Fuego & ICE
Cómo una cooperativa de construcción natural entró en acción después de que uno de los suyos fuera secuestrado por ICE.
The Last StrawAugust 18, 2026
Building with and Plastering the Future of Straw Construction
A builders perspective on working with straw panels
Straw Bale Construction: A Sustainable System For Ownership
by Ann V. Edminster
Ann V. EdminsterJanuary 1, 2022
Plasters and Strawbale
Most people choose straw bale for environmental considerations, wanting to be kinder to the earth and to themselves. Straw bales have low embodied energy; they're easy and fun to use, while being light on the earth; and they can help create a nurturing home environment. Earthen plasters share all of…
Cedar RoseJanuary 1, 2022
Moisture and Straw-Bale Walls
Moisture is every bit the very real concern in straw-bale construction that it is in standard wood-frame construction, and many of the same considerations that need to be given to other super-insulation techniques need to also be given to straw-bale construction. A properly designed and constructed straw-bale house will last…
Mark PiepkornJanuary 1, 2022
For the Love of Mud
Mud is magic. Mud is fun. Mud can also be quarrelsome. Don't get me wrong, I love earth plasters. I want all new strawbale homes to be wearing them. They make the most beautiful walls I have ever seen. The colors are gorgeous and incredibly varied. The walls feel soft…
Keely MeagenJanuary 1, 2022
Straw-bale Codes, Testing, Research
compiled by Joyce Coppinger, Andre de Bouter, Lars Keller, Chris Magwood, Mark Piepkorn and others
Joyce CoppingerJanuary 1, 2022
Rediscovering Lime Plaster In Costa Rica
Ryan Chivers walks us through his recent experience running a lime plaster and tadelakt workshop in Costa Rica. Topics covered include qualities of lime and mixes used for tadelakt.
Ryan ChiversMay 17, 2014
Home-Made Hydraulic Lime
We like to share this is the type of information because the context of lime plaster is so broad and interesting. It is important to keep in mind your goals when choosing materials. The information below creates a connection between two areas of lime plaster that are very important to…
Jeff RuppertMarch 5, 2014
Window Sill Details
This is a bonus post showing a couple examples of window sills on bale walls. Both examples incorporate a drip kerf for shedding water away from the wall. The first example below is on a Nebraska-Style structure in Colorado and the second example is in Siberia from our 2005 trip.…
The Last StrawSeptember 5, 2013
Siberia 2008 (Altai Project, Builders Without Borders)
This is original content and has not appeared in the printed version of The Last Straw. In mid August of 2008 we saw ourselves back on the plane to Siberia. This was our second trip as a group of builders and teachers to this far-away and exotic place we now…
The Last StrawAugust 13, 2013
Lime Mortars DVD Review
This article is original content and has not yet appeared in the printed version of The Last Straw. St. Astier Natural Limes, a producer of hydraulic lime products from France, is offering a set of DVD videos called The Master Stroke DVD Tutorial Series. The Master Stroke is a 4-disc…
The Last StrawJuly 23, 2013
Fire in a House With Straw Bale Walls
This article is original content and has not yet appeared in the printed version of The Last Straw. No, this is not the house. We don't have a picture of a bale house on fire! This story is a reluctant one about a house comprised of both wood-framed and straw…
The Last StrawAugust 15, 2009
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