I got this book because it looked good. And it does look good! There is a lot of beautiful photography in this book, but it isn’t really a “plan” book. I was expecting more in the floor-plan and layout department, focusing on passive solar gain, green design ideas, etc. But this book really is photojournalism of various strawbale homes, chronicling different people’s stories with alternative housing. I think it was mentioned elsewhere about this book being a cool coffee table book to put on your coffee table inside your strawbale house when you get it done, and that’s what I would do with it. :) Pros: Beautiful pictures and some layouts. Cons: No real design ideas, no innovative passive solar focus. Hence, three stars and a not-too-shabby rating. If you want an excellent comprehensive resource on strawbale, check out Ted Owen’s Building with Awareness DVD & Guidbook.
Rating: 3 / 5
This book is beautiful. If you are thinking of building a house and have heard about strawbale building but haven’t seen any of the finished products this is a “must have” book. It is NOT quite what you might expect from the title. There are not sets of scaled, detailed drawings that can be lifted off for you to copy (in my view that would damage a very creative process anyway). You will find 31 individual buildings (not all are houses) with a plan view drawing, several very good photographs of each and the owner/builder story (in brief) describing the project.
These buildings cover some of the very best in straw bale building (not necessarily the most expensive) and are genuinely stimulating. This is the book to use as a focus point to keep an image in your mind as you work through the process of building, which is always accompanied by some surprises and testing times. It is not a handbook of strawbale technique, for that see one of these for starters [ Straw Bale Building: How to plan, design and build with straw Small Strawbale: Natural Homes, Projects & Designs but is rich in images and ideas that will inspire you as well as any doubtful city building authorities or community members.
i was very impressed, this book is beautiful, the pictures, and floor plans inside give us so many ideas for the home we want to build in the future, i recommed it even if its a coffe table book.
Rating: 5 / 5
not sure what the book looks like, since it was sent as a gift. the reciepients received the book quickly and seem very happy with it.
Rating: 5 / 5
A very good and interesting book, with nice pictures and plans of strawbale houses in America.
Rating: 4 / 5
I got this book because it looked good. And it does look good! There is a lot of beautiful photography in this book, but it isn’t really a “plan” book. I was expecting more in the floor-plan and layout department, focusing on passive solar gain, green design ideas, etc. But this book really is photojournalism of various strawbale homes, chronicling different people’s stories with alternative housing. I think it was mentioned elsewhere about this book being a cool coffee table book to put on your coffee table inside your strawbale house when you get it done, and that’s what I would do with it. :) Pros: Beautiful pictures and some layouts. Cons: No real design ideas, no innovative passive solar focus. Hence, three stars and a not-too-shabby rating. If you want an excellent comprehensive resource on strawbale, check out Ted Owen’s Building with Awareness DVD & Guidbook.
Rating: 3 / 5
This book is beautiful. If you are thinking of building a house and have heard about strawbale building but haven’t seen any of the finished products this is a “must have” book. It is NOT quite what you might expect from the title. There are not sets of scaled, detailed drawings that can be lifted off for you to copy (in my view that would damage a very creative process anyway). You will find 31 individual buildings (not all are houses) with a plan view drawing, several very good photographs of each and the owner/builder story (in brief) describing the project.
These buildings cover some of the very best in straw bale building (not necessarily the most expensive) and are genuinely stimulating. This is the book to use as a focus point to keep an image in your mind as you work through the process of building, which is always accompanied by some surprises and testing times. It is not a handbook of strawbale technique, for that see one of these for starters [ Straw Bale Building: How to plan, design and build with straw Small Strawbale: Natural Homes, Projects & Designs but is rich in images and ideas that will inspire you as well as any doubtful city building authorities or community members.
Rating: 4 / 5
i was very impressed, this book is beautiful, the pictures, and floor plans inside give us so many ideas for the home we want to build in the future, i recommed it even if its a coffe table book.
Rating: 5 / 5