Buildings of Earth and Straw

A revolution in environmentally friendly house construction is arriving. In this book, Bruce King explores the details and methods for building durable and safe earth and straw houses.

—Sim Van der Ryn, Architect, Educator, Author of Ecological Design

 Straw bale and rammed earth construction are enjoying a fantastic growth spurt in the United States and abroad. When interest turns to action, however, builders can encounter resistance from mainstream construction and lending communities unfamiliar with these materials. Buildings of Earth and Straw is written by structural engineer Bruce King, and provides technical data from an engineer's perspective. Information includes: special construction requirements of earth and straw; design capabilities and limitations of these materials; and most importantly, the documentation of testing that building officials often require.