While enthusiasts of straw bales praise the exceptional energy efficiency of bale buildings, and the wise use of resources involved in utilizing an agricultural byproduct as an affordable construction material, the real reason straw bales have excited builders and homeowners nationwide goes beyond energy conservation, resource recycling, and affordability.
People love straw bale homes because they are so often extraordinarily beautiful and inviting.
In the past two decades, the bale-building renaissance has attracted some of our most gifted architects, artisan builders, and craftspeople. 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. 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. Each photograph is also accompanied by narrative text highlighting a given building's special features and personal touches. Bill Steen is a photographer and collaborative builder who is especially interested in combining building techniques with community-enhancing approaches to design.