Im grateful to the authors of this book for coming together to publish the answers to our straw bale faqs, and i am indebted to them for creating a text i plan to share with young, emerging professionals as well as experienced conventional builders. Straw is derived from grasses and is regarded as a renewable building. Designing and building with a resourceefficient material. The lime plasters and washes on these straw walls look stunning adding a sensuousness to any straw bale design that would be hard to emulate with other materials.
My brand new straw bale book, a modern look at straw bale construction is complete. Straw bale constructionmaterials wikibooks, open books for. An excellent addition to the literature on strawbale, especially appropriate for those in wet, cold climates. Straw bale homes can be beautiful as the natural material lends itself to multiple architectural styles. However, be forwarned, the authors admit that while successful buildings have been built the oldest is the hay house in ct 25 years, there are risks and no one method is foolproof. Essential for avoiding costly mistakes, increasing construction efficiency and durability, and. California straw building association casba straw bale.
The use of straw bales is typically found in natural building projects, or earthen construction, and while historically it has been a common form of building material in many parts of the world, it has been received. The book deals with every facet of building a straw bale house, from council approval. However, be forwarned, the authors admit that while successful buildings have been built the oldest is the hay house in ct 25 years. In terms of ease of construction and practicability, building with straw is very forgiving.
An illustrated guide for design and construction, a book by the california straw building association, and it covers the building science behind these remarkable structures and how they are designed and built. Whether youre an architect, engineer, contractor, or ownerbuilder interested in making informed choices, straw bale building details is the indispensable illustrated guide to current practice in straw bale design and construction drawing on two decades of sitebuilt straw bale design and construction experience. Chris magwood is a sustainable builder and designer specializing in green and natural building techniques, the cofounder and codirector of the endeavour centre, and the author of several books on sustainable building including making better buildings, more straw bale building and straw bale details. Straw bale constructionmaterials wikibooks, open books.
The straw bale construction is energy efficient in the 60r range vs. The straw bale architecture village pod 2 is the second of seven different sustainable village models the straw bale village was chosen as the second village to be built because it demonstrates modularly expandable sustainable housing and a focus on familybased social spaces. Highly recommend for anyone considering straw bale construction. Written by leading practitioners, straw bale building details is the musthave illustrated guide to design and construction details for sitebuilt straw bale buildings. Prefabricated straw bale wall panels endeavour sustainable. Straw bales can be used as structural elements, insulation or both. The devil is in the detailsthe science and art of designing and building durable, efficient, straw bale buildings. Click here to search for all books from this author. The straw bale village consists of fiftytwo studiostyle rooms, 11 common areas a small common kitchen, computer room, laundry room, childrens art and playroom, game room, meditation room, library, gym, meetingreading room, game room, and central social area with a gas fire pit that can be covered to provide a stage and is purposed to demonstrate modular and expandable sustainability. The latest research in the field of straw bale design and construction is presented.
This book is a good reference for anyone who has a desire to understand building construction or a desire to build a straw bale house to a high standard using wellresearched methods. This is a comprehensive 300 page manual providing a broad overview. Straw bale building details new society publishers. A remarkable group effort to bring lessons learned from architects. Jan 01, 1990 i use this book all the time and refer it people who are interested in building with straw. Straw bale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both. My focus is always on designing and building a structure that is beautiful, durable, safe, efficient, healthy, natural, and. Straw bale construction wikibooks, open books for an. I should preface this article by saying that there are right ways of framing and wrong ways of framing. It also discusses how design decisions impact construction costs. Specifications, engineering details and building code references comprehensive stepbystep instructions and detail drawings finishing and maintenance techniques budgeting and labor estimates additional resources essential prefabricated straw bale construction is part of new societys sustainable building series. Bergeron and lacinskis new book serious straw bale is the first to look carefully at the specific design considerations critical to success with a straw bale building in more extreme climateswhere seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity create special stresses that builders must understand and address.
May 16, 2019 straw bale building details is an incredibly comprehensive explanation of how and why so many of us are utilizing this housing typology. It covers the construction process from site preparation through to foundations, concrete slabs, strip footings and stumps. An illustrated guide for design and construction by casba straw bale. It is a post and beam frame system with roots in conventional framing techniques. Building your straw bale home by hodge, brian ebook.
Bohdan dorniak building your straw bale home is a howto book for people interested in straw bale building. If you have an urge to build a planetfriendly house that will give you great pleasure and satisfaction both to construct and to live in, then this is the book for you. This book is as complete in its considerations, with a lot of updated details, as the original the straw bale home by athena and bill steen. Distilling two decades of sitebuilt straw bale design and construction experience, straw bale building details is an. Straw bale building details is an incredibly comprehensive explanation of how and why so many of us are utilizing this housing typology. Paja has consulted for hundreds of houses, and will work with clients on all or any part of a straw bale project. With admiration, i present to you this practical text on straw bale building. 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. Straw bale village one community open source village 2. Read about casbas new book and promotion events straw bale building details. It depicts the straw bale method of construction along with many eco.
Bales of recycled materials like paper, pasteboard, waxed cardboard, crushed plastics, whole tires and used carpeting have also all been used or are currently being explored. Please share the news and the publicity flyer below with your friends, colleagues, and your local bookseller. Paja construction has consulted straw bale construction projects all across the united states over the past 22 years. Straw bale construction wikibooks, open books for an open world. Research has shown that straw bale construction is a sustainable method for. Materials straw sources, bale dimensions and compression. 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. Straw bale construction developed as an in situ method of building. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or brown construction projects. 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.
Strawbale construction is a building method that uses straw bales as structural elements, insulation, or both. By paul lacinski and michel bergeron, chelsea green publishing company, 2000. Special techniques for straw bale construction and the integration of these techniques with those of conventional house building. This book is a timely and important tool for the empowerment of communities. By contrast, the builder of a loadbearing structure must generally complete the foundation, erect the. This book is serious about building straw bale house anyplace and from many. If youre interested in calculating and comparing the specific costs of building a straw bale home vs a stick frame home, feel free to contact me. While this is an efficient form of construction, minimizing handling of materials, it poses challenges for wider acceptance of straw bale construction.
Having designed over 40 straw bale homes, he has a ton of experience. Strawbale essentials australasian straw bale building. This workshop draws from straw bale building details. To determine how our straw bale construction experience can best serve you, we offer a complimentary consultation, please contact us if you are interested.
Jul 01, 2019 whether youre an architect, engineer, contractor, or ownerbuilder interested in making informed choices, straw bale building details is the indispensable illustrated guide to current practice in straw bale design and construction drawing on two decades of sitebuilt straw bale design and construction experience. Straw bale construction download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. The straw bale house a real goods independent living book. This makes for over 5 hours of concise straw bale construction information. This practical guide is written especially for the ownerbuilder and provides stepbystep instructions supported by diagrams and photographs. A great deal of information is provided with many details and techniques. Straw bale buildings promise superior insulation and flexibility across a range of design aesthetics, while using a typically local and abundant lowembodied energy material that sequesters carbonan important part of mitigating climate change. 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. The devil is in the details the science and art of designing and building durable, efficient, straw bale buildings straw bale buildings promise superior insulation and flexibility across a range of design aesthetics, while using a typically local and abundant lowembodied energy material that sequesters carbonan important part of mitigating climate change. A good stepbystep guide to construction details and processes used by the red feather foundation for simple, well designed strawbale houses they build. A video and book on how to build a straw bale home. Straw bale construction is a method of building that uses bales or bundles of straw. Because i came to straw bale construction many years ago as a general contractor practicing conventional construction, i brought some of that detailing over. The construction of a hybrid home dvd and guidebook.
The comprehensive guide to building with straw bales post and beam infill 2 hours 50minutes on 2 dvds this comprehensive dvd set contains invaluable information to help you save time and money on your straw bale building projects. Building your straw bale homeis a howto book for people interested in straw bale building. The devil is in the details the science and art of designing and building durable, efficient, straw bale buildings. Endeavour will be offering a workshop on prefab straw bale systems in 2018. Essential for avoiding costly mistakes, increasing construction efficiency and durability, and achieving desired energy performance goals. Mar 24, 2014 it is a post and beam frame system with roots in conventional framing techniques. How to plan, design and build with straw ebook written by chris magwood, peter mack. Loadbearing straw bale structuresa summary of testing and experience to date 3 bruce king ecological building network ebnet june 30, 2003 result of the construction processand thus helps ensure a durable building.
There isnt a lot of text in the book, just highquality drawings detailing how all the parts fit together in a straw bale house. Below is an older slide presentation about prefab straw bale wall systems. I use this book all the time and refer it people who are interested in building with straw. Straw bales can be made from a range of plant fibers, not only grassfamily species like wheat, rye, barley, bluegrass and rice, but also flax, hemp, etc. Publicity events for straw bale building details an illustrated guide for design and construction. These drawings cover the most common details for straw bale construction and knowing how to address those details properly will speed your approvals and your. This book is a pictorial howto guide on strawbale construction basics that. Jan 02, 2018 chris magwood published his book essential prefab straw bale construction in 2017, which gives comprehensive coverage of the topic, including details for numerous different prefab systems. It details the tradeoffs inherent with each choice. Chris magwood published his book essential prefab straw bale construction in 2017, which gives comprehensive coverage of the topic, including details for numerous different prefab systems.
Home straw bale construction since 1991 paja construction. It is a practical book reflecting the authors personal experience, with tips and wisdom learned from his own pitfalls and mistakes. The book is comprehensive, broadly covering why and how to build with straw and then focusing on the details, which are both intellectually and aesthetically. 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. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read more straw bale building. Chapter 3 offers valuable insights and information about the structural design options commonly used in straw bale structures that resist gravity loads, and wind and earthquake forces. An illustrated guide for design and construction, is available for purchase.
Straw bale construction download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. Straw bale building details california straw building association. The construction of a hybrid home dvd and guidebook by ted owens green designer and filmmaker list price. Information guide to straw bale building for selfbuilders and the construction industry amazon nails, hollinroyd farm, todmorden, ol14 8rj. In a modern look at straw bale construction, i have presented what i believe are the best details for the highest quality construction available. Straw bales were first used for building over a century ago by settlers in nebraska, usa, shortly after the invention of baling machines. Our 2020 west coast natural building conference is under construction. This is a comprehensive 300 page manual providing a broad overview of straw bale construction, and its related components. Top 8 advantages and challenges of straw bale construction. Its a great introduction for those considering truly sustainable building.
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