Straw Bale Houses – Redefining Efficiency

by Paul Ciocoiu · May 18, 2016

Our desire to spend more time in and close to nature is starting to manifest in various ways other than the simple incursions in the middle of it. From mere environmental concerns up to homes built with a close eye kept on the natural environment around, our means to actively bring a contribution to preserving nature are varied and coming in concrete ways. Today we will take a close look at some straw bale houses, another building technique that is gaining grounds and at the end of which rest green, yet durable homes.

They say up to 3 million such straw bale houses are built in America every year. Builders say a natural and ecologic homes, such as a straw bale house, is both healthy and safe, whether we speak about earthquakes, fires or floods. At the same time, it is an efficient house, similar to a passive home, with maintenance costs going down by almost 70 per cent.

The cheap constructional materials – straws being found in abundance – and the very good thermal insulation role straws have are just a few of the advantages a straw bale house has. Moreover, by combining natural construction materials and modern technology one can get a modern looking home with a high degree of energetic efficiency. In the end, you can own a 100 % full eco-home if you choose to do extra insulation, thermal and acoustic, by choosing further natural materials, such as wool, hemp and wood fibers. It is recommended you use fresh straw bales which to process with copper sulfate in order to keep rodents away.

Even though you probably have in mind the image of some organic-shaped walls, the images below prove that a straw bale house hides its secret very well. More than that, in combination with other materials, such as wood and glass, such a house can get a modern and captivating design. For those who prefer a rustic style, then straw bales houses are the perfect option. We will let the images below speak for themselves in unique shapes about the potential of this building technique which, if it were to be used on a large scale, then it would at least partially help solve the household crisis.