Straw bales come from a highly renewable resource and are used to make super insulative walls that reduce a building’s impact on the environment when compared to traditional construction methods. Hubbell & Hubbell has designed and permitted straw bale homes in San Diego County as well as a church in the City of San Diego.
Benefits of Building with Straw Bales
1. ENERGY SAVINGS on heating and cooling. Plastered straw-bale construction results in insulation ratings (R-40 to R-50) more than three times greater than is usual (R-12 to R-15) in typical dry-wall construction buildings. These energy savings for space cooling and heating continue to accrue for the life span of the structure.
2. FIRE-RESISTANT. Plastered straw-bale structures enjoy considerably greater immunity to wildfire damage than other kinds of building. If the roof composition and sources of exposed wood such as beams, doors and window frames are made fire-proof, a straw-bale constructed building can survive firestorms that would consume other structures.
3. OWNER-BUILDER FRIENDLY. The wall raising can easily be done by the owner and friends, in a modern version of an old-fashioned barn raising. Besides realizing savings on labor costs for this phase of the project, owners can have the satisfaction of living in a structure they have built with their own hands.
4. INEXPENSIVE, RENEWABLE MATERIAL. Straw is an annually renewable agricultural residue often considered a waste product and therefore both inexpensive and easy to acquire. Although wood is also a renewable agricultural material, its renewal cycle is longer and it is considerably more expensive.
5. REDUCED POLLUTION. Straw is produced by photosynthesis, a natural, non-polluting process fueled by solar energy. Substitution of straw for the raw materials required in making the most common types of wall-insulation material saves processing energy and reduces the use of oil-based fuels.
6. REDUCED PRESSURE ON FORESTS. Substitution of bales for lumber could relieve pressures to log old-growth forest and scenic recreational areas.
7. REDUCED HEALTH HAZARDS. Substitution of straw for fiberglass insulation materials avoids health hazards for workers involved in its manufacture and placement.
BenefitsOfBuildingWithStrawBales.pdf (PRINTABLE VERSION)
Resources
California Straw Building Association
Non-profit organization whose members are architects, engineers, builders, and people interested in straw building. Exchanges current information and practical experience, promoting and conducting research and testing, and making that body of knowledge available to working professionals and the public at large. www.strawbuilding.org
International Straw Bale Building Registry
Online database of building constructed using straw bales. Collaborative project of Greenbuilder.com, The Last Straw Journal, The Straw Bale Association of Texas, and the Development Center for Appropriate Technology, along with a number of regional strawbale organizations. sbregistry.greenbuilder.com