Straw is a natural material that can be sourced very locally.

Isn’t it great to see examples of straw bale construction popping up all over the world?

I can make such a grandiose statement because I have found a really cool application of straw bale construction in England.  The other sites chronicle projects in Kentucky, Montana, Arizona, Maryland and Wisconsin.

ENGLISH STRAW – THE BUILDING MATERIAL OF THE FUTURE

The BaleHaus was designed at University of Bath’s Centre for Innovative Construction Materials.  This project kicks down the door of our preconceptions of what a straw bale house looks like.  They are determined to dash the common public misconceptions that straw bale is not durable, and only for hippies.

KENTUCKY HOMESTEAD STRAW BALE HOUSE

At this site, you can follow the progress of a family homesteading on 57 acres of rolling hills in Kentucky who are building a debt free timber frame, straw bale house.

THE BOZEMAN STRAW BALE PROJECT

This site is dedicated to turning straw from an alternative to a mainstream building material by building a house and awareness at the same time.

Beautifully organized and still being completed, this should be a site to follow.

WALDEN IN THE WEST

Carolyn Roberts welcomes the world to her personal Walden, where she (and by she – I mean with her own hands) built her own straw bale home for $50,000.   Her accomplishment is impressive and inspiring.  And her house is beautiful.

A STRAW BALE ADDITION IN URBAN BALTIMORE

photo credit: Urbanite Magazine, Baltimore MD

A cool article about a 250-square-foot straw bale addition (the first of its kind in Baltimore) to their 70-year-old home.   They say that since the addition is complete, their entire house feels warmer in winter.

HANDS ON STRAW BALE WORKSHOP IN WISCONSIN

If you live in the Midwest and want to get some hands-on experience with straw bale building this summer, this workshop could be just the thing.  It’s a chance to learn from Mark Morgan, an experienced straw bale builder.

Whole Trees Architecture and Construction