Description
Book SynopsisBuilding 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 straw.
This book is a practical, hands-on guide to building with straw. Fire safety, protection against moisture, damp, pests and parasites are treated in detail. Numerous on-site photos document the process of assembly and construction step by step.
30 exemplary international projects illustrate the wide spectrum of design possibilities with straw.
Table of ContentsI The technology of straw bale building
1 Introduction
Purpose and objectives of this book
About the contents
Building with straw – a contribution to sustainability in construction
Further advantages of straw bale building
Objections and anxieties
2 History and profileration of straw bale building
Early buildings (1880-1970)
The development after 1980
3 Straw as building material
General facts
Straw bales
Straw panels
4 Wall construction systems using straw bales
Introduction to the construction systems
Load-bearing straw bale walls
Non-loadbearing straw bale walls
Facing straw bale layer as thermal insulation
Structural and dynamic aspects
Summary and comparison of the individual systems
5 Roof and floor construction with straw bales
Roof insulation
Floor constructions
Supplementary thermal insulation of existing structures
6 Physical aspects of straw bale building
Heat storage and heat conductivity
Thermal bridges
Thermal insulation
Moisture protection
Moisture balance
Wind and air tightness
Fire protection
Sound insulation
7 Designing a straw bale building
Special aspects of load-bearing straw bale walls
Special aspects of non-loadbearing straw bale walls
Detailing of foundations
Base details
Wall build-up
Wall junctions with foundation, base and floor
Ring beams
Windows and doors
Wall corners
Wall/roof junctions
Interior walls
Intermediate ceilings
Service ducts
Heavy-duty fixings in straw bale walls
Wall recesses
8 Surface protection and finishing works
Interior render
Exterior render
Paint coats
Water-repellent treatment
Weather boarding, facing and ventilated cladding
9 The building process
Supervision and co-ordination on site
Health and safety measures
Assessment of the quality of the bales
Supplementary compaction of the bales
Transport and storage
Separating of bales
Reshaping of bales
Bale installation
Wall reinforcement
Wall prestressing
Removal of deformations
Backfilling of joints and gaps
Cropping of bale surfaces
Rendering of the walls
10 Trial and error – an example
Preliminary note
Scheme design
Construction – the first attempt
Solving the problems – the second attempt
11 Building cost, insurance, planning permission
Building cost, expenditure of time and personal contribution
Insurance of building
Planning permission
II Built examples in detail
1 Residences
Residential building in Ouwerkerk, Zeeland, Netherlands
Residential building in Balneario Punta Ballena, Uruguay
Residential building in central Montreal, Canada
Prefabricated single-family home in Hitzendorf, near Graz, Styria, Austria
Single-family home in Dobersdorf, Burgenland, Austria
Urban cottage in Berkeley, California, USA
Single-family home in Bryson City, North Carolina, USA
Singe-family home with guest house, games room and garage in Galston, near Sidney, Australia
Single-family home in Lower Lake, California, USA
Single-family home at Lake Biwa, Japan
The Spiral House, Castlebar, County Mayo, Ireland
Load-bearing straw bale house in Disentis, Switzerland
Passive house in Cavan, Ontario, Canada
First straw bale house in Vienna, Austria
Single-family home in Blanden, Belgium
Low-energy house in Maria Laach, Austria
Passive house in Wienerherberg, Austria
2 Home and workplace
Trout Farm Complex, Tassaraja Canyon, California, USA
Residential and office building in London, Great Britain
Ulenkrug Farm, Stubbendorf, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, Germany
Residential building for ethnic German resettlers, Wargoldshausen, Lower Franconia, Germany
The Woodage Sawmill in Mittagong, Australia
Straw bale dome as a rehearsal and performance space in Forstmehren, Westerwald, Germany
Farm and residential building near Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Franconia, Germany
House of a painter near Santa Cruz, California, USA
3 Educational and cultural buildings
Foothills Academy College Preparatory, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA
Real Goods Solar Living Center, Hopland, California, USA
International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center Lodge,
Val-Morin, Quebec, Canada
Waldorf school in Carbondale, Colorado, USA
Salem Childrens’ Village, Kaliningrad, Russia
Sanctuary House, Crestone, Colorado, USA
Vipassana Meditation Hall, Blackheath, Australia
III Appendices
Measures
Networks
Internet links
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Illustration credits
