Before we astonish you with some marvelous examples of our favorite underground house, here are some tips & explanations you might find useful
UPDATE: BIO-construction workshop in natural park La Garrotxa from 19th till 26th of october. More practical information in dutch can be found here Learn Super efficient and economic building techn…
It was important to Julia and John to build a house in a way that was respectful of the environment and that would be sustainable to live in long-term. It took three years from when they started building to before they were able to move in, but it's because they did nearly all the work themselves.
Several years ago I ran across an article on-line about Straw Bale (or Cob) construction for homes. Recently I have been delighted to see that these types of homes have gained quite a bit of popula…
Many people have mentioned an interest in building a straw bale greenhouse. I have seen several different approaches to this idea over the years.
Image 9 of 19 from gallery of SCL Straw-Bale House / Jimmi Pianezzola Architetto. Photograph by Alberto Sinigaglia
Minnesota's first code-approved straw-bale house is super energy-efficient – and wolf-proof.
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...
Name: Beth Knox and Bill Hutchins Location: Takoma Park, Maryland (just over the District line) Size: 2,100 square feet — 4 bedrooms + basement apartment Years lived in: 4 years, owned Other occupants: Tenants in basement, 20-something children from time to time, a variety of guests (extended stay), currently a Congolese pastor seeking asylum.
Building with straw bales has many appealing benefits, but is no panacea. It has drawbacks just like any other system.
Kristen fell in love with cob after visiting a natural building site and immediately started to draw up plans for her home.
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...
Architecture trends are constantly changing and are currently evolving toward sustainability thanks to innovative designers.
Arkin Tilt Architects design truly beautiful straw bale homes. They are pioneers in showing the world that straw bale construction can be sleek and modern.
Day seven started out earlier than usual as we were ending the day a little earlier and we were loosing a couple of people who had to head home because of distance and work. We were still very much behind schedule. With Andrew being ill much of the week we had not completed as much
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’...
Imagine strolling into one's own backyard in the dead of winter to harvest fresh salad greens and gather organic eggs, still warm from the mother hen. Then picture collecting gallons of sweet honey from one's own beehives every summer.
Are you looking for cheap alternative housing ideas that won't get you in a ton of debt? Here are a few realistic ideas for you.
The transition from hardwood floors to straw bale wall can be difficult. Be sure to read how to deal with hardwood floors in a straw bale house.
With all the charm of a quaint country cottage, this straw bale house is a model of environmentally sensitive building for the future
An earthen house, an off-grid cabin, a renovated Airstream or a house made of reclaimed shipping containers.
I want a cob house! I think it would go well with desert landscaping, in fact, I think it would beautify a desert environment. They are also chemical-free, earthquake resistant, insect resistant and so cute. Hobbit houses! I'm up for it! I can imagine a whole chemically-sensitive village of cob houses out in the desert. How superb! They don't have to be very big either. Just large enough for shelter from the elements, bathroom facilities, and electricity. I think those who are living out of their cars would appreciate a little home like this. Then maybe a community center with showers, recreation area, and a kitchen. People who want a bigger cob house can build their own. What I could do with a lottery winning right now!
This four-bedroom dwelling is sustainable and stunning.
Explore gr00vy's 2999 photos on Flickr!
Passive house design is often seen as belonging to the world of hi-tech construction — perhaps unfairly, seeing as it emphasises a good building fabric over bolt-on technologies. Straw-bale construction, meanwhile, is usually regarded as the preserve of only the most committed, do-it-yourself eco-builders. To some these two approaches appear to be chalk and cheese, but in fact they are inherently compatible, and more and more projects are now combining the maths-centred approach of passive house with the extensive use of natural materials. In the first of a series of case studies on passive straw-bale dwellings, Lenny Antonelli spoke to architect Fran Bradshaw of Anne Thorne Architects, who designed and built a straw-bale home for herself in Hickling, Norfolk two years ago — and aimed to meet the passive house standard while doing so, with only a single infrared electric panel as the building’s sole active heat source.
A "modern" Straw Bale home just outside of Sacramento, California. http://images01.olx.com/ui/16/38/56/1318691036_106683256_1-Pictures-of--Lovely-custom-straw-bale-home-Euro-Gourmet-style-24-acres.jpg Building a house out of straw may seem, at first, like a foolish idea. However, over the past couple of decades, there has been a steady increase in Straw Bale homes being built, and with it has come better research showing the wisdom of this ancient building material. I am not going to get into the details of construction today. I just want to show the beauty of these energy efficient homes. A modern Straw Bale home under construction. http://www.nachi.org/images10-2/windows-in-straw-bale.jpg http://www.buildingwithawareness.com/pictures%202008/straw-bale-home-hybrid-house-glow.jpg http://www.syncronos.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/straw-bale-house-and-green-building-picture.jpg A modern Staw Bale home with Passive Solar and Solar Photovoltaic design. http://www.buildingwithawareness.com/pictures%202008/entry%20straw%20bale%20house.jpg A Straw Bale "Farmhouse". http://www.syncronos.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/straw-bale-house-and-green-building-picture.jpg Unusual Straw Bale home at the Lama Foundation in Taos, New Mexico http://leicesterexchanges.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/lama-foundation-21.jpg A small, Straw Bale, second "home" in a Berkeley, California backyard. http://blog.whatsnexthomes.com/2011/07/23/live-like-one-of-the-three-little-pigs.aspx A Straw Bale mountain home. http://www.naturalhomeandgarden.com/uploadedImages/articles/daily/2008/2/EarthFlowDesignWorks-straw-bale-house.jpg Very unique Straw Bale home in Pembrokshire, UK http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/straw-homes-461209 A Straw Bale home in Argentina. http://naturalbuild.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/el-trebol-del-monte-yacanto-cordoba-argentina/ A Straw Bale home with Passive Solar design in New Zealand. http://www.builditgreen.co.za/Portals/0/Images/straw%20bale%20house%20finished.jpg The first Straw Bale home in New Zealand. http://www.ecobob.co.nz/EcoProperty/PropertyPhotoTour.aspx?propertyId=1265&imageIndex=4 Exterior and Interior of Straw Bale home in Oakland, California. http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/1-oakland-straw-home2.jpg Interior of Staw Bale homes can be beautiful! http://images.morris.com/images/cjonline/mdControlled/cms/2007/12/29/229851509.jpg The interior of the Straw Bale home shown at the very top of this article. http://images01.olx.com/ui/16/38/56/1318691036_106683256_1-Pictures-of--Lovely-custom-straw-bale-home-Euro-Gourmet-style-24-acres.jpg Unique floor and ceiling details in the Straw Bale home. http://www.spiritofmaat.com/archive/apr2_strawbal3.jpg This couple built their Straw Bale home... one thing I love about these structures. http://www.designforward.net/news_diary.jpg Fine finished interior of a Straw Bale home. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1244/921390003_d42bd63944.jpg Non-conventional is a huge selling point with Straw Bale homes... http://0.tqn.com/d/create/1/0/3/X/1/-/IMG-1549.jpg ...but many Straw Bale builders choose more traditional designs. http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1342/922243328_3122ad066a.jpg Deep inset windows are typical with Straw Bale homes. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/79/266169446_af3e9e112d.jpg Exquisite interior of a Straw Bale home in San Luis Obispo, California http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/straw-homes-461209
