Internet Resources

So many sources of information and resources are available on the Internet, we encourage you to evaluate them carefully and knowledgeably.

We suggest the following web sites, groups and listservs as reliable sources for gathering or sharing information and asking questions. If you have suggestions for other entries, please let us know.

Strawbale Building

Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. CMHC improves housing and supports the housing market by being the key Canadian source of reliable and objective housing information, including research and testing related to strawbale. www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca

Cochise County, Arizona, USA. Informat email network for strawbalers in this county of AZ. <eweigel@cableone.net>

European Straw Bale Gallery. Even if you can’t read the captions and descriptions of straw-bale buildings throughout Europe and the UK (not in English), you will enjoy a visual tour at www.baubiologie.at/europe/eugalerien.html

European strawbale building discussion list: <Strawbale@amper.ped.muni.cz>

Archives, subscription options and more: http://amper.ped.muni.cz/mailman/listinfo/strawbale

French Forum. French language only. Created by and for ownerbuilders of straw-bale homes, the forum is a means to exchange information and advice about building with straw bales between owner/builders, professionals and anyone with straw-bale building projects. http://compaillons.naturalforum.net

GSBN (Global Straw Bale Network). A discussion list comprised of invited members including long-time advocates, builders and architects, representatives from the various strawbale organizations internationally. The archives are now open to the general public and, for those inquiring minds that just have to know every little bit of everything that’s said about strawbale by these folks, it’s a valuable resource!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GSBN-Greenbuilder/ (not in Yahoo’s published lists). Log into Yahoo as gsbn123 and use the password bale123.

The International Straw Bale Registry at http://sbregistry.sustainablesources.com A database of build-ings constructed with bales – a project of SustainableSources.com, The Last Straw, SBAT, and DCAT. Included are design details and techniques; costs and financing; buildings open to the public; and much more. Please enter your own SB project information so that the registry can reflect more accurately the buildings constructed worldwide!

Nebraska’s Historic Bale Buildings.

www.azstarnet.com/~dcat/history.htm

www.strawhomes.com/sban/ Click on Tour.

http://sol.crest.org/efficiency/straw

www.skillful-means.com/strawbale/papershistoric.

htm

www.eere.energy.gov/EE/strawhouse/house-of-straw.html

Our thanks to Chug Tugby for this list of web sites for the historic bale buildings of Nebraska.

Okie Baleheads. (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, northeast Texas). Discussion group, workshop and hands-on training announcements, projects, news about bale building. To post message and subscribe: <OkieBaleheads@yahoo.groups.com>

<OkieBaleHeads-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>

Spanish Straw-bale Network (SSBN). In Spanish only.Web page contains downloadable how-to build, member list, SB buildings in Spain, photo galleries, calendar of events, classified announcements and more. casadepaja@yahoo.es www.casadepaja.com.es

The Strawbale Construction Discussion List at <strawbale@listserv.repp.org> Archives are at: http://listserv.repp.org/archives/strawbale.html The CREST web site crashed in November 2002
and was resurrected as The Strawbale Construction

Discussion List.

Strawbale Social Club/SB-r-us.

http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/SB-r-us/ or send an email to <SB-r-us-subscribe@yahoo.com> Choose “plain text” option to avoid getting the Yahoo advertisements on every email. This is a SB list started by Rob Tom (yet to be seen but often heard from with good information and challenging comments that make us all think).

Strawbale Association of Texas (SBAT) has merged with SBC (Sustainable Building Coalition); online newsletter at

Surfin’ StrawBale is still one of the most complete collections of links to all the SB webpages. Surfin’ StrawBale is online at moxvox.com/surfsolo.html and mha-net.org/html/sb‰links.htm  The list has not been updated for awhile, so may have dead links. For a list of recent additions, check out Igor’s Supplement mha-net.org/html/igor.htm

Natural Building

Cob building web site http://cobprojecs.info an expanded, full-feature discussion board including many regional and international forums at http://cobprojects.info/phpBB2

Sustainable Building and Living

ADPSR - Arcitects/Designers/Planners for Social Responsibility. National Forum, 415.974.1306 http://adpsr.org North California Chapter, 510.845.1000, PO Box 9126 Berkeley CA 94709; http://adpsr-norcal.org

DCAT - The Development Center for Appropriate Technology has a very well organized set of links to a wide variety of organizations. www.dcat.net For DCAT’s Forum –www.dcat.net click on Forum. A good place to post and receive answers to questions about codes and sustainability.

DirtCheapBuilderNews is an email publication for people interested in alternative, sustainable, or natural building. Published by Charmaine Taylor, owner of www.dirtcheapbuilder.com and www.papercrete.com

Ecological Building Network/EBNet.

209 Caledonia St., Sausalito CA 94965;

415.331.7630, fax 415.332.4072

www.ecobuildnetwork.org EBNet has completed an extensive series of tests and research on the material properties of straw bale structures. Each individual test is available as a downloadable PDF document on this web page. Ultimately, all program results will be combined into a single text, Design of Plastered Straw Bale Structures, to be written by the various test authors, edited by Bruce King.

Hands for Knowledge is an Internet network established during the ISBBC-04 in Denmark to provide a framework for people who want to learn natural building. It is a simple idea about facilitating connection between natural building sites and natural building students, benefiting everybody involved. www.thelaststraw.org (click on Hands for Knowledge at bottom of home page)

<jomorandin@livinghouses.net>

Organic Architecture

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/organicarchitecture

Wide-ranging discussion group on various types of sustainable architecture.

Willing Workers in Alternative Technology (WWAT). A link for those who are interested in learning various skills in Appropriate Technology fields with those who are interested in taking on workers in an internship type of arrangement. WWAT is just the initial networking tool; the interested parties work out the details between themselves. Archives available. To subscribe, send email to

<WWAT@sustainablesources.com> with SUBSCRIBE in the SUBJECT line.

Green Building

Home Builder Directory The Largest Home Builders and Construction Directory www.builderstate.com

Greenbuilding listserv. To sign up, send an empty email message (no subject) to: <listserv@listserv.repp.org> with “signon greenbuilding” in the message body.

Green Building Professionals Directory.

http://SearchGreenPros.com Lists include architects through wastewater gurus. There are probably several near you.

Sustainable Sources Online Resources.  Green Real Estate. Sustainable Sources Bookstore. Green Building Solutions. Sustainable Building Sourcebook: Green Events Calendar,  International Strawbale Registry, Articles, Online Discussions, Outstanding Sites and Groups. www.sustainablesources.com

Off the Grid

Living off the grid listserv deals with methods and equipment requirements for off-the-grid living
– alternative energy production, shelter, food production, bioremediation of waste streams and more. Add to your list of Yahoo groups by going to

http://groups/yahoo.com/group/livingoffthegrid

Healthy Home/Sensitivity

EcoDwell. email newsletter of the Institute for Bau-biologie.

www.bau-biologieusa.com/freenewsletter.html

SustainableABC.com, P.O. Box 41728, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-1728; www.SustainableABC.com A source for finding green building professionals, architects and healthy building products, green homes for sale, books and other resources, and featuring interviews with leaders in the green and ecobuilding field, serving the increasingly large community of individuals with environmental sensitivities.

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