11 Claremont Crescent
Windsor NSW 2756

Ph: 02 4577 4244
Fax: 02 4577 9670

email:

An architectural practice committed to good practical design outcomes that look fantastic without costing the earth.

www.adobesouth.co.nz

Ph/Fax: +64 9 430 2020
Mobile: 0274 902 324
Email:

Studio 1, 160 Lower Dent Street, Whangarei

» Straw bale educator
» Straw bale building consultant
» Construction design & engineering

tel. 0428 246 868
email

Spray Rendering.
I will come and work with you and your team of volunteers to render your house. You will be able to apply 300 square metres of render 30mm thick in one day. and it wont cost the earth.

Equipment.
I supply bale needles, knives and tensioning systems and many other building related supplies below retail prices.

PO Box 546
HEATHCOTE VIC 3523
tel. 0438 566 576
email

Design & draughting of sustainable, healthy houses

Environmentally, socially & economically sustainable small farm development incorporating:

»house design & draughting
»enterprise development
»natural resource conservation

Dr Sally Gomes-Trent
Quairading, WA
phone: (08) 9641 6600
email:

This list of resources is provided by AUSBALE in the interests of promoting discussion and the exchange of information. The information contained in any of these resources is not necessarily endorsed or advised by AUSBALE or its members.

Straw Bale Details : A Manual for Designers and Builders

From the Publishers: Straw Bale Details is the perfect companion for those who are serious about building with straw. It focuses entirely on the specific design theories and practices that result in well-built, long-lasting bale structures. It extends the range of books like Straw Bale Building through large, easy-to-read architectural drawings rendered for a wide variety of building options, including load-bearing and post-and-beam designs. A range of foundation, wall, door and window, and roof-plate scenarios is presented, along with notes and possible modifications. Also included are the most recent testing data to help base designer and builder decisions on sound science.

Chris Magwood is coauthor of Straw Bale Building and editor of The Last Straw Journal. Chris Walker is a Toronto architect specializing in sustainable design.

Beauty of Straw Bale Homes

Athena and Bill Steen, co-authors of the original Straw Bale House book published by Chelsea Green in 1994, have now created a book that celebrates in gorgeous color photographs the tactile, sensuous beauty of straw bale dwellings. Their selection of photos also demonstrates how far bale building has come in a very short period of time. This is the first really satisfying book for straw-bale "dreamers"

"The characteristic thick walls and wide windowsills of straw bale houses, the possibility of incorporating curves and even arches, and the rousing experience of family "wall-raisings" have become well-known. Combined with older styles of plastering and earthen floors, these very contemporary buildings have a timeless quality that's easy to recognize yet hard to achieve with conventional manufactured materials."

The Straw Bale House

Whether you plan to build an entire house or something more modest--a home office or studio, a retreat cabin or guest cottage--plastered straw bale construction is an exceptionally durable and inexpensive option. The technique is easy to learn and easy to do yourself; this book takes you step by step through every stage of construction. Includes many examples of existing houses for inspiration. A best seller!

Straw Bale Construction Details, A Sourcebook

What the authors are trying to do here is "to document the rapid evolution of straw bale construction and clarify many of the exciting possibilities and practicalities of this method of sustainable building." (from the preface)

The book is divided into two sections, the first on Structures covers:
Non-loadbearing: Inwall Light frame, Interior independent frame, exterior independent frame, ceiling floor infill.
Loadbearing: Pre-compression, Skin as Structure, Integrated Compression
Hybrid: Load Distribution, Mortared Bales

the second on Elements covers:

From the Publishers:Although strawbale construction is beginning to enter the mainstream, many people continue to wonder what a straw bale house looks like. The New Strawbale Home answers definitively, "Anything you want!" Innovative architects and builders are reinventing this century-old technology to create thick-walled modern houses of unsurpassed natural beauty.

The New Strawbale Home compiles floor plans and images from forty cutting-edge homes across North America, from California to Quebec, New Mexico to New England, showcasing a spectrum of regional styles and personal aesthetic choices. This practical guide discusses varying climate considerations and essential design details for problem-free construction and low maintenance, and also points out the ecologically friendly, energy-saving aspects of straw bale construction.

The New Strawbale Home beautifully illustrates how building with straw bales allows for maximum personal creativity-whether the finished product is an urban home, a country hideaway, or anything in between.

From the publisher: Most straw bale books do a great job enticing us with beautiful photographs and "selling" the idea of straw-bale building - but they don't adequately address the most critical issues faced by bale house builders. In Straw Bale Building, professional bale builders Peter Mack and Chris Magwood lead the potential builder through the entire process of building a bale structure, tackling all the practical issues; from how to find and choose bales; developing sound building plans; costs; roofing; electrical, plumbing, and heating systems; building code compliance and working with building inspectors; and special concerns for builders in northern climates.

From Builders Booksite: Published in February 2000 by Canadian publisher "New Society", we didn't find this book until December. This book is certainly one of the leaders of the "second wave" of straw bale construction books. Excellent coverage of the entire building (and pre-building) process dealing with the shortcomings and potential problem areas that amateur builders can find themselves overwhelmed by. With its focus primarily on northern climates, if you are considering straw bale, this is a resource you should look at. (Straw Bale Details is Chris Magwood's second book, just out in June 2003, check it out)

For builders of natural homes (straw bale, cob, adobe, rammed earth, and other natural materials), this unique step-by-step guide takes the confusion out of choosing, mixing, and applying natural plasters.

From principles to practicalities, and with every stage of the process illustrated, The Natural Plasters Book details the entire process of plastering with earth, lime, and gypsum for a long-lasting and durable finish. Starting with an overview and history of the natural building movement, the book handles a wide variety of topics including earthen plaster versus cement stucco, tools and techniques of the trade, plaster recipes, and pigmenting plaster or painting walls with natural paints.

First-time builders will appreciate tips on common mistakes (and how to avoid them) discussed at each stage of the plastering process. Special focus is paid to the importance of planning and designing for earthen plasters— before building begins.

The only comprehensive guide available on natural plasters, this book is written for the growing number of people who have decided to build their own natural homes as well as for professionals. Heavily illustrated with practical drawings and photographs, it also includes an extensive resource guide listing books, magazines, videos, builders, and suppliers.

It ís an obvious problem when researching a particular building method or material that the only thing in writing tends to be positive information. That's why this book is of such value, Chiras attempts (successfully) to be objective. This book is a tour of the construction, costs, and pros and cons of thirteen natural building methods. Straw Bale, Rammed Earth, Cordwood, Adobe, Earthbags, Papercrete, Earthships.

Whatever the method, the common goal is to create a house that is economical, energy efficient, nontoxic, soothing to the soul, and kind to the environment as well as pleasing to behold. The author shows how we can gain energy independence and reduce our environmental impact through passive heating and cooling techniques, solar electricity, wind power, and micro-hydropower. While Chiras is an unabashed advocate for natural building techniques, he takes care not to romanticize and alerts reader to avoidable (and unavoidable) pitfalls with each system / material.

From the publisher: In this little book, you will find all the information you need to finish your straw bale home with earth. Why would anyone choose to finish their home with mud plasters? Because they are the perfect finish for straw bale homes. Earth Plasters:

• Protect bales from water damage by exhaling moisture
• Expand and contract in harmony with the bales and the wood, minimizing cracking
• Can be remarkably durable, and easy to patch and repair when necessary
• Are fun and easy to work with
• Are good for the environment
• Provide opportunities for community work parties
• Are compatible with lime finish plasters for additional protection in locations receiving frequent heavy wind-blown rains

From the publishers: For skeptics and true believers, this book will prove to be the latest word.

Thorough explanations of how moisture and temperature affect buildings in seasonal climates, with descriptions of the unique capacities of straw and other natural materials to provide warmth, quiet, and comfort year-round.

Comprehensive comparison of the two main approaches to straw bale construction: "Nebraska-style," where bales bear the weight of the roof, and framed structures, where bales provide insulation.

Detailed advice-including many well-considered cautions-for contractors, owner-builders, and designers, following each stage of a bale-building process.
This is a second-generation straw bale book, for those seeking serious information to meet serious challenges while adventuring in the most fun form of construction to come along in several centuries.

From Builders Booksite: We see this book filling the niche between the very basic introductory Straw Bale House and the Beauty of Straw Bale, and the "engineering/technical resources of Buildings of Earth and Straw and Straw Bale Construction Details, A Sourcebook. Excellent clear drawings, photographs, and text cover the whole process.