A magazine about natural building and alternative design for dirtbags and dreamers since 1992
The Last Straw is a magazine about natural building and alternative design for dirtbags and dreamers since 1992
We sat down with the grandfather of the straw building resurgence, and one of the founders of The Last Straw, Matts Myhrman, to collect stories from back in the day and inspiration for the future!
The Kolûba Collective is expanding alternative building practices in Turkey where the natural building revival has not taken root like it has in many other parts of the world.
#77 On Fire
Issue 77 of The Last Straw gathers voices that expand our understanding of how to shape buildings, energy, and daily life when the earth is the hottest it has ever been.
Getting Loose With Lloyd Kahn
The author of Shelter on his life of making things about making things.
The Promise of StraBlocks
A story about branded product for the commons.
A House for a Farmer: Storing Carbon with Heavy Timber and Straw Panels in Northern Maine
The Last Straw spoke with Raivo Vihman of Haystack Joinery and Andrew Frederick of Croft about their recent collaboration designing and building a house for a farmer in Northern Maine. The project merges timber frame and straw panel construction, creating an innovative hybrid system that solves a number of key heavy timber construction issues. The result is a speedy build, a beautiful open gable space, and a huge amount of carbon storage.
We speak with documentary filmmaker Matt Anderson about conspiracy theorists, creative financing, what he’s learned from the natural building community and much more.
A comprehensive list of who is making straw panels and where they are
A peak into Huts, a fascinating collection of photography, sketches, and written reflections on the lives of rural South Africans under Apartheid
A straightforward explanation of the different characteristics of natural plasters, and when each should be used.
We think visual manuals like this are a great way to demystify construction techniques. We know that reading about something is often best complemented by being shown and maybe doing it yourself.This is a Braun and Byurdaid International and Ekdum Bundle production. "Seeds of gratitude" are given to the Prince's…
Step-by-step instructions to build a traditional Tataki earthen floor.
A solid explanation of hemp-crete and hemp-lime construction methods with practical advise.
