Bergeron and Lacinski's new book Serious Straw Bale is the first to look carefully at the specific design considerations critical to success with a straw bale building in more extreme climates-where seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity create special stresses that builders must understand and address. The authors draw upon years of experience with natural materials and experimental techniques, and present a compelling rationale for building with straw-one of nature's most resilient, available, and affordable byproducts.
Celebrates the aesthetic styles of straw bale dwellings with numerous color photographs, including both small and large homes and larger-scale institutional buildings. Includes an introductory essay by the authors noting the key lessons they have learned in years of building with bales.
"Filled with comprehensive case studies selected from over thirty-five of Red Feather's successfully completed housing and community-based building projects, Building a Straw Bale House documents the organization's collaboration with reservation communities and provides a step-by-step, bale-by-bale construction handbook - from initial site selection to finished product. Complete with information on safety, design, tools, and materials, it is an inspiring lesson for anybody interested in this technique of constructing a house and a hopeful redefinition of the fundamental ideas of architecture and the home."--BOOK JACKET.
The devil is in the details-the science and art of designing and building durable, efficient, straw bale buildings Straw bale buildings promise superior insulation and flexibility across a range of design aesthetics, while using a typically local and abundant low-embodied energy material that sequesters carbon-an important part of mitigating climate change. However, some early straw bale designs and construction methods resulted in buildings that failed to meet design goals for energy efficiency and durability. This led to improved building practices and a deeper understanding of the building science underlying this building system. Distilling two decades of site-built straw bale design and construction experience, Straw Bale Building Details is an illustrated guide that covers: Principles and process of straw bale design and building, options, and alternatives Building science of straw bale wall systems How design impacts cost, building efficiency, and durability Avoiding costly mistakes and increasing construction efficiency Dozens of time-tested detailed drawings for straw bale wall assemblies, including foundations, windows and doors, and roofs. Whether you're an architect, engineer, contractor, or owner-builder interested in making informed choices, Straw Bale Building Details is the indispensable guide to current practice in straw bale design and construction.
Set in China's Jiangnan area in the early 1960s, The Straw House centers around ordinary village life and follows a young boy named Sang Sang. Within the seemingly simplistic life of everyday China emerge several interwoven, deeply moving stories that bid farewell to the innocence of childhood, and embrace--albeit reluctantly--the responsibilities of adolesence. First published in 1997, The Straw House has been called a landmark work in the history of Chinese children's literature. Recommended for ages 12 and up
Two professional builders go through the process of building a bale structure, tackling all the practical issues--from how to find and choose bales to special concerns for northern climates. Architectural drawings & photos.
Building with straw bales is being embraced by amateurs and professionals for its versatility, comfort, environmental friendliness and high insulation. New methods should expand its growing worldwide popularity. In Practical Straw Bale Building, Murray Hollis uses simple, easy to understand language to describe the established techniques of straw bale construction and ways in which they can be improved. He also presents a new straw bale construction system that has substantial benefits over current methods. This system incorporates a new tensioning system that replaces the use of fence strainers for tensioning the hold-down/compression wires and eliminates uneven tensioning on opposite sides of the wall. It also allows for fabricating wall modules on-site as horizontal modules that are then swung into the vertical wall position after fabrication. Aspects of structures other than walls are addressed only to the extent that they are relevant to the use of straw bales, e.g. issues such as types of floors, roof structures and methods of heating or cooling. The innovative methods in this book will help to progress straw bale building technology and move it into the mainstream of the building industry.
Written entirely on an iPhone, this quartet of YA novellas by Another Pan and Another Faust author Daniel Nayeri showcases four different genres. This bold collection of novellas by Another series author Daniel Nayeri features four riveting tales. These modern riffs on classic genres will introduce young adult readers to a broad range of writing styles that explore universally compelling themes such as identity and belonging, betrayal and friendship, love and mortality. Straw House: A Western sizzling with suspense, set in a land where a rancher grows soulless humans and a farmer grows living toys. Wood House: This science-fiction tale plunges the reader into a future where reality and technology blend imperceptibly, and a teenage girl must race to save the world from a nano-revolution that a corporation calls “ReCreation Day.” Brick House: This detective story set in modern NYC features a squad of “wish police” and a team of unlikely detectives. Blow: A comedic love story told by none other than Death himself, portrayed here as a handsome and charismatic hero who may steal your heart in more ways than one. With humor, suspense, and relatable prose, this hip and cutting-edge collection dazzles.