opportunities for profit. Bales cannot be patented, nor would it be immediately feasible for a building supply company to go into straw bale production. Most advances in building technology come from companies who develop products, test them, then use their testing results to obtain building code approval — or better yet, code requirement — for the product. Straw bales have little or no immediate chance of receiving the high budget testing afforded by big companies or the promotional dollars that would convince contractors to use them.
Housing contractors have no incentive to spend money retraining workers and investing in new equipment for homes that are no more costly than the ones they already make. It’s just not good business to invest in a technology that does not yield a higher return than current practices.
Until consumers begin demanding highly efficient, environmentally responsible homes in sufficient quantity, straw bale construction will remain a marginal percentage of new home starts. And until consumer demand brings about widespread bale home construction, the kinds of prefabricated products that help contractors build quickly and efficiently won’t be produced for straw bale buildings.
Be a Pioneer
If you decide that a straw bale home is what you want, then plunge in and do it. While you may feel like an isolated nut case at first, you will be opening doors to a whole new and lively community that will spring up around your efforts. Friends you didn’t know you had will emerge to help out, and connections will be fostered with other like-minded people, both in your immediate area and around the world. Once you’re settled into your house, these people will continue to make your life richer. It’s an opportunity you won’t want to miss.
1.6: (Above) Crisp lines and smooth plaster compliment this built-in desk area. Even though bales offer so much aesthetic potential, it will be some time before they are part of mainstream construction.
1.7: Before you tackle an entire house, a small, simple building project is a good way to learn straw bale construction techniques.
References
The Last Straw. P.O. Box 22706, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68542-2706, USA. Email <[email protected].> Web site <www.thelaststraw.org>
The Last Straw is an international quarterly journal devoted to straw bale and natural building, and contains the most up-to-date information, as well as project reports and news of interest to bale builders. Their annual Resource Issue is an essential listing of the people, publications, and products needed by bale builders.
Books on Straw Bale Building
Bainbridge, David A., Athena Swentzell Steen, and Bill Steen. The Straw Bale House. Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1994. ISBN 0-930031-71-7.
King, P. E., Bruce. Buildings of Earth and Straw: Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw Bale Architecture. Ecological Design Press, 1996. ISBN 0-9644718-1-7.
Corum, Nathaniel. Building One House: A Handbook for Straw Bale Construction. Red Feather Development Group, 2004. P.O. Box 907, Bozeman, MT, 59771-0907.
Gray, Alan, ed. Strawbale Homebuilding. Earth Garden Books, 2000. ISBN 0-9586397-4-4.
Jones, Barbara. Building with Straw Bales: A Practical Guide for the UK and Ireland. Green Books, 2002. ISBN 1-903998-13-1.
Lacinski, Paul and Michel Bergeron. Serious Straw Bale. Chelsea Green Publishers, 2000.
Lerner, Kelly and Pamela Wadsworth Goode, eds. The Building Official’s Guide to Straw-bale Construction, Version 2.1. California Straw Building Association (CASBA), 2000. P.O. Box 1293, Angels Camp, CA,95222-1293, USA.
Magwood, Chris and Chris Walker. Straw Bale Details: A Manual for Designers and Builders. New Society Publishers, 2002. ISBN 0-86571-476-2.
Myhrman, Matts and S. O. MacDonald. Build It with Bales, Version 2. Out on Bale, 1997. ISBN 0-9642821-1-9.
Roberts, Carolyn. A House of Straw: An Odyssey into Natural Building. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2002. ISBN 1-890123-30-6.
Steen, Bill and Athena Steen. The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2000. ISBN 1-890132-77-2.
Wanek, Catherine. The New Strawbale Home. Gibbs Smith, 2003. ISBN 1-58685-203-5.
Videos
Building With Straw Series, Vol. 1 – 3. Black Range Films, Star Rt. 2, Box 119, Kingston New Mexico 88042. Email <resources @StrawBaleCentral.com>
Websites and Discussion Groups
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) <http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/>
The Last Straw <www.thelaststraw.org>
The International Straw Bale Registry <http://sbregistry.greenbuilder.com/>
Camel’s Back Construction <www.strawhomes.ca>
Black Range Film <www.StrawBaleCentral.com>
Surfin’ Strawbale <www.moxvox.com/surfsolo.html>
Straw Bale Social Club <http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/SB-r-us/>
The Strawbale Discussion List <[email protected]>
European Strawbale Building Discussion List <[email protected]>
Ontario Straw Bale Building Coalition <www.strawbalebuilding.ca>
CHAPTER 2
Other Natural Building Materials
Straw bales are only one of many natural building materials available to a home builder. While we have chosen straw bales as our favorite natural material for building exterior walls, we would by no means discourage anybody from investigating and using any number of materials and techniques. It is possible to combine many natural material options into a structure ideally suited to your needs and environment.
A Vast Palette of Materials
The same concerns that have fueled the interest in straw bale building have played a key role in the development and use of a whole array of natural and recycled building options. All of these materials and systems are viable options and worthy of investigation by anyone with an interest in straw bale building. Each choice suits a particular use, climate, budget, and level of experience.We will outline some of the most popular of these materials and methods, giving a very brief introduction to each. There are plenty of resources to help you research further, listed at the end of this chapter.
Cob
Cob is among the