Top 8 advantages and challenges of straw bale construction. Straw bale constructionprint version introduction to building with straw bales history while use of grassfamily plant fibers has long been a part of building methods worldwide, dating far back into prehistory, actual strawbale construction was pioneered in nebraska in the united states, in the late 19thearly 20th. Building with straw bales barbara jones presentation on eco. Whether you build an entire house or something more modesta home office or studio, a retreat cabin or guest cottageplastered straw bale construction is an exceptionally durable and inexpensive option. After years of building, he has moved his practice entirely to consulting and teaching. Clerestory windows allow natural light to flood the interior, and tall bookshelves line the walls separating the living spaces from the bedrooms. Straw bale construction is a green building method that uses whole or partial bales of straw as a major part of a homes walls. Dec 03, 2014 building with straw bales barbara jones presentation on ecobuild 2011.
Chelsea greens the rammed earth house and the straw bale house chronicle the possibilities and realities of straw bale and rammed earth construction. We built it in place of our previous shed which was on the property and needed a bit of upgrading. It is a natural,breathable material that has no harmful effects. It is meant to give clear and straightforward information about how to build houses with bales of straw.
Strawbale constructiona wall system using baled straw. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Charlies home is designed from the natural resources available on the land using stone, roundwood, straw bales, clay, turf and lime. We were the first to make panels in 2000, and have continued to implement versions of panelized straw bale systems in residential and commercial building. Oct 19, 2018 in this video you can see how we built complete straw bale house.
After laying each row of straw, place a lath, which is a sheet of metal mesh, over the bales and attach it with dowels or landscape pins. This construction method is commonly used in natural building or brown construction projects. For the straw bale walls, the first coat was quite thick around an inch. Pdf straw bale in construction of building and its. Straw bale construction has many advantages, including the carbon sequestration of the material, low cost, availability, fireresistance, and insulation values. Some builders construct frames around the bales and use the bales for insulation, while others eliminate the framing altogether. Building a home using straw bale construction mother. Pdf straw bale in construction of building and its future. Paulina and her passion people having fun at a clay. Because of the specialized work that goes into plastering both sides of straw bale walls, the cost of finishing a straw bale house sometimes exceeds that of standard construction. December29,20 onthe28thofapril2012thecontentsoftheenglishaswellasgermanwikibooksandwikipedia projectswerelicensedundercreativecommonsattributionsharealike3.
The rvalue measures the insulation resistance of the wall. Now i just need to gather the materials and bodies then get to work. A straw bale house uses straw bales as insulation or as the structural building block of the home. Plastered straw bale construction super energy efficient and economical the basics of this technique can be learned in a few days. 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. Endeavour has a long history of working with prefabricated straw bale wall panels. Oct 01, 2005 building a straw bale house the red feather way was very informative. It seems to be a great instruction book for the very beginner. We have many plans that are not on the website and we can make custom straw bale house plans for you. In this video you can see how we built complete straw bale house. Strawbale constructiona wall system using baled straw as large, stackable blockswas invented in the united states more than years ago.
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. If you are brand new to straw bale or are a straw bale construction specialist theres something for you at stra. They can be purchased from local stores or obtained directly from a hay producer, or any farmer baling straw. This kind of construction is gaining attention as a natural building method.
Though its original heyday was in the early 20th century, a vigorous revival began in the late 1980s. The straw is the stalk of the grain without the grain head. The pros and cons of straw bale wall construction in green building following are some pros and cons of building a straw bale house. All plans for ecological, natural, sustainable, green homes or buildings that use strawbales and are featured at dream green homes are listed here. These are controlled normally through sprays, baits, or other appropriate methods. We built it in place of our previous shed which was on the property and needed a. Earth, hands and houses straw bale workshop leader, paulina wojciechowska. Straw bale construction is a building method that commonly uses straw from wheat, rice, rye and oats, as building insulation. The pests present in a straw bale garden will tend to be of the winged variety. The low afternoon sun cast a warm, rich light on the straw bale walls of a newly completed structure. There are two basic styles of straw bale construction. We can change existing plans to include straw bale walls and also draw plans for conventional construction methods. Whats more, its fun, because the technique is easy to learn and easy to do yourself.
This straw bale home used a threecoat system of applying the earth plaster for the straw bale walls. Pdf architect werner schmidt s straw bale construction. Asthmatics too find a straw bale house a healthier environment to live in. If you are brand new to straw bale or are a straw bale construction specialist theres something for you at. Straw bale additions are accomplished by tying the addition to the existing structure. Strawbale construction and us building codes california straw. Straw bale constructionprint version introduction to building with straw bales history while use of grassfamily plant fibers has long been a part of building methods worldwide, dating far back into prehistory, actual straw bale construction was pioneered in nebraska in the united states, in the late 19thearly 20th. By contrast, the builder of a loadbearing structure must generally complete the foundation, erect the.
The main purpose of the project was for the students in the environmental studies capstone seminar to learn about straw bale construction by actually building. Straw bale garden straw bales allow you to set up a garden anywhere, even on hardscapeadding valuable greenspace to your urban habitat. I think the straw burned after the top cap of the wall burned away and coalembers dropped into the straw bales. Straw bale house plans earth and straw design earth. I read it in one afternoon and have the concept down pretty good. In particular, the embodied energy of the straw bale wall section is six times. Im eager to know your thoughts and opinions on the advantages and challenges of straw bale construction, and if youre starting a project please let me know what youre up to in the comments, or send me an email if you have any questions. Building a straw bale and plaster house is a lowcost and environmentally friendly way to create a home. Andrew has a passion for straw bale construction that is matched only by his desire to teach his knowledge to others. He has a wealth of experience in designing and building conventional, tiny, and straw bale homes. About 6 weeks before your last frost date, you can start conditioning your bales inside the greenhouse. After laying each row of straw, place a lath, which is a sheet of metal mesh, over the bales.
Straw is easy to work with for people new to construction as they are flexible and can be very forgiving. February 2014 strawbale construction and its evolution in. The material is ecofriendly, fairly affordable, and reasonably easy to work with, making it an appealing approach to building a home. This unique passive solar home radiates off a circular outdoor room, and has diverse indoor and outdoor spaces. The embodied energy for the low impact straw bale house is 41,000 kbtus, or about one twelfth that of the frame house. Click on numbers 1 to 9 above the picture to see the building stages of the house. The straw bales, finished by plaster, have a high rvalue. My name is andrew morrison and welcome to my straw bale building site dedicated to anyone interested in building their own straw bale house. Generally, it is recommended to replace straw bales at the end of the growing season.
This coat filled in all of the irregularities of the straw bale wall. Straw bale house construction why build a straw bale house. Hay fever sufferers are not affected by straw,as it does not contain pollens. After the edible part of grains have been harvested, their stalks are disposed of by farmers and in many areas, they are burned. I wonder if the walls would still be intact if the plaster coating had covered the top of the wall as well. The straw bale house was first seen simply as a makeshift structure. Since this is a simple and accessible wall building technique. In the ontario context, straw bale walls are built by stacking. Straw bale house construction dancing rabbit ecovillage. Living in a straw house protects you from all that. Paulina creating clay plaster at a natural building workshop services based on the experience of the founder paulina wojciechowska, a qualified architect who. It has many southwest inspired elements, and incorporates a number of alternative materials and elements, including straw bale filled steel frame and rastra walls, radiant heat barrier, solar hot water panels, and a photovoltaic system.
A straw bale home can save up to 75 percent on heating and cooling costs annually source. The disadvantages of straw bale construction hunker. The book deals with every facet of building a straw bale house, from council approval. Straw bale building works even in oregon vanessa salvia build it with bales your home australia s guide toenvironmentally sustainable straw bale village one community open source 2 straw bale house plans earth and design straw bale village one. University of michigan professor joe trumpey shows how to build a strawbale. Pdf straw bale is future house building material researchgate.
This unique straw bale home manages to provide four bedrooms in 1,860 sf of living space. It looks to me that the plaster coated straw bale survived well until the wood part of the structure burned down. Can straw bale techniques really make a difference to the environment. Analyzed costs of a designed straw bale house and conventional. Welcome to my name is andrew morrison and welcome to my straw bale building site dedicated to anyone interested in building their own straw bale house. It is a practical book reflecting the authors personal experience, with tips and wisdom learned from his own pitfalls and mistakes. Download file free book pdf the straw bale house at complete pdf library. The embodied energy for the conventional frame house was 509,000 kbtus. Straw bale houses typically save about 15 percent of the wood used in a conventionally framed house. Pdf the straw bale house download full pdf book download.
Straw or hay bales can be obtained from several different places. Investigation of environmental impacts, straw bale construction. Featured in books and magazines, and the recipient of a prestigious award, this is a truly extraordinary house. Straw bales are a highly insulative, lowembodiedenergy, natural building material made from an agricultural waste product. Straw bale construction has considerably good insulation and can be a promising building alternative that meets housing needs and energy. Like any building material, it is always best to evaluate your needs and your goals before committing to a particular material. Straw bale houses australia design and construction. For many, they are locally available and affordable. However, there are also pitfalls to using straw bales for construction. This guide covers the materials and methods you might use to build a straw bale house, a house that. Building your straw bale home is a howto book for people interested in straw bale building. A modern look at straw bale construction walks you step by step through the process of building a straw bale house with the techniques used by master builder andrew morrison of professional quality, toscale design drawings are included that detail each step of the construction process. Prefabricated straw bale wall panels endeavour sustainable.
Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The aim of this study is to analyze thermal properties of straw bale house in 6th october in egypt by ecotect. Buildings of earth and strawfills in the gaps for professional builders, contractors, engineers, inspectors, lenders, and architectural students. I think it pretty much survived on its own, with some. The straw bale house a real goods independent living book. Straw bale additions and retrofits straw bale additions. In forest glen, girl scout annie aguirre and other members of troop 20804 used straw bales to plant an organic vegetable garden in the back of a community church. Straw bale construction worcester polytechnic institute. For those who prefer using natural materials, building a straw bale house may seem like a great option.