Small Strawbale: Natural Homes, Projects & Designs
Strawbale structures are the tangible creations of simple dreams and modest pocketbooks. They represent a beauty that is born of simplicity and effort rather than complexity and capital--a beauty that resounds with the satisfaction enjoyed by those who take an active part in designing and crafting their own creations.Overflowing with beautiful, vivid color photographs, detailed illustrations, and floor plans, Small Strawbale spotlights the personal stories of people who have created simple, economical, and beautiful structures out of natural materials.A thorough guide to building with strawbale and other natural materials, this guide includes an eclectic sampling of houses, studios, meditation spaces, outbuildings, and landscape walls. Additional ideas include strawbale alcoves, bottle windows, built-in furniture, clay ovens, as well as design guidelines for small houses, gable roofs, lofts, shed roofs, porches, seasonal shading, and pantries.Both a pragmatic constructions manual and a philosophical, artistic guidebook, Small Strawbale is an inspirational starting point for the strawbale dreamer and a great source of information for those who are ready to get baling.Bill and Athena Swentzell Steen are the authors of Built by Hand: Vernacular Buildings around the World, The Straw Bale House, and The Beauty of Straw Bale Homes. They are heavily involved in their non-profit organization, The Canelo Project. Committed to developing and to education people about simple and sustainable ways of living, building, and growing food, the Steens regularly teach workshops on strawbale building and artistry with clay and lime. Through their work, they have developed close ties to Mexico where they have carried out a number of projects. They live in Canelo, a small community tucked away in the secluded oak woodlands of Arizona, seventy miles southeast of Tucson.Wayne Bingham is an architect who assists owners and builders in planning, designing, and constructing strawbale homes. He served for ten years as the building program director for the state of Utah, and was instrumental in developing and building the AIA Habitat for Humanity house. He also served as president of AIA Salt Lake, chairperson of the Design for Life Workshops, chairperson of the AIA Committee on the Environment, and a member and chairperson of the Uniform Building Codes Commission. He is the recipient of four architectural design awards and a 1997 Governor's Award for Energy Efficiency in State Facilities. His work has been published in Architectural Digest, Popular Science, The Salt Lake Tribune, Intermountain Contractor, The Deseret News, Nikkei Architecture, Utah Holiday Magazine, and Utah Architect Magazine. Bill and his wife, Colleen, are currently building their own strawbale home in Teton Valley, Idaho.