Small Strawbale is a meditative exploration of the innumerable reasons to consider strawbale as a viable building material. Environmentally friendly, super insulative, economical, and natural, strawbale can be used to build everything from garden walls to small homes. Small Strawbale tells the stories of people who have successfully created structures out of this easily replenishable building material, reminding us that our human roots are ultimately grounded and dependent upon the earth and its bounties. This practical guide is filled with rich photos of homes, greenhouses, studios, sheds, open-air structures and more, each pulsating with unique yet subtle creativity. Both a pragmatic construction manual and a philosophical, artistic guidebook, Small Strawbale is an inspirational starting point for a strawbale dreamer, and a great source of information for those who are ready to get bailing. Bill and Athena Steen are the authors of Built by Hand, The Straw Bale House, and The Beauty of Straw Bale Houses. They are heavily involved in their nonprofit organization, The Canelo Project. Committed to developing and educating others about simple and sustainable living, they regularly teach workshops on straw bale building and artistry with clay and lime. They live in Arizona. Wayne Bingham has worked as building program director for the state of Utah for ten years and has been in private architectural practice for twenty years. He was instrumental in developing and building the AIA Habitat for Humanity house, and served as chairperson of the AIA Committee on the Environment. His work has been published in Architectural Digest and Popular Science, among others. Bill is building a straw bale home in Teton Valley, Idaho.

Small Strawbale: Natural Homes, Projects & Designs

Bingham, Wayne

Steen, Bill

Steen, Athena

Arts & Photography

Gibbs-Smith

Natural Timber Frame Homes Building with Wood, Stone, Clay, and Straw Wayne J. Bingham and Jerod Pfeffer Natural Timber Frame Homes is a book about the future of houses-those inspired not by a technology-governed and energy-intensive world, but instead developed organically in response to the places in which we live. Through beautiful photography and informed text, Natural Timber Frame Homes explores the quiet splendor of traditional timber frame homes built with straw bales and plaster or clay-finished walls. Author was instrumental in developing and building. The AIA Habitat for Humanity house, and served as chairperson of the AIA Committee on the Environment.

Natural Timber Frame Homes: Building with Wood, Stone, Clay and Straw

Pfeffer, Jerod

Architecture

Strawbale Home Plans Wayne J. Bingham and Colleen Smith Strawbale building experts Wayne J. Bingham and Colleen Smith present 30 unique plans to build a strawbale home, along with stunning photographs that illustrate projects from around the world. A broad range of building types, from small retreats and rural off-the-grid homes to urban houses and commercial buildings are featured. Benefits of strawbale building: It is the healthiest and most energy-saving building option. Results in dramatic reductions on heating and cooling bills. Significantly decreases the risk of allergies from airborne molds, pollens, and toxins. Strawbale houses offer 3 times the fire resistance of conventional construction. Is a green building option, which has been a hot topic in national media.

Strawbale Home Plans

Smith, Colleen

After practicing conventional glass, steel, and concrete architecture for more than thirty years, an award-winning architect discovers the concept of sustainable living and embarks on a journey that ends with his own strawbale home at the foot of the Grand Tetons. A complete source of information for sustainable and off-the-grid construction, Shelter explores the principles of sustainable living and then illustrates actual execution of those principles in the author’s strawbale home. Both an exploration of sustainability from an architect’s point of view as well as a practical reference for home builders, Shelter is an indispensable resource to those interested in leaving a smaller foot print on the environment. Follow the author from the beginning idea through the planning, designing, and constructing to the realities of living in his strawbale dream home.

Shelter: An Architect's Journey into Sustainability

Biographies & Memoirs

Arts & Literature

Familius

After practicing conventional glass, steel, and concrete architecture for more than thirty years, an award-winning architect discovers the concept of sustainable living and embarks on a journey that ends with his own strawbale home at the foot of the Grand Tetons. 
A complete source of information for sustainable and off-the-grid construction, "Shelter" explores the principles of sustainable living and then illustrates actual execution of those principles in the author s strawbale home. Both an exploration of sustainability from an architect s point of view as well as a practical reference for home builders, "Shelter" is an indispensable resource to those interested in leaving a smaller foot print on the environment. 
Follow the author from the beginning idea through the planning, designing, and constructing to the realities of living in his strawbale dream home."

Shelter: An Architect's Journey Into Sustainability