Straw bale construction

Building with straw bales is a technique pioneered a century ago in the state of Nebraska. In recent years there has been a renaissance in the use of straw as a building material largely in the American Southwest, but also in Canada, Australia, France, Holland, Germany, Austria and China. Straw is a renewable resource with excellent insulating properties. It is a cheap and easy-to-use option for self-builders, and even large-scale structures can be erected using timber framework filled with…

Over the weekend I attended an event to learn about straw bale home construction - a sustainable building material that benefits the planet instead hurts it. They also talked about regenerative agriculture, permaculture, and ethically sourced mezcal. It was really cool, and I want to share just a li

A sustainable building material wins favor on multiple fronts.

Building with straw bales has many appealing benefits, but is no panacea. It has drawbacks just like any other system.

Straw Bale Dome

No, not another holiday trip, though it has been quite a change of scenery. I have been helping my friend Matty with his roundhouse. It’s already something rather special and is going to be stunning when finished. He has built it all by hand, mostly on his own, with the help of a few knowledgeable friends and that is where I come in. He asked me, a month or so ago, if I’d be available to give him a hand with placing the bale walls. I jumped at the opportunity to learn more as it will stand…

Building a straw bale and plaster house is a low-cost and environmentally friendly way to create a home. This guide covers the materials and methods you might use to build a straw bale house, a house that can last hundreds of years, is...

When building, the question of what type of mesh to use in a straw bale build is a big one. I show the use of 14 gauge welded wire mesh in my videos...

How do you select straw bales for home construction? Bale type, size, moisture, straw length, and more all factor in to save time, labor, and budget.