The Straw Bale House (Real Goods Independent Living Book) Paperback – December 1, 1994

"The Straw Bale House (Real Goods Independent Living Book)" offers a compelling vision of sustainable and affordable housing through the innovative use of straw bale construction. The book presents a wealth of benefits associated with this eco-friendly building technique, making a persuasive case for its adoption:Superior Seismic Stability: By utilizing straw bales as the primary building material, the resulting structures exhibit enhanced seismic stability, providing greater resilience to earthquakes and other seismic events.Fire Resistance: Despite common misconceptions, straw bale construction offers impressive fire resistance, making it a safe and secure choice for homeowners concerned about fire hazards.Thermal Insulation: With exceptional insulation properties, straw bale homes boast high R-values, ensuring superior energy efficiency and reduced heating and cooling costs.Renewable Resource: Harnessing annually renewable straw as a building material not only minimizes environmental impact but also offers a sustainable alternative to traditional construction methods reliant on finite resources.Cost-Effectiveness: The book highlights the significant cost savings achievable through straw bale construction, with construction costs potentially halved compared to conventional homes. This affordability opens up possibilities for homeownership to a wider demographic.Easy Construction: Straw bale construction is portrayed as accessible and DIY-friendly, empowering individuals to participate in the building process and creating a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.Comfortable Living Spaces: The resulting homes are described as quiet, comfortable, and conducive to a high quality of life, reflecting the natural insulation and acoustic properties of straw bale construction.Overall, "The Straw Bale House" offers a compelling argument for embracing this sustainable and cost-effective building technique, presenting a blueprint for environmentally conscious and affordable housing solutions.

Lot of valuable info

Strawbale construction/ building engineering innovations outside primary geographic area were omitted.

Several years ago we became interested in straw bale houses and began doing a lot of research. Almost 100% of the articles referenced this book as a guide. It covers any and all questions that could come up in the construction. There is more than one style and the book addresses each of them. A word advice, be sure and check local and state codes before you get too involved. As time goes by and more are being built there is finally some uniformity. This book is a must have if you are about to build one, or if you are just curious.

Could be the best book I've read on sustainable construction methods. The writing is excellent, and the authors' light use of narrative storytelling gives insight to their revelation of suggestions and best practices. The technical jargon is minimal and easily understood thanks to the abundance of photos that follow the process. If you have even the slightest interest in straw bale construction, this is the first book you should buy. If you already have others, it's likely this will be your last as it is so comprehensive in nature. Enjoy!

Was a great read for a great low price. I've wanted this book for some time and was able to find it used. Very informative and helpful.

I enjoy all of Bill and Athena Steen's books on building. This one is lovely and full of personal, practical advice on various aspects of strawbale building, adobe and plastering. I especially enjoy knowing about how Athena's experience growing up has contributed so much to her involvement in these types on construction techniques. She and Bill make a great team. I find their information very inspirational.

as titled, and as pictured