Straw Bale Construction: The Ultra-Ecological House
As climate challenges mount—from devastating wildfires to hurricanes and floods—one solution, largely ignored thus far, may lie in an unlikely-sounding building material: straw.
“The most important, unusual, and seemingly counterintuitive feature” of a straw-bale wall, says engineer Bruce King, is that it breathes.
Dear Friends,
Learning about the ways that humans continuously reinvent and transform timeless materials with their hands never ceases to fascinate us. This month, and continuing into the fall season, we’re revisiting the topic with a collection of stories and podcasts highlighting some innovative, sustainable uses of plants.
From last week’s profile of a photographer who is reviving plant-based photo developing methods, to today’s feature on building more Earth-friendly (and surprisingly fire-resistant) straw-bale homes, to an upcoming, two-part podcast on the endless possibilities of bamboo, we’re excited to share these stories and more with you.
We hope you’ll enjoy reading (and listening to) today’s featured story, which is available on our free website: “Straw Bale Construction: The Ultra-Ecological House.” It was written by Mea McNeil and narrated by Dinah Berkeley.
We always welcome your thoughts and suggestions, which you can offer in a comment, by tagging us in Substack Notes, or via email. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for supporting our work with a paid subscription if you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Craftsmanship Magazine
ICYMI…
Contemporary ceramicists are continuing a long legacy of Black Americans working in clay. As they find new ways to tell their stories, the art world is finally catching up.
Read: ”Black Artists Are Reshaping How We Think About American Ceramics,” by
For Beatrice Thornton, an artist, photographer, and archivist based in Oakland, CA, nature is more than a muse: It's also the source of the sustainable materials she uses for developing analog film.
Read: “Reviving the Craft of Plant-Based Photo Developing,” by
New Episodes Coming Soon…
“The Secrets of Mastery” is a series of intimate conversations with artisans, innovators, and other pioneers about what it takes to excel in their fields, and why handmade work matters. It’s available only for our paid subscribers here on Substack.
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“I don’t even think in terms of tradition, typically. It has always been about putting my own take on whatever I do.” - Andy Graham
Listen to: “The Joy of Experimentation,” with Andy Graham
Craftsmanship Magazine focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest: to create a world built to last.
In addition to our Substack offerings, you’ll find a rich archive of stories, podcasts, photo essays, and documentary shorts on our free website—along with community resources like our Artisans’ Directory, our guide to U.S.-based craft & folk schools, and much more.