Table of Contents

Introduction; Why Build with Straw?; Other Natural Building Materials; What Are Straw Bales?; The Red Flag Questions; The Hotly Debated Often-Distorted Question of Cost; Getting Focused; Design Considerations; The Many Styles of Bale Building; Structural Design Options: Foundations, Roofs and Partition Walls; More Design Options: Mechanical Systems; From Designer to Draftsperson; Straw Bale Construction Plans; Building Permits; Do-It-yourself (DIY) and Building Professionals; Budgeting; Going Shopping: Materials; Construction: Before the Bales; Raising Bale Walls; Plastering Your Bale Walls; Bale Wall Finishes; Common Mistakes; Constructing with Work Parties; Other Straw Bale Projects; The Challenge; Index.

Promotional Information

A completely rewritten and updated edition of this straw building classic.

About the Author

Chris Magwood and Peter Mack are professional straw bale builders and consultants who have constructed over 40 straw bale buildings, consulting on many more. They have taught workshops and seminars across the continent and overseas, and are authors of one of the first straw bale how-to books, Straw Bale Building (New Society, Publishers, 2000) which has sold 20,000 copies. Chris Magwood has been editor of The Last Straw Journal, an international quarterly devoted to straw-bale building, since 2001. He is also the coauthor of Straw Bale Details. Chris Magwood and Peter Mack are professional straw bale builders and consultants who have constructed over 40 straw bale buildings, consulting on many more. They have taught workshops and seminars across the continent and overseas, and are authors of one of the first straw bale how-to books, Straw Bale Building (New Society, Publishers, 2000) which has sold 20,000 copies. Chris Magwood has been editor of The Last Straw Journal, an international quarterly devoted to straw-bale building, since 2001. He is also the coauthor of Straw Bale Details.