There is no other building material that offers so much affordable insulation. Straw is environmentally friendly, locally available, and lends itself to volunteers. Bales typically weigh 50 pounds or less and the walls can be stacked in one day. Another major timesaver is tieing rebar or bamboo on the outside of bales instead of pounding reinforcing into the bales. Stucco and earthen plaster bond well with straw.
Stucco creates a great deal of strength to resist wind loads.
Once encased in stucco and plaster the bales have proven to be virtually fireproof. A highlight to straw bale walls are the deep, inset windows. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing, the ledges are ideal for planters. Steel roofing is probably the most cost efficient roofing material because it is durable and affordable. Steel resists hail and sheds snow effectively.