Super
insulated and readily available, straw bale construction is increasingly
popular. It is a great way to build using locally sourced renewable
materials, and gives a very high level of thermal insulation.
The bales are generally finished in earth or lime plaster internally
and rendered or boarded externally.
On the downside is the thickness
of walls and the need for careful detailing to avoid damp problems.
It is also a seasonally available material.
You can find a very good pdf
guide to the subject at Strawbale Futures.
Straw Bale House for
Sale in France:
I have a small straw bale house
in SW France, which I'd like to sell or find a partner to buy
a share. I'm in the Périgord, 12kms from Brantôme.
The house is composed of a living area, small kitchen, bathroom
and two bedrooms on a piece of land measuring 2700square meters
(1/2 acre). All is situated in a delightful Périgourdin
historic village. Price: 150,000Euros.
Strawbale.co.uk -portal for straw bale building with
a number of useful articles.
Houses:
Cae
Mabon -idyllic straw
bale and cob constructed retreat on the edge of Snowdon.
Islington House of Straw -the house designed by Sarah Wigglesworth
and Jeremy Till featured on Channel 4s Grand Designs.
Maison en Paille
-the site of André and Coralie de Bouter, who built their
straw bale house in the Charente, France.
Maison Sampson
-the straw bale house of Mark and Deborah Sampson, featured in
the first series of Channel 4's Grand Designs Abroad.
Strawdio -site of Piers Partridge, a musician living
in the the South West of England who decided to build his music
studio using Straw Bales as a building material.
The Straw House
-straw house built in 2002 by the Wilkinson family in Herefordshire.
