Straw Bale Building: How to Plan, Design, and Build with Straw

Nikki Tate-Stratton writes novels for pre-teens; her latest books are
Jessa Be Nimble, Rebel Be Quick; Raven’s Revenge; and Tarragon Island.

Intended primarily for those who are interested in using straw bales as
a building material for the first time, there is information here for
experienced straw bale builders as well. Straw Bale Building begins with
a section explaining why straw bales are an effective, efficient, and
aesthetically pleasing alternative to traditional building materials.

Since straw bales are the basic building blocks of this type of house
(or other structure), a whole chapter is dedicated to the bales
themselves (what makes a good bale, purchasing and storing bales, etc.).
Concerns like rot, vermin, building code compliance, and cost are also
addressed.

Planning and design considerations are discussed next, followed by a
chapter describing how to turn ideas from concepts into working plans.
The next several chapters cover contracting, budgeting, and details of
straw bale construction. The final chapters include case studies,
project ideas, and tips on organizing work-site building parties.

Throughout, line drawings and black-and-white photographs illustrate
information discussed in the text. The quality of the photographs is
uneven, and there could have been a wider variety of examples shown
since the intent of this book is to inspire as much as it is to
instruct.

The writing is generally clear and certainly provides a thorough
overview of the straw bale building process. As the authors point out in
the introduction, detailed instructions for various aspects of
construction technique must be found elsewhere (this book doesn’t
explain toilet installation or provide wiring diagrams). Resources
(books, journals, Web sites, etc.) listed at the end of relevant
chapters direct readers to any supplementary information required.

For those considering the use of straw bales to build a garden shed, a
summer cottage, or a primary residence, Straw Bale Building provides all
the information needed to make an informed decision about this unusual
building material.