Design of Straw Bale Buildings; The State of the Art [Paperback]

Bruce King (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2006

For the first time, a design manual for practicing professionals, as well as teachers, is made available, drawing on the collective experience of the most senior and respected figures in the rapidly-emerging field of straw bale construction.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anyone considering the design and constructioin of a straw bale building would be wise to read this book first. --Richard Okawa, P.E., Vice President of International Services, International Code Council (ICC), Whittier, California

This authoritative book is long overdue and raises the art and science of low impact building to a new level. --Tom Woolley, Professor of Architecture, Queen's University, Belfast UK

King's previous books have become essential references; I'm sure this will become the standard for straw bale construction. --Hugh Morris, Senior Tutor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, New Zealand

About the Author

Bruce King is a pioneer in the field of green building and author of Buildings of Earth and Straw; Structural Design for Rammed Earth and Straw-Bale Architecture, 1996, and Making Better Concrete; Guidelines to Using Fly Ash for Higher Quality, Eco-Friendly Structures, 2005. A practicing structural engineer for over 25 years, King is also the founder and director of Ecological Building Network, a nonprofit committed to collecting and disseminating information on green building design and construction. He is co-founder, with his wife, Sarah Weller King, of Green Building Press. He lives in Marin County, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Green Building Press (September 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976491117
• ISBN-13: 978-0976491118
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars straw bale Bible, October 16, 2006

By 

Fredric Lee McLaughlin "Architect" (Lansing, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Design of Straw Bale Buildings; The State of the Art (Paperback)

For architects especially - dealing with technical issues and codes - and serious others as well, this is THE must-own first book to get on the intelligent, competent and wise use of straw bales in building construction. And do not forget the Art along the way. Editor/Engineer Bruce King and his team of top expert contributors make it all accessible, exciting and enticing to any adventurous designer considering use of this stimulating new/old material.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read before you build he has done all the work for your P.E., April 4, 2009

By 

S. Owens "owens73655" (Tulsa,OK) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Design of Straw Bale Buildings; The State of the Art (Paperback)

You hand the book to your engineer and he will know what to do with it, the author has done all the home work for the engineer. This book is in a league all on it's on; it is the next generation in straw building. Your banker will stop laughing when he sees the book also. I am a lay man and it made perfect since to me; I have no idea where some of the other reviewers are coming from with there comments.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not for the layman, March 25, 2008

By 

Robert Griffy "Griffy" (Las Vegas, Nevada USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Design of Straw Bale Buildings; The State of the Art (Paperback)

The information in the book was too detailed for the layman. This book is more for the architect and/or structual engineer or student of engineering and architecture. While I understood the concepts since I have already built a strawbale house as a layman it was way beyond what I would be look for in designing a straw bale house. I would recommend it to an architect who was going to design a straw bale house but not for the layman looking for ideas.