Download or read book Building with Straw written by Gernot Minke and published by Birkhaüser. This book was released on 2005 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economical, ecological: designing and building with straw. Building 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, 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 frame-work 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.