Building with Straw Bales: A Practical Manual for Self-Builders and Architects by Barbara Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love ‘How to …’ books – there is so much to learn and so little time to do it in. Well written ‘How to...’ books significantly shorten the time needed to get to grips with a new subject. This is the case with ‘Building With Straw Bales’ by Barbara Jones. For me, entering into the world of self-building using straw was a daunting proposition; this book has removed much of the angst. Ms Jones has over 20 years’ experience and has acquired much hard-won knowledge and hands-on experience, which she gladly shares.

The book is structured in a logical sequence reflecting the building process and covers everything from building techniques, understanding straw, to carpentry, roofs, wall raising, services and fixings; plus many more equally important topics. Even the pre-building stages – planning permission, and the necessary building regulation adherences and safety compliances are covered.
Additionally, the book has many useful and inspiring photographs, graphic images for detailed explanations and a whole series of appendices with links to other valuable resources.

Overall, a must-read book for anyone embarking on this exciting journey of building their low impact, environmentally friendly home.




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