS LOOKS LIKE THE INSIDE OF A BARN," a friend of mine exclaimed when she visited my unfinished straw bale house years ago.

Building with straw bales and adobes: unconventional building methods may pleasantly surprise you

Without the countless articles and inspiring people who have shared their stories, I wouldn't have built a straw bale house (followed by an earth-sheltered, passive solar, active solar, VOC-paint-free, partially recycled house), logged with horses, milled those logs with a portable sawmill, started beekeeping, built an earth-sheltered chicken coop, planted fruit trees, experienced the benefits of homegrown produce, or tried my hand at a number of other projects.

A mother-inspired change of course

She still has that sense of adventure, which is why the new straw bale house [in Tiffin] got built.

On motorcycle or mountaintop, Franciscan lives her passion: adventurous sister fulfills mission through ecology, art

There is also a huge power unleashed when we work collectively--whether it's gardening with our neighbors joining; starting a food co-op; demonstrating, boycotting, letter writing, or otherwise pushing politicians and corporations to clean up their acts; holding a straw bale house raising; or getting together to teach ourselves some of the creative self-reliance skills that will help us adjust and adapt to the new normal of a changed climate.

From the editor's desk

This oval straw bale house was designed by Ingrid Cryns of Soma Earth Architect and built in Erin, Ontario, by Harvest Homes.

Beyond energy efficiency: every building is a long-term contract with the environment. Here's the fine print

Planning fight: Jim Wallis and his straw bale house.

Don't blow my house down; Documentary Planning Outlaws (Channel 4, 7.30pm)

Jim built a straw bale house on agricultural land, having attained planning permission for an educational centre.

Tonight's TV

Logan calls it the Straw Bale House because the walls are constructed with dried straw bales, which are then covered in plaster.

SUSTAINABLE WATCH

In this work, a trio of professional straw bale house builders and consultants provide guidance on the design and construction of straw bale buildings, offering chapters on all the expected issues and more, including building permits, budgeting, shopping for materials, common mistakes, and constructing with work parties.

More straw bale building; a complete guide to designing and building with straw

Rescue developed a straw bale house that uses 25 bales of straw and three sheets of plywood.

Shelter from the storm: just because they're wearing fur coats doesn't mean your animals can weather anything nature throws their way. Here's a guide to how much and how little they require

Without having to build a straw bale house or a mud hut, you can experience the beauties and benefits of earthen (clay-based) plasters by doing a bit of eco-remodeling in the house you live in right now.

Working your walls with earth plaster: play in the mud with earth building expert Mollie Curry