Straw is a traditional building material, but today's building methods are relatively new. Discover how modern straw bale construction has evolved.

BY CANDACE RENALLS NEWS TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER While the idea of building with straw bales is not new, the eco-friendly approach to building has been gaining interest in the past 15 years. In the ...

“Straw-bale or alternative building is an absolutely fantastic experience,” said David Chew. “But it’s not — I would not recommend this to anybody who wasn’t already interested.” ...

Ventura County issued its first permit Friday for a straw-bale building, approving construction of a reception center at the Ojai Foundation’s spiritual retreat. The permit will allow use of ...

Building with straw bales isn’t a new construction technique. What the Tree of Life Nursery people did was continue a tradition that goes back a couple of centuries.

Straw-bale construction remained fairly popular in the Midwest and West until the 1950s, when mass-produced construction materials began to take over.

Read surprising answers to common questions about straw bale construction, an increasingly popular alternative building method. Originally published as “Expert Advice on Straw Bale Building ...

When completed this spring, the 26,900-sf Friends Community School in Greenbelt, Md., will be one of the largest straw-bale structures in the world. The Building Team specified straw-bale construction ...

In post and beam construction, straw bales serve as infill to form walls and provide insulation. The bales are stacked like big bricks and covered with stucco or plaster. With proper detailing ...

Building houses with straw bales isn’t a new concept at all: There are homes in Europe constructed with a mixture of straw and mud that are 1,000 years old, and straw houses began popping up in ...

Construction is underway at 157 Susquehanna St. in Binghamton, the future home of VINES. When completed, it will mark the first commercial straw bale building in the Northeast and Binghamton’s ...