Home Grown Home Recommended Reading

This is our recommended reading list; straw bale titles and related subjects that will be of interest to those wanting to know more about environmentally friendly building. All have something different to offer. Read as many as possible.

Links are provided to websites from which these books can be purchased. Most of the books listed are held in the libraries at the Straw Bale Cabin and Straw Bale Cottage. Come to stay and read them there!

The Last Straw

Regular US journal about straw bale building. Available online. Contributors from all over the globe. Excellent resource. Highly recommended. www.thelaststraw.org

Books about Straw Bale Building

Some of these books have technical information or practical advice and tips. Others have amazing photographs to illustrate the potential of straw bale buildings.

Design of Straw Bale Buildings, The State of the Art. 2nd edition 2006.

By Bruce King. Published by Green Building Press.

ISBN 978-0-9764911-1-8

An excellent American book which brings together research by leading straw bale experts from around the world. It is a well structured and comprehensive technical guide and an absolute must for the serious straw bale builder. Highly recommended.

Buy: http://store.cat.org.uk/product_info.php?cPath=24_45_53&products_id=157

Building with Straw Bales: A practical guide for the UK and Ireland.

By Barbara Jones. First published in 2002 by Green Books.

ISBN – 1-903998-13-1

The best UK straw bale book. Some of the methods are a little out of date now but the explanations and sentiments are timeless. Highly recommended.

Buy: http://www.amazonails.org.uk/page/building-with-straw-bales-book-109

The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes.

By Athena and Bill Steen. Published by Chelsea Green Publishing Company.

ISBN 1-890132-77-2

The photographs in this book are truly inspirational. Highly recommended.

Small Strawbale: Natural homes, projects and designs.

By Athena and Bill Steen and Wayne Bingham. Published by Gibbs Smith. April 2005.

ISBN 1-58685-515-8

More inspiring colour photographs from the same authors. Small is beautiful! Highly recommended.

Buy: http://store.cat.org.uk/product_info.php?cPath=24_45_53&products_id=587

Building with Straw. Design and Technology of a Sustainable Architecture.

By Gernot Minke and Friedemann Mahlke. Published by Birkhauser. 2004.

ISBN 3-7643-7171-4

Some good technical information and photographs with more of a European bias.

Buy: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Building-Straw-Technology-Sustainable-Architecture/dp/3764371714

Serious Straw Bale – A Home Construction guide for all climates.

By Paul Lacinski and Michel Bergeron.

Published by Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 2000.

ISBN 1-890132-64-0

Buy: http://store.cat.org.uk/product_info.php?cPath=24_45_53&products_id=573

Build it with Bales – A Step by Step Guide to Straw Bale Construction.

Matts Myhrman and S O Macdonald. Published by Out on Bale 1999.

ISBN 0-9642821-1-9

Straw Bale Details.

By Chris Magwood and Chris Walker. Published by New Society Publishers.

ISBN 0-86571-476-2 **Photo

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Other useful books

Some of these books have useful chapters on straw bale as well as other natural building materials.

Natural Building: A guide to Materials and Techniques.

By Tom Woolley. Published by The Crowood Press Ltd. 2006.

ISBN 1-86126-841-6

Balanced discussion of straw, earth, timber and hemp building in the UK. Also includes chapters on green roofs, natural insulation and paints. Interesting photographs and drawings. Highly recommended.

Buy: http://www.crowoodpress.co.uk/2007/book_details.asp?ISBN=978+1+86126+841+9

The Whole House Book. 2nd edition 2005

By Pat Borer and Cindy Harris. Published by CAT Publications.

ISBN 1-90217-522-0

Good overview of green building principals, materials and methods as used in the UK. Very useful checklists. Highly recommended.

Buy: http://store.cat.org.uk/product_info.php?cPath=104_253&products_id=788

The Natural House.

By Daniel D Chiras. Published by Chelsea Green Publishing Company 2000.

ISBN 1-890132-57-8

American version of the above.

Buy: http://store.cat.org.uk/product_info.php?cPath=24_45_47&products_id=439

Energy Systems and Sustainability – Power for a Sustainable Future.

Edited by Godfrey Boyle, Bob Everett and Janet Ramage. Published by the Oxford University Press.

ISBN 0-19-926179-2

Renewable Energy – Power for a Sustainable Future. 2nd edition 2004.

Edited by Godfrey Boyle. Published by the Oxford University Press.

ISBN 0-19-926178-4

Both books form part of an Open University renewable energy module (T206). Both books and course highly recommended.

The Green Building Bible. 4th edition.

Volume 1 & 2. Publishing editor Keith Hall. Published by The Green Building Press.

ISBN 1-898130-03-05 (volume 1) ISBN 1-898130-04-3 (volume 2)

Excellent, wide ranging resource for those interested in green building. Different experts write for each subject. Regularly updated. Highly recommended.

Buy: http://www.greenbuildingbible.co.uk/4th_edition/

Environmental Science in Buildings. 5th edition 2002.

By Randall McMullan. Published by Palgrave Macmillan.

ISBN 0-333-94771-1

A must for those wanting to understand building science. Very well explained.

Lifting the lid – An ecological approach to toilet systems.