Some information is outdated but still most of it is relevant. Some pictures and floor plans.
Recommended Reading
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The Straw Bale House
Chelsea Green
1994
The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes
Chelsea Green
2001
Lots of great pictures and wonderful introduction to strawbale construction.
Small Strawbale
Gibbs Smith
2005
Collection of wonderful small structures with floorplans, pictures and details.
Serious Straw Bale: a Home Construction Guide for all Climates
Chelsea Green
2000
From Canada so details are more appropriate for wet and cold climates.
The New Strawbale Home
Gibbs Smith
2003
Floorplans, Pictures and stories of Strawbale Homes built in North America.
Purchase in CASBA Store.
Strawbale Home Plans
Gibbs Smith
2007
Good book for inspiration with great pictures and some floor plans.
More Straw Bale Building: A Complete Guide to Designing and Building with Straw
New Society Publishers
2005
Covers the entire process of building a strawbale structure; from developing plans, code compliance, building details, construction methods, financing and zoning issues.
Build it with Bales, Version 2
Out on Bale
1997
A Step-by-Step guide to Straw Bale Construction. A classic primer and one of the early books with lots of details.
Purchase in CASBA Store.
The Natural Plaster Book: Earth, Lime and Gypsum Plasters for Natural Homes
New Society Publishers
2003
A comprehensive guide to natural plasters and plastering techniques, including some basic recipes.
Using Natural Finishes: A Step by Step Guide
Green Books
2008
Earth and Lime based plasters as well as finishes from around the world.
Clay Culture: Plasters, Paints and Preservation
Gourmet Adobe Press
2010
Focuses on her work with Clay on structures in New Mexico.
Building with Lime:A Practical Introduction
Practical Action
2002
Good advice and General reference on broad range of uses for Lime in Construction
Design of Straw Bale Buidings: the State of the Art
Green Building Press
2006
For architects and engineers especially - dealing with technical issues and codes, and a must have for the design team.
Purchase in CASBA Store.
Buildings of Earth and Straw: Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw-Bale Architecture
Ecological Design Press
1996
Technical information on these two building methods,useful for the professional, intelligible to the general reader, and attractively illustrated.
Fractal Architecture: Design for Sustainability
Booksurge
2006
Concepts of Sustainability and the practice of environmental design.
Purchase in CASBA Store.
The Natural House
Chelsea Green
2000
A complete guide to healthy, energy-efficient, environmental homes; with a chapter on strawbale.
The Hand-Sculpted House
Chelsea Green
2002
A practical and philosophical guide to building a Cob cottage. Cob is a method using clay and straw.
EcoNest: Creating Sustainable Sanctuaries of Clay, Straw, and Timber
Gibbs Smith
2005
Addresses Light Straw Clay, another method of building with straw.
Purchase in CASBA Store.
The Hybrid House - Designing with Sun, Wind, Water, and Earth
Gibbs Smith
2010
Shows straw as an element of the overall design and/or movement.
Built by Hand
Gibbs Smith
2003
Shows traditional vernacular architecture from around the world, including earth and fiber; celebrates people building their own shelter using natural, local materials.
Making Better Concrete
Green Building Press
2005
Guidelines to using Fly Ash for higher quality concrete in Eco friendly structures.
Little House on a Small Planet
Lyons Press
2006
How to build only what you need, and how to figure out what that is.
