Through the course of history, buildings have been made from the natural materials available at the time. When settlers arrived in the Nebraska grassland in the 1890s they found themselves surrounded by a landscape nearly void of trees and were forced to use any accessible materials to build their homes. Others before them had turned to sod, but these settlers had another option – straw. By stacking bales of straw like bricks, they found an easy, inexpensive and abundant source of building materials.

   But does this historical oddity have an application to homes being built in 2005? The answer is yes. A staggering 40 percent of the world's energy, wood and water is used to manufacture and transport construction materials. Many “green” building-product alternatives exist today. Bamboo floors, low emitting paints and recycled-content carpet are only a few myriad of sustainable options available to designers, architects and homeowners. Many of these materials, however, must be shipped thousands of miles, and some use more energy to produce than the materials they are replacing. But, straw is different in this regard.

   Straw is abundant in most parts of the country. It is considered a waste product of the agricultural industry, making it one of the most readily available sustainable building materials. A straw-bale home can be built for a fraction of the energy it takes to build a traditional home, but that is just the beginning of the environmental benefits. The greatest benefit comes from the improved insulation values. Although numbers vary widely, it is commonly accepted that straw-bale homes are more than twice as energy efficient as traditionally framed and insulated homes.

   Straw-bale houses will not necessarily produce construction savings over a house that is traditionally constructed. However, a straw-bale home will greatly reduce the cost of putting up the shell. In a traditional home the walls account for only around 15 percent of building costs, leaving a sizable 85 percent for a homeowner's design decisions – finishes, cabinetry and other elements. If someone is handy and willing to finish off the interior on their own, construction costs of a straw- bale home will come in under that of a traditional home.

   One of the great features of building with straw bales is the sense of community involved. There are very few contractors in the country who specialize in straw-bale construction, so when a home is built it is usually the result of the effort of friends and family, in the barn-raising tradition.

   Can the big, bad wolf come and blow the house down? Highly unlikely. Straw-bale homes today are designed to the same structural requirements as all other homes. A straw-bale consultant should be contacted early and will help make sure that everything is done safely and correctly. Most are built using a wood frame to support the roof, and the walls are in-filled with the straw bales – laid like bricks one on top of another. Load bearing straw-bale homes have been constructed, but they are more complicated and take more expertise to build.

   Many ask, “How can a house made of straw be safe and healthy?” Straw-bale walls have a lower flame spread index than drywall. This means that even when unfinished, fire is less likely to spread in a straw-bale structure than in a dry-wall structure. Insects do not find the tightly packed and dry straw a hospitable home and neither do rodents. Fiberglass insulation can be burrowed into much more easily and straw has no nutritional value. If kept dry, straw walls will not grow mold. The homes are plastered on the inside and from the outside give the appearance of stucco.

Straw bales provide a wonderful alternative building material. Low energy and local, today's straw- bale buildings bear little resemblance to the stacked straw homes of the 1890s. They are modern, clean homes that can be boastful of their energy efficiency and the level of comfort they give their occupants. Often the only way one would know he/she is in such a home is by peeking inside the “truth window,” a tradition in straw-bale homes. A small door opens to reveal the straw beneath – and the truth hidden in the walls of the home.

Heather is with Doty and Miller Architects, a Bedford firm with a special interest in sustainable design and green building (www.dotyandmiller.com). During the spring and summer, Heather spends her evenings and weekends growing natural heirloom produce for a CSA (community supported agriculture) and farmers' markets (www.basketoflifefarm.com).